Abstract

Typical of late 19th century mining camps, the population of Dawson City during the boom years contained a relatively large group of transients. Natural constraints on the limits of the townsite, and the high demand for land as the stampeders arrived, resulted in the occupation of the steep hillsides along the eastern margin of Dawson and the southern edge of Klondike City. Previous archaeological research by Parks Canada archaeologists on the Dawson hillside, suggests that these areas were inhabited by transients, who came seeking a fortune to return home to a better life. This paper presents the results of the 1998 season of the Dawson City Hillside Archaeology Project, which recorded structure platforms and surface artifacts on the Klondike City hillside and portions of the Dawson City hillside. This research provides insights into the lives of the transient people who lived there and the means by which they interacted with the rest of the community.