1992 Field Report
(Part
3)
by
Jean-Luc Pilon
NOGAP Archaeologist
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Field No:
91JLP-20
Borden No: MlTk-27
When discovered and initially tested in 1991, MlTk-27 was
noteworthy among the other archaeological sites of the region in
that it exhibited a fair amount of diversity in its lithic
assemblage, limited as it was. Fine-grained cherts, sugary
quartzite and siliceous argillite were all recovered. It was the
discovery of fine-grained cherts in some quantity which
suggested, in keeping with observations made elsewhere in the
southwest Anderson Plain, that the site may have been used by
Arctic Small Tool tradition people. It was to verify this
proposition that a few days were spent at this site excavating a
total of 6 square metres in the area which had yielded the chert
debitage, i.e. in the southeast portion of the site.
A total of eight contiguous square metres were excavated by
trowel and the displaced soil, screened through 1/8 inch mesh
screening.
The stratigraphic sequence consisted of a topmost sod (Level
I) comprised essentially of mosses and grasses, with willows to
the west, followed by a brown organic sand (Level II), which lay
atop a reddish mineral layer (Level III). Artifacts were
especially prevalent in the first two layers. These tended to
consist of fine debitage of chert or siliceous argillite and
large flakes of a coarse-grained raw material. The distribution
of debitage in both levels leads one to suspect that they are the
remains of a single occupation. However, a few flakes were found
imbedded in the upper centimetres of the reddish sand (B
horizon). These appeared to be mostly of a coarser variety of
siliceous argillite with small quantities of chert debitage and a
few large flakes of metamorphic rock. One is tempted to conclude
that a distinct occupation is represented. However, the
distribution of material in Level III and in the highly
restricted organic pocket, Level IV, is little to go on.
Lithic artifacts found in 1992 at MlTk-27
| Debitage | Tools/Bifaces | Cores |
|---|
| Siliceous Argillite | 189 | 2/1 | 2 |
|---|
| Chert | 90 | 5/1 | 3 |
|---|
| Metamorphic Rock | 203 | 3/2 | 0 |
|---|
| Sugary Quartzite | 24 | 2/2 | 0 |
|---|
Most of the lithic implements consist of marginally, and
minimally altered flakes. The two quartzite biface fragments are
of some interest since they are both narrow, roughly shaped
preform fragments, likely from the same preform.
Raw material by artifact class at MlTk-27, 1992
| Level | | I | II | III | IV |
|---|
| Chert | Debitage | 9 | 63 | 16 | 2 |
|---|
| Uniface | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Biface | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Core | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Siliceous Argillite | Debitage | 29 | 110 | 49 | 0 |
|---|
| Uniface | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Biface | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Core | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Metamorphic Rock | Debitage | 102 | 0 | 13
(8) | 0 |
|---|
| Uniface | 0 | 110
(16) | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Biface | 2
(1) | 2
(1) | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Core | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Faunal Remains | | 4 | 123 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
Brackets () indicate sugary quartzite specimens.
A large metamorphic rock appears to have been used as a
hammerstone and possibly as some kind of splitting or wedging
tool. It is rectangular in shape and made from a large spall
taken from a river cobble; the dorsal face is entirely smooth and
cortical. The thick ends of the piece exhibit extensive,
multiple overlapping crushing and percussion cones. One lateral
margin is thick, has been minimally flaked bifacially, and shows
extensive crushing along most of its length. Such an implement
might have been used in splitting and crushing longbones for
marrow extraction, or some other activities employing
considerable force in direct percussion. Lastly, a long, slender
and thin piece of antler was found in level II which, although in
a poor state of preservation, shows evidence of shaping; its
purpose is, however, unknown.
No really good examples of microblades were found. Four
artifacts have been attributed the status of "possible"
microblade fragments. Three are made of fine-grained chert while
the fourth is made of sugary quartzite. One of the chert
specimen has a small unifacial notch chipped into a portion of
its lateral margin.
Field No: 85JLP-77
Borden No: NbTq-2
A brief, preliminary assessment of two localities within the
proposed Campbell Lakes Territorial Park was carried out for the
Department of Economic Development and Tourism on July 20 and 21,
1992. During an initial archaeological survey of the area in
1985 (Pilon 1985), it had been determined
that these localities
had been previously occupied in prehistoric times.
At the request of Mr. Jimm Simon of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism of the Government of the Northwest Territories, I re-examined these two
find spots in order to assess the need for an in-depth study, as
part of the planning for a future territorial park in the
region.
In 1985, a single chert flake was recovered from a
small test pit on a terrace located to the south of the
large borrow pit located between the Dempster Highway
and Campbell Lake. In spite of additional testing, no
other artifacts were recovered at that time.
Our strategy this summer consisted of walking three
abreast along the perimeter of the terrace feature and
excavating shovel test pits at irregular intervals, as well
as observing any surface feature which may be visible.
None of the shovel test pits located around the terrace
perimeter yielded any artifacts. However, once the edge had been
examined, a transect down the middle of the terrace was
undertaken. As a result, evidence of use of the terrace was observed at
one locality.
A number of large water-worn stones were noted protruding from the thick
caribou moss carpet . Further, careful surface inspection revealed a
number of
fire-cracked rocks just under the surface of the moss. Limited probing
with a trowel indicated that the
concentration of fire-cracked rocks covered an area of
approximately 1 metre in diameter.
Although the association of the fire-cracked cluster and the
larger stones could not be definitely determined with the time
available, these boulders are very much out of place on this fine
sand feature. The stones are located in two clusters of 2 and 4
respectively and are located approximately 3 m to the south of
the fire-cracked rock concentration. They may have been used as
weight stones for some kind of tent structure.
The find spot is located at the east end of the open portion
of the terrace. Further east, the ground cover becomes dominated
by willows and alders and suggests a slightly lower, less well-drained
surface.
Field No: 85JLP-78
Borden No: NbTq-3
In 1985, a single chert flake was
recovered from a shovel
test pit at the south end of an elongated, narrow ridge located
to the north of the large borrow pit situated between the
Dempster Highway and Campbell Lake, well within the boundaries of
the proposed territorial park.
As with NbTq-2, we could not relocate a single one of our
previous test units and so we proceeded to re-test the entire
feature. This led to the discovery of a semi-subterranean
feature near the north end of the ridge, about 35 metres before
the beginning of the drop-off to the plain below.
The cultural feature is oriented along the same axis as the
ridge which is no more than 10 metres wide at this point. The
depression itself measures approximately 1.5 m long, 1 m wide and
about 0.5 m in depth. No true berm or sand ridge was visible along the periphery of the depression, as is common with semi-
subterranean features in the southwest Anderson Plain. However,
the surface of the ridge slopes away on either side and so these
deposits may simply not be distinguishable from the adjacent
slope.
A test pit excavated into the bottom of the depression
revealed decayed poles, lying parallel to the length of the
depression, under about 15 cm of sand. Decayed wood was also
noted directly under the sod at the north end of the depression.
These observations are consistent with house pits in the Anderson
Plain, and suggest that this feature is comparable.
At least two charred stone adze-cut stumps were noted in the
general vicinity of the semi-subterranean feature.
A possible looter's pit was noted within the depression, and
suggests that it had already been the object of someone's
curiosity in the relatively recent past.
