The Initial Woodland Period sees the addition of pottery as a new technology. Several cultures have been identified.
The Early Woodland (1,000 - 400 B.C.) Meadowwood Culture is defined by a characteristic type of pottery and other distinctive artifacts. Although a hunting and gathering way of life continued there is evidence of special purpose camps used to exploit resources such as chert, fish, and others.
Pottery decoration and projectile point styles enable archaeologists to identify three regional cultures of the Middle Woodland Period (400 B.C. - A.D. 600): Point Peninsula, Saugeen, and Western Basin. Differences are suggested by settlement and burial patterns.
Around A.D. 600 cultures in certain areas in southern Ontario began experimenting with cultigens such as corn. Eventually, an increased reliance on agriculture prompted a general shift to more permanent communities.
It was probably through the Princess Point Culture in the Middle to Late Woodland Transition ( A.D. 600 - 900) that cultivation was first introduced into Ontario.