The existence of an archaeological site at the mouth of Thunder River or Vihtr'iitshik has been known since the early 1970s. However, it was not until the second half of the NOGAP Archaeology Project that the significance of these heritage resources became better known.

As a result of preliminary inspections of the locality by Jean-Luc Pilon in 1988 and again in 1990, plans were put together to mount a more systematic assessment of the site's nature. This resulted in a major excavation in 1992 by David Pokotylo and his crew.

Three analyses have been published about this locality. Together they show the important role that this site played in the region when stone was still used to manufacture a wide range of tools. They also show how information can be gleaned from a number of different sources in order to add valuable details about the past.

Choose from the following detailed accounts:

Vihtr'iitshik: A Stone Quarry Reported by Alexander Mackenzie on the Lower Mackenzie River in 1789,
by
Jean-Luc Pilon

Archaeological Investigations at Vihtr'iitshik (MiTi-1), Lower Mackenzie Valley, 1992,
by
David Pokotylo

or read the more popular account,

The Riddle of Thunder River,
by
Jean-Luc Pilon

or
select one of the following short video clips: