Journey to the Ice Age: Discovering an Ancient World by Peter L. StorckReview by: Richard MorlanCanadian Journal of Archaeology / Journal Canadien d’Archéologie, Vol. 28, No. 2 (2004), pp.390-391Published by: Canadian Archaeological AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41103505 .

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Journey to the Ice Age: Discovering an Ancient World

by Peter L. Storck. UBC Press, Vancouver (in association with the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto), xix+356 pp. ISBN 0-7748-1028-9 (hardcover) $39.95. 2004.

LOVE THIS BOOK. If I HAD PETER Storck's writing skill and his intro-

spective view of the world, this is the kind of book I would like to write. It is at once a compelling, personal narrative and an introduction to the process of hypothesis testing and revision that archaeologists use to keep their work oriented toward a problem they wish to solve. Dr. Storck was hired by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) straight out of graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, partly because he had a demonstrated ability and well-known desire to conduct research into Paleoindian sites and life- ways, and related issues. At the ROM, he joined Dr. Walter Kenyon, a senior member of the archaeological staff with an established interest in the later prehistory and history of the province. Until Kenyon 's retirement, the two of them were somewhat like bookends on Ontario's long shelf of archaeological records.

I had better admit at this point, since it is well known anyway, that Peter and I were fellow graduate students in Madi- son, and we were (and are) good friends. Our desks were in open-concept Research Assistants' rooms on opposite sides of the hall, as Peter assisted Dr. David Baerreis and I assisted Dr. Chester Chard. There was plenty of time to get acquainted, and I remember thinking

of Peter as both a scientist and a philoso- pher, seriously interested in his research and also interested in how our research shapes us as people. Both of these quali- ties are evident in Journey to the Ice Age. We both left Madison in 1969 to report to our respective institutions in Canada.

Journey to the Ice Age has an interesting structure. The Introduction is numbered among the prefatory pages, in Roman numerals (xiv-xix). Along with the Acknowledgements, it provides essential background information. Eight chapters follow, each of which interweaves the story of Peter's personal experiences, plans, and aspirations with three other elements: 1) partial reprints of ROM Archaeological Newsletters, often writ- ten from the field, presented here in an unshaded sans-serif font; 2) summaries of facts the reader needs to know to follow this story, presented in a sans- serif font printed on a light grey shaded background; and 3) illustrations with lengthy, informative captions, also in a sans-serif font without shading. Because of the font and shading changes, it is easy to follow one or another of these elements to its conclusion, only to return to a different element that may carry on a few pages earlier or later. On page xiii, Peter acknowledges that the first draft of this book was written in 1997-1999, and a revised version was completed in 2003.

Canadian Journal of Archaeology/Journal Canadien d'Archéologie 28: 390-391(2004)

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JOURNEY TO THE ICE AGE: DISCOVERING AN ANCIENT WORLD • 391

It is my impression that the sans-serif elements were added in 2003 to make the book more informative. No doubt it was already evocative, but perhaps that draft required more prior knowledge of the subject.

Peter's chapter titles are laconic, offering little in the way of hints about the chapter subjects, and I thought of providing a list of the subjects in this review. However, the need is well met by the excellent index at the end of the book. I do want to point out the subject of Chapter 7, "Back to the Beginning," namely the Sheguiandah site. Peter's chapter concerning the reinvestigation of this important site makes an excellent narrative companion to the collection of papers edited by Patrick Julig (2002). The other chapters provide background and detailed results from investigations at many Ontario Paleoindian sites: Ban- ting, Fisher, Hussey, Parkhill, Red Wing, Udora, and others. The cumulative result is a large amount of information about, and insight into, the past lifeways of Paleoindian people, as well as a thor- ough understanding of how difficult it is to explore such ancient lifeways through study of the meagre remains found in archaeological sites that are 10,000 or more years old. In other words, the reader learns a lot about Paleoindians and the environments in which they lived, and also a lot about prehistoric archaeology.

Peter's sense of humour shines like little sparkles in the midst of his well- crafted prose. Who else could refer to the birth of his first child as a visit "by my avian namesake" (p. 40)? On page 112,

"I offered a liquid reward for a fluted spear point left untouched on a clod of dirt or under a corn plant that I could photograph for public lecturing"; on page 271, we learn that the liquid reward is a glass of champagne! The story of Peter von Bitter's discovery of Fossil Hill chert (pp. 122-126) is hilarious. On page 127, you need to know both Peter Storck and his friend, John Tomenchuk, to understand Peter's statement "if his interpretations were correct John was probably an unrecognized genius" (I know them both, and I agree with Peter).

The book ends with an unusual appendix entitled "Driving into Ice Age Ontario and Beyond." A series of detailed maps and instructions gives the reader everything needed to take a self-guided tour by car to the many land- forms and archaeological sites described in the book. It also recommends stops at various local and regional museums along the route. As the province itself declares on its license plates, "It's Yours to Discover."

REFERENCE CITED Julig, P. J. (editor)

2002 The Sheguiandah Site: Archaeo- logical, Geological and Paleobotanical Studies at a Paleoindian Site on Mani- toulin Island, Ontario. Mercury Series, Archaeological Survey of Canada Paper 161, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec.

Richard Morían Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Québec

Journal Canadien d'Archéologie 28 (2004)

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