Abstract

This paper examines metal container reuse in the context of transient habitation sites in Dawson City, Yukon. Many individuals who joined the Klondike Stampede came north hoping to make a quick fortune and return home. Investigation of cabin platforms on the steep hillsides surrounding Dawson City, Yukon, suggests that their occupants during the gold rush era were largely transients. Surface artifact assemblages associated with cabin platforms indicate that the reuse of metal containers was a relatively common activity. Items manufactured from discarded tin cans on the hillsides tend to be related to structures and basic household activities. The varieties of reused artifacts are described and comparisons are made with other sites associated with the Klondike Gold Rush.