on the Archaeological Resources of Sebago Lake, Maine
By Richard A. Doyle, Raymond, Maine
When Sebago Lake was first dammed in or about 1825, little consideration
was given to the Native American remains and history that lay buried along
the shores of Sebago Lake. Indeed, even today in these "enlightened"
times, higher lake levels and its subsequent erosion are allowed, with no
consideration given to the impact on surviving archaeological sites, or
for that matter, even the beautiful beaches of present day Sebago Lake.
The early raised lake levels were allowed to fluctuate seasonally and the
exposed and eroded sites were collected by early antiquarians. Huge collections
of prehistoric stone tools and ceramics were developed in the late 1800s
and through the 1900s and indeed continue to be developed to this day. Early
collections of note are the Kennerd, the Penny, the Dillingham, the Simpson
and the Ridlon. These early collections, and more recent ones, show that
Native American populations have used the shores of Sebago Lake for over
10,000 years! They also show that about 7,500 years ago the area underwent
a population explosion, in relative terms, as there are many sites here
that contain distinctive tools in surprising quantity.
Sebago Lake is very unique. It lies between the uplands and the coast. It
is just some 25 miles to Casco Bay via the Presumpscot River. The Saco River
is just a short portage to the west, and the Little Androscoggin River lies
just north of the Sebago Lake drainage. These factors of geography coalesce
to place Sebago Lake at the heart of the prehistoric travel routes in this
area of northeastern North America.
Sebago Lake and its drainage also offered rich and diverse food resources
to Native American populations. The Lake's native fish populations, including
its landlocked Atlantic salmon and various anadromous fish species offered
seasonal bounty. Sebago Lake was truly a special place to the early American
peoples.
It is quite clear that much of the material remains left in the ground by
the Native peoples have been lost to erosion and the lake's higher water
levels. This does not diminish the region's archaeological value, instead,
it makes the remaining sites and site fragments seem priceless to those
interested in learning the lake's prehistoric past. Sebago Lake and its
tributaries contain cultural history of the entire Holocene Period. The
irony is that we know this mostly because of the collections of stone tools
developed as the sites that protected them for thousands of years washed
away. There has never been any large-scale archaeological investigation
in the area. The University of Southern Maine has operated archaeological
field schools about the lake, and has partially excavated the Point Sebago
Paleo-Indian site, a very important early Holocene site. This does not do
justice, however, to a lake and system so well endowed with archaeological
remains.
By any scientific standard, the archaeological data lost to the impounded
waters of Sebago Lake is an archaeological disaster of huge proportions
to those of us interested in the pre-history of the State of Maine specifically,
and the broader Northeast in general. It is essential that the remaining
archaeological resources be given careful consideration by this and other
governing bodies so that what remains of our pre-historic past receives
the respect and scientific scrutiny that it deserves. The politics of higher
water levels have not allowed this to date, however, the tools are in place
to change this if they are not negotiated away.