Comb Designs

The earliest archaeological example of a Hodinöhsö:ni' comb comes from the Frontenac Island archaeological site, dated to approximately 2,000 BCE, or 4,000 years ago.  Simple combs and hair pins appear sporadically in the archaeological record in the years following, but production and use increase exponentially in the 16^th and 17^th centuries CE.

Early Onöndowa'ga:' combs are often simple in design and overall shape—many feature only 3 or 4 “teeth” and singular shapes, birds, or animals on the “top” or “handle.” Later combs develop in complexity, with dozens of thin teeth and multiple complex carved shapes and incised designs.

At the height of their popularity in the late 17^th century, Onöndowa'ga:' carvers depicted a range of subjects from birds, bears, wolves, panthers, beavers, otters, humans, and horses. Subjects were often depicted in pairs of two, lending a symmetry to the pieces. Onöndowa'ga:' descendants and archaeologists interpret these designs in a variety of ways, from clan animals to cosmological themes to commentary on European visitors.