1992 Field Report
(Part
2)
by
Jean-Luc Pilon
NOGAP Archaeologist
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Field No:
87JLP-10
Borden No: NbTj-1
First located during a brief survey in 1987,
this site has
received very little attention in spite of some unique
characteristics. It is located near the outlet stream of Hyndman
Lake and occupies a long, narrow ridge lying adjacent to the
lake. Initial testing showed that at least one locality along
this ridge contained well-preserved faunal remains, fire-cracked
rocks, and numerous pieces of lithic debitage including both
siliceous argillite and flakes of a coarse-grained raw material
(perhaps some kind of greywake). Further, the tip of a formed
biface had also been recovered.
In 1990, Luc Nolin, aided by two assistants, excavated three
contiguous 50 cm x 50 cm units (Nolin 1991). They recovered
additional quantities of faunal remains, and debitage of both
siliceous argillite and greywake. In spite of the absence of
lithic implements, vesicular clinker similar to clinker from Cape
Bathurst Peninsula, and a lower grade clinker were found. These
exotic raw materials spoke of potentially interesting long
distance trade or communication networks.
Nolin and his crew also mapped out portions of a large
hearth feature. Their excavations suggested the existence of two
distinct occupation layers.
In returning to extend the 1990 test units, I hoped to
obtain information relating to the two occupations which seemed
indicated. I also wished to recover material likely to allow at
least an initial assessment of activities represented, along with
datable samples. Further the exotic raw materials noted above
were quite scarce in the region and suggested communications with
areas to the north. It should be noted that Cape Bathurst
vesicular clinker had only been recovered from Arctic Small Tool
tradition assemblages in the southwest Anderson Plain.
Consequently, the 1990 excavation units were extended so as
to form a 1 m x 2 m unit, with the 1990 excavation making up the
southern portion of the unit. Each natural layer was
trowel excavated and all sediment was then put through 1/8
inch mesh screening.
The surface vegetation of the unit consisted mainly of
grasses, with lichens, cranberries and willows also
present. I suspect that the vegetation has been affected
by the relatively recent use of the ridge over the past few
decades, as indicated by empty fuel drums, located at the
southern tip of the ridge, and the remains of a recent (20
years ago or so) camp located on the east side of the ridge
near its mid-point.
Another likely recent use of the ridge is attested to by
commercially purchased wooden tent pegs and rubber knee
pads. These items lead one to think that this site may have been
used by "southerners" within the last 20 years or so, perhaps by
geologists.
Once the thin vegetation layer was removed, excavation of
Level II, a dark brown organic sand resulted in the exposure of a
dense concentration of fire-cracked rock in the middle portion of
the unit, quite obviously a continuation of the
hearth feature described by Nolin in 1990. This level was
thinnest in the southern portion of the unit, where it measured
no more than 1-2 cm in thickness, and became progressively
thicker towards the north end of the unit. There, and especially
along the western side of the unit, it reached up to 10 cm in
thickness.
Unburned faunal remains, calcined bone fragments and a small
number of lithic flakes were recovered surrounding the fire-
cracked rock concentration. However, calcined bones were
particularly dense immediately south of the fire-cracked rock
concentration.
A discreet and distinctive soil lens was associated with the
fire-cracked rock cluster. Level Ia, the hearth deposit, was a
dark brown organic sand with significant quantities of charcoal
and burned bone fragments. Its thickness was similar
to Level II, and suggests that it is essentially the same layer
but with the addition of hearth refuse. Lithic debitage was
recovered from both Level II and Ia. Underlying level Ia was a
yellow, gravelly sand which contained cobbles and boulders.
Within the Ia deposits, a second discreet lens of ash and
sand was noted in the centre of the dark-brown Ia deposits.
This deposit would seem to identify the actual
centre of the hearth.
Towards the middle of the 1 m x 2 m unit, two pockets of
charcoal bearing humic material which also contained a few pieces
of fire-cracked rock were found under about 10 cm of what had
been considered sterile orange-brown sand and gravel. These
lenses extend no further within the unit, but seem to correspond to
similarly buried pockets of charcoal
noted by Nolin in 1990.
Artifacts
Artifacts occurred in both Level II and Level Ia. Only four
artifacts warrant specific mention, a large tabular scraper, a
siliceous argillite core, and two small pieces of cuprous metal.
The tabular scraper was recovered in six pieces (the missing
seventh piece was not recovered) which lay among the large
concentration of fire-cracked rock. It was obtained
by splitting a larger stone to produce a relatively thin plate.
Bifacial retouch was applied along the longest edge and one of
the short ends, while the remaining edges were left unaltered.
Artifacts Recovered in 1992
at NbTj-1
| Faunal Remains |
487 |
|---|
| Lithic Debitage |
41 |
|---|
| Lithic Implements |
4 |
|---|
| Others |
2* |
|---|
| Total |
534 |
|---|
*pieces of native copper
The siliceous argillite core was found just to the northeast
of the fire-cracked rock concentration, imbedded in the bottom
portion of Level II. It consists of a blocky piece of siliceous
argillite evidently recovered from a secondary deposit as its
edges are all very well rounded. However, one end was flaked
while using the naturally flat surface of the cobble as a
platform.
Debitage raw materials
recovered in 1992 at NbTj-1
| Siliceous Argillite | 16 |
|---|
| Metamorphic Rock | 15 |
|---|
| Clinker | 8 |
|---|
| Chert | 2 |
|---|
Lastly, the two pieces of cuprous metal were initially
assumed to be fragments of copper/brass kettles.
One of them had
a square hole punched through, and is uniform in thickness.
The second, smaller fragment, however, exhibited
some folding, suggestive of native manufacturing techniques
(Franklin et al. 1981).
Recent instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) by
Dr.Ron Hancock of the Slowpoke Reactor Facility of the University
of Toronto, has shown conclusively that both metal fragments are
made of native copper (Hancock 1993).
Consequently, the 1990 excavation units were extended so as
to form a 1 m x 2 m unit, with the 1990 excavation making up the
southern portion of the unit. Each natural layer was
trowel excavated and all sediment was then put through 1/8
inch mesh screening.