Summer Island Site
archaeological site located on the northwest side of Summer Island, Michigan
The Summer Island Site, designated 20DE4, is an archaeological site located on the northwest side of Summer Island, in Delta County, Michigan. It is classified as a stratified, multi-component site with Middle Woodland (c. 100 B.C–500 A.D.), Upper Mississippian (c. 1000–1500 A. D.) and Early Historic/Protohistoric occupations (c. 1500–1700). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Site description
The site lies in a sandy meadow about 20 feet above Summer Harbor on the northwest side of the island, and about "125 feet inland from the best canoe landing area in the entire bay." At the time it was first excavated, cultural material was evident on the surface of the site.
Archaeological history
As early as 1851, this site has been recorded as an abandoned Native American village which was occupied as late as 1770. In 1931, Wilbert B. Hinsdale included it in his Archaeological atlas of Michigan. The site was first excavated by George I. Quimby in 1959.
The public source identifies “Summer Island Site” as archaeological site located on the northwest side of Summer Island, Michigan. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Summer, Island and Site.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Summer Island Site”, the useful work is to connect “archaeological site located on the northwest side of Summer Island, Michigan” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q14716297. VIAF identifies the subject as 315164439. Authority coordinates are 45.567, -86.633. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1000, 1500, 1700 and 1971.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Summer Island Site”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Summer Island Site primary sources, Summer Island Site archive and Summer research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Summer Island Site”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Summer Island Site” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.