ARCHAEOLOGY in NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR 1980 Annual Report #1
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ARCHAEOLOGY IN NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR 1980 Annual Report #1 Edited by: Jane Sproull Thomson Bernard Ransom Historic Resources Division Department of Tourism and Culture Government of Newfoundland & Labrador St. John's, NF February 198 1 Reprinted 1992 Cover photograph courtesy Antonia McGrath: polar bear from Shuldham Island Dorset site (see Thornson, this volume) All publications of the Newfoundland Museum and Historic Resources Division, ,Department of Tourism and Culture, are also available on Microlog, a Micromedia product, from: Micromedia Ltd. 20 Victoria St. Toronto, ON M5C 2N8 ISSN 07 15-2086 TABLE OF CONTENTS ARCHAEOLOGY IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR 1980 (map). ..................i INTRODUCTION. .........................................................I Jane Sproull Thmson PRELIMINARY ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS FROM SHULDHAM ISLAND, LABRADOR, .1980.. .................................................. -5 Callum Thomson SYITHSONIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS, CENTRAL AND NORTHERN LABRADOR, 1980. ...................................................26 William Fitzhugh IN QUEST OF DORSET SUBSISTENCE STRATEGIES: 1980 EXCAV- ATIONS AT OKAK-1 AND NO-NAME ISLAND, LABRADOR.. ...................43 Douglas Sutton MISCELLANEOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVEST1GATIONS ALONG THE NORTH-CENTRAL LABRADOR COAST : 1980.. ..............................58 Bryan Hood ARCHAEOLOGY IN SOUTHERN LABRADOR - 1980.. ........................... .69 James Tuck THE EXCAVATION AND SURVEY OF A MID-EIGHTEENTH CENTURY SHIPWRECK AT TRINITY, TRINITY BAY, 1980.. .........................78 Newfoundland Marine Archaeology Soci ety 1980 FIELD REPORT OF FRENCHMAN'S ISLAND PROJECT. ................... ..88 Cli fford Evans A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE EXCAVATION OF THE L'ANSE A FLAMME SITE (CjAx-1). ...........................................95 Gerald Penney ARCHAEOLOGY IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, 1980 INTRODUCTION Jane Sproul 1 Thomson Provincial Archaeologist The year 1980 has marked a turning-point for archaeology in Newfound1 and and Labrador. Increasing pressures on the environment resulting from oi 1 and gas, hydro-el ec tric and other development wi 11 continue to accelerate archaeological activity in the province. This .will, in turn, increase the need for an annual pub1 ication which will keep those interested in touch with our research. One of the most important developments this year has taken place in the area of legislation. The enactment of the Environmental Assessment bill in the spring of 1980 will undoubtedly mean a great increase in the number of archaeology contracts available here in the future. In recent years assessment work has been undertaken only for government hydro projects. In future assessment will be required for every major new development in the province. The unavoidable increase in archaeological activity here as a result of the new Act will under- 1ine a need for resource planning and management, and current activi ty at the Historic Resources Division is being directed toward developing guide1 ines in this area. Assessment work undertaken in 1980 included the Lower Churchill River area and the region of Cat Arm; both for developments by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. Dr. 3. Tuck of Memorial University conducted the Lower Churchill survey which yielded no new significant sites. Similar results were obtained by Gerald Penney on a survey of the Cat Arm area. 1 The year has also seen a growth in scholarly-oriented interest in the province's archaeology. Institutions conducting surveys or excavations here in 1980 included Kemorial University, Trent University, the Newfoundland Marine Archaeology Society, Parks Canada and the Smi thsonian Institution in addition to the Newfoundland Department of Cul ture, Recreation & Youth. Memor i a1 Un ivers i ty James Tuck of the Archaeology Unit continued excavations at the Basque land site at Red Bay, Labrador, as well as conducting surveys in the region. In Northern Labrador Callum Thomson excavated Dorset Eskimo sites on Shuldham Island, and surveyed the outer Saglek Bay area. On the Island Tuck directed Memorial University field school operations at the 19th-20th century O'Brien Farm site in St.Johnis; Gerald Penney continued excavations at the probable Pro to-Beothuck L'Anse i Flamme site as well as surveying points along the south coast; and Clifford Evans began work on Frenchman's Island, a Maritime Archaic-Beothuck-European site. Anna Sawicki undertook excavation of Maritime Archaic and Palaeo-Eskimo sites for Parks Canada at Terra Nova National Park. (This report is to be pub1 ished shortly by Parks Canada. ) Trent