1993 Field Report(Part
1)
by
Jean-Luc Pilon
NOGAP Archaeologist
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Field No: 91JLP-6b
Borden No: MITk-19
The initial indications found at this locality in 
Our initial
excavation units were laid out so as to encompass
and bisect the large 1991 test pit which had yielded evidence of a
hearth feature (fire-cracked rocks and ash deposits) along with a small
piece of ferrous metal and faunal remains (mostly fish, but some mammal
bone as well). Further, it was located more or less in the centre of the
bench upon which we had also noted
large stones potentially used as
anvils for pounding dried meat or fish, and
rolls of birch bark,
possibly the remains of containers.
As luck would have it, the 1991 test pit had removed most of
the ashy deposits of the hearth feature it had identified. However,
fire-reddened sands helped delimit the full extent of the hearth feature
which was once located there.
As a result of the excavation of total of 12 square metres,
additional hearth features were identified. Perhaps more importantly,
artifacts likely from an earlier period of occupation were found.
Although they indicate a greater usage of this seemingly secluded site
than was previously thought, the context of their discovery poses more
interpretive difficulties than they resolve.
Physical Setting
At this locality a number of distinct benches (3 or 4) can be
traced from the beach up to the plateau behind the site. These benches
are intersected by a small runoff creek which forms a marked indentation
in the shoreline and defines the westem limit of the site for the
present purposes. This creek drains the extensive muskeg plateau north
of the site in springtime and is dry during the summer season.
The excavations took place on the first bench above the modern
beach immediately east of the creek mouth. This bench is approximately
1.5 m above the summer lake level and another 1-1.5 m below the next
bench which rises abruptly behind it.
Trees occured quite sparsely over the bench itself. Instead,
black spruce were found mostly along the edges of the benches. At the
front of the bench where the excavations took place, willows were found.
The benches are made of fine sand which characterises the
embayment in which the site is located. This is in contrast to the
boulder strewn shoreline along the west shore of MlTk-18 just to the
west of MlTk-19. There, currents are stronger and storms attain greater
violence. On the other hand, the embayment east of there is shallow and
results in a reduction of the effects of wave activities during storms,
thus leading to the deposition of sand deposits. The benches, by their
elevations must relate to high water levels immediately following
deglation of the region since present water levels were attained fairly
quickly.
Stratigraphy
On the bench itself, the dominant vegetation type by far is
lichens. As the surface was quite moist during our work there, this
thick yet highly porous carpeting could be quite easily removed without
the aid of any tools. This resulted in the exposure of a thin (1-2cm)
compact layer of decaying organic material (Level 1). The following
layer consisted of a humic sand (Level 2) measuring no more than 2-3 cm
in maximum thickness. Although some artifacts were found in the basal
sod layer (1), most occurred in the underlying humic sand (2). All of
the fire-cracked rocks lay within Level 2, yet were first visible upon
excavation of Level 1. In virtually all instances, these lay on or just
slightly above Level 3, the underlying basal yellow sands of
undetermined thickness.
Hearth Features
In the relatively small area exposed, a minimum of three
hearth features were identified and two additional zones of
fire-reddened sands were found which could be similar centres of
combustion.
By far the best defined hearth
was that first identified in
1991. Near its centre a layer of ashy deposits containing a few
calcined fish bones had been found. Excavation of Level 1 revealed a
broad, oval stain of fire-reddened sands measuring roughly 1.5 x 1 m.
Careful trowelling of this stain showed that there were two seperate
areas of deeper fire-reddened sands which might indicate the centres of
former areas of combustion. What is perplexing about the largest of
these areas of deeper stained sands in the central hearth is that its
southern extent was not initially visible following the removal of the
overlying Level 1 deposits, but rather were only evident once 2-3 cm of
the apparently sterile yellow sands were removed. This may indicate the
reuse of the hearth feature with some cleaning of the area prior to the
final usage.
Associated with this hearth was a
dense scatter of
fire-cracked rocks which straddled the hearth and the area immediately
west of it. These thermally broken stones were of the usual
coarse-grained stone types and occurred in a broad range of sizes. A
limited number of faunal remains were found in association with this
feature. However, pieces of charcoal were noted along the periphery of
the reddened sands.
A second major area of fire-reddened sands was located in the
western portion of the excavations and consisted of an oblong stains of
fire-reddened sands measuring more than 2 metres in length and a maximum
of near 1 metre in width. The staining penetrated no more than 5 cm
into the surface of the basal sands. Unlike the combustion feature
located in the centre of the excavation area, there were no fire-cracked
rocks associated with these reddened sands. Instead a number of faunal
remains were found in direct proximity. A small stain of fire-reddened
soil occurred immediately west of this feature.
A second elongated deposit of fire-reddened sand was found to
the north of the central combustion feature and ran along the wall of
the excavation. Its final shape should not be guessed at, but by the
distribution of the stain, its appears to be of considerable size. The
staining penetrated
the basal sands by no more than 5-7 cm. Charcoal
pieces seemed particularly abundant in the area of this reddened stain
in the base of Level 1 and in Level 2. However, the only remains
definitely associated with this stain were two siliceous argiflite
flakes found in the stain itself. More than likely, the charcoal
relates to more recent events at the site.
Artifacts and their Distributions
Artifacts were not numerous at MITk-19. Only a number of
observations are warranted here. The first involves the fact that two
apparent time periods are represented in the area excavated. The first
and incontestable is the historic or post-contact period when glass
beads and metal implements were available. It may be worth noting that
of the 11 beads found, 9 are white and 2 are a sky-blue colour. With
the exception of the site on the Flats at Tsiigehtchic (see Luc
Nolin's 1992
and 1993 excavation reports), this is
the largest collection of glass beads from the lower
Mackenzie River. Lacking any additional chronometric indicators we
cannot really address the significance of this fact. However, the
historic period prior to the beginning of the 20th century is poorly
represented. Certainly the immediate post-contact period, which saw a
great trade in glass beads, is remarkable by its poor visibility. Might
this be such a site?
Summary of the MlTk-19 collection
| lithic debitage | 20 |
|---|
| lithic uniface | 1 |
|---|
| faunal remains | 88 |
|---|
| thin ferrous metal fragments | 11 |
|---|
| seed beads | 11 |
|---|
| samples | 3 |
|---|
| Total | 134 |
|---|
Most of the glass beads
and the thin strips of ferrous metal
were found in close proximity to a large stone with a flat upper
surface. Although no indications were found to suggest that the stone
was used as an anvil, the distribution is nonetheless quite good and may
indicate that it served some purpose at the site. One fact is certain,
given the nature of the processes which formed the terrace system, we
may conclude that this stone was intentionally brought to the site.
Lastly, it is worth noting that the lithic specimens are not
associated with any particular combustion feature. They seem equally
distributed throughout the central portion of the excavation area.
However, I am inclined to associate these artifacts with the combustion
feature in the northern part of the excavation since two siliceous
argillite flakes were found within these fire-reddened sands. However,
given the nature of this matrix, these flakes may simply have found
their way into the sands as a result of trampling. It is entirely
possible that those who used and left behind the beads and pieces of
ferrous metal, also still used siliceous argillite to manufacture stone
tools.
Faunal Remains
As noted above, the vast majority of the 88 faunal
specimens were calcined, and hence fairly small in size. Nonetheless,
Leslie Still has provided preliminary identifications. In contrast to
earllier impressions, fish are not the dominant species represented.
Snowshoe hare and caribou were noted among the fragments as was northern
pike. However, the quantities are too small to warrant additional
comment.