University Bryan Hood completed work on the Nukasusutok-5 Maritime Archaic as we1 1 as Nukasusutok-12 Early Dorset sites and assisted Douglas Sutton at Okak Bay, on the northern Labrador coast. Smithsonian Institution The final excavation season for the Torngat Archaeological Project was completed by Will iam Fitzhugh in 1980. Surveys were conducted from Pos tvi 11 e north to Nu1 1iak Harbour in northern Labrador. At Nu1 liak, two Maritime Archaic burials and a habitation structure were uncovered. At Okak Bay, Doug1 as Su tton undertook studies on Dorset Eskimo subs is tence patterns by excavation and analysis of faunal remains. Newfoundland Marine Archaeology Society The N.M.A.S. continued excavation of the 18th century shipwreck in Trinity Harbour, under the direction of Dr. Vernon Barber . Parks Canada Underwater work continued on the San Juan wreck at Red Bay, Labrador, under the direction of Dr. Robert Grenier. Reports on the progress at Red Bay as well as on the work undertaken by Sawicki at Terra Nova Park will be available shortly from Parks Canada. Newfoundland Department of Cul ture, Recreation- & Youth The Historic Resources Division began a new project in 1980 with the aim of identifying and where necessary salvaging remaining Beothuck sites. The four-year Beothuck Project got off to a late start in October with brief surveys in Notre Dame Bay, Badger Bay and on Fogo Island. Preliminary results indicate that members of this cul ture were not as widely dispersed nor as numerous as popular myth would indicate. Further surveys planned for 1981 will include Notre Dane Bay, the Exploits River and Red Indian Lake as we1 1 as the south coast. Co-investigators for the Project are Dr. Ralph Pastore of Memorial University and the author. Grants Grants made by the Historic Resources Division for 1980 comprise: Clifford Evans (Frenchman's Island) ................$ 1975 Bryan Hood (Nu kasusutok Island). .................... 950 Gerald Penney (L'Anse 2 Flamme).. .................. 3935 Douglas Sutton (Okak Island). ....................... 2175 Cal lum Thomson (Shuldham Island). ................... 2700 James Tuck (Red Bay) ............................... 3500 [Beothuck Project.. ................................ .18,600 In agreement with DREE, Historic Resources provided $2500 of a $25,000 grant for the N.M.A.S. project at Trinity ......................................... 2500 TOTAL 36335 Torngat Archaeology Project results are now being compiled for publication. In addition, we can expect reports on Red Bay and Terra Nova from Parks Canada in the near future, as well as several graduate papers now in process from Memorial University . Information from these sources should produce val uabl e material for a projected major summary of human occupancy in Newfoundland and Labrador. PRELIMINARY ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS FROM SHULDHAM ISLAND, NORTHERN LABRADOR, 1980 Ca 11 um Thornson Memorial University of Newfoundland INTRODUCTION For a period of nine weeks during the summer of 1980 an archaeo- logical project was carried out on Shuldham Island and the outer part of Saglek Bay. The main objectives were as follows: 1. To establish the time period for the Late and Middle Dorset occupation of this region through the typology of house structures and tools, radiocarbon dating and the identification of exotic trade itens ; to document any possible re1ationships among Dorset, Thul e, Flforse, and Point Revenge Indian groups. 2. To investigate the technology involved in and interpret the purpose for an apparently intensive production of soapstone figurines. 3. To document the settlement/subsistence patterns and collect a representative artifact inventory for Late Dorset, a period previously not reported from this area; to relate this pattern and artifact col- 1ection to those known elsewhere. With the help of three field assistants for the sumner and three vol unteers for the final two weeks, most of the interior of two large stone and sod winter houses was excavated. This provided much of the information required for the above objectives . Some evenings, inclement days and parts of days off were spent surveying for new sites and excavating the shallow deposits at two Early Dorset sites. A total of 26 new sites were recorded, amounting to 98 features on Shuldham Island and 34 on neighbouring Big Island and adjacent shores of the mainland. Findings from these sites are summarized below. Shuldham Island 1ies in the mouth of Saglek Bay, shel tered from the full force of the Labrador Sea by Big Island. A range of 100 m high hills in the centre of the Island effectively protects the numerous sites at the south end of the island from the direct blast of the pre- vailing northerly winds. Large numbers of above and below ground caches, together with scattered remains of walrus, seal and whale indicate that this has been a rich hunting area. Our own summer observations included high counts of caribou, eider