Dragon Lake Chaledony Quarry on the Nechako Plateau
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- Publication of the Archaeological Society of British Columbia ISSN 0047-7222 Vol. 34, No. 2- 2002 Dragon Lake Chaledony Quarry on the Nechako Plateau · Permits ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF &MIDDEN BRITISH COLUMBIA Published four times a year by the Dedicated to the protection of archaeological resources Archaeological Society of British Columbia and the spread of archaeological knowledge. Editorial Committee President Editor: Heather Myles (604.274.4294) Patricia Ormerod (604.733.0571) heathermyles@ shaw.ca [email protected] . As::>istaotEditor: Helmi Braches (604.462.8942) Membership braches@ attcanada.ca Shirley Johansen (604.299.8940) Permit Lists: Richard Brolly (604.689.1678) [email protected] [email protected] · News Editor: Heather Myles Annual membership includes a year's subscription to Field Editor: vacancy The Midden and the ASBC newsletter, SocNotes. Publications Editor: Bill Angelbeck (604.875.9094) [email protected] Membership Fees Production & Subscriptions: Individual: $25 Family: $30 Seniors/Students: $18 Fred Braches (604.462.8942) Send cheque or money order payable to the ASBC to: braches@ attcanada.ca ASBC Memberships SUBSCRIPTION is included with ASBC membership. P.O. Box 520, Bentall Station Non-members: $14.50 per year ($17.00 USA and overseas), Vancouver BC V6C 2N3 payable in Canadian funds to the ASBC. Remit to: ASBC on Internet Midden Subscriptions, ASBC http://asbc.bc.ca P.O. Box 520, Bentall Station Vancouver BC V6C 2N3 SUBMISSIONS: We welcome contributions on subjects germane Branches to BC archaeology. Guidelines are available on request. Submis sions should be directed to the appropriate editor at the ASBC Nanaimo Contact: Mary Perdios-Vassilopoulos address. [email protected] Lectures on the second Friday of every month, 7:00 to 9:00 Copyright P.M. , at Malaspina University-College, Education/Social Contents of The Midden are copyrighted by the ASBC. Sciences Bldg. (356), Room 111. It is unlawful to reproduce all or any part, by any means whatso Internet: www.nisa.com/-asbcnb ever, without the Society's permission, which is usually gladly . given. Victoria Contact: Shirley Cuthbertson (250. 382.0288) Internet: asbc.ca.ca/vicsite The ASBC greatfully acknowledges the financial assistance ARcHAEOLOGICAL SociETY oF BRITISH CoLUMBIA to this project provided by the British Columbia Heri meetings in Vancouver featuring illustrated tage Trust to support conservation of our heritage re sources, gain further knowledge, and increase public un lectures are held on the second Wednesday of ~erstanding of the complete history of British Columbia. each month from September to June at 8:00 P.M. in the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre BRITISH COLUMBIA Auditorium (Planetarium) at 1100 Chestnut ~r1tage Street. New members and visitors are wel . qr'/P come. Admission is free. ft THE IDDEN Volume 34 No. 2, 2002 END OF AN ERA The Midden is experiencing an In this issue end of an era as we say goodbye to some of our editorial team. What Lies Beneath: Excavations at Dragon Lake 2 In the summer, Monica Karpiak by Marianne Berkey stepped down as our Publications The Jenyo Quarry: A Chalcedony Quarry Site on 6 Editor. We sincerely thank Monica the Nechako Plateau for her two and a half years of by Nicole Jackman-Craig commitment to the Midden, and the great effort she invested in The Archaeology Education Handbook: Sharing the 8 keeping our readers informed of Past with Kids edited by Karolyn Smardz and recent publications. Shelley J. Smith reviewed by Teresa Trost We are also sorry to say goodbye to both Fred and Helmi Braches. Debitage 9 Fred has handled Midden sub Permits January to July 2002 10 scriptions for seven years, and has done the Midden production for News Items 20 the last six years. His hard work Ehibits 20 and tremendous skill has helped turn the Midden into a more pro Conferences 2003- USA inside back cover fessional looking publication. Conferences 2003 - Canada outside back cover Helmi has served in every position on the ASBC executive over the last 26 years, including two terms as President. She has been our Assistant Editor for three years, and has devoted endless hours to polishing the material published on these pages. Fred and Helmi's en thusiasm, skill, and their dedica tion to the ASBC and the Midden will be greatly missed. We wish Monica, Fred, and Helmi well in all their future endeavors, and we will miss them tremen Cover Page dously as we produce future is Dragon Lake. FfR.o 23. EU #1 in foreground and EU#3 in back sues of the Midden. ground. See article by Marianne Berkey starting on the next Heather Myles, Editor page. The Midden 34/2 1 WHAT LIES BENEATH EXCAVATIONS AT DRAGON LAKE by.Marianne Berkey A great portion of the archaeological FfR.o 23 was evaluated as low to moder FfR.o 23 is located in an area rich in re work undertaken in this province is miti ate. This evaluation was based on charac sources. Positioned on the northwest shore gative or consulting archaeology, related teristics of the site revealed during the of Dragon Lake, near its outlet, only 5 km to proposed developments. The reality of AlA, including the limited spatial extent from two major rivers, the Fraser and the mitigative archaeology is that research of the site and the low density of cultural Quesnel, the site location would have of design is constrained by the plans of de materials. The AlA report notes a lack of fered several advantages to its pre-con velopers who are required to follow the formed tools, exotic materials, and iden tact residents. The lake and creek would letter· of the law but normally have little tifiable faunal remains at FfR.o 23. The have supplied a reliable source of_potable interest in funding projects, particularly level and extent ofthe disturbance result water. Locally available plant r~sources outside their proposed impact zone. So, ing from previous road and drainage ditch include many food plants such .as berries financial resources are funnelled toward construction was thought to have effec and nuts. Beaked hazelnut, black managing only those sites that may be in tively diminished the potential scope of twinberry, and highbush cranberry are direct conflict with proposed develop further studies. Despite these drawbacks, present on the site today. Other useful ments. This approach has had positive the location of the site on the northwest plants, such as trees and brush for con results in the identification of many ar shore of Dragon Lake, near its outlet, was struction materials, would have been re~d chaeological sites in remote locations but noted in the impact assessment report as ily available. Both small and large game investigation ofthese sites is normally lim a factor that increased its predicted scien occupied the Dragon Lake area and the ited to the minimum necessary for record tific significance (Areas 1997). hunting of these animals would have con ing and registering the site. Sites found in tributed to the food supply of residents at conflict with development are managed All the other pre-contact sites recorded in this site. according to their assessed significance, the vicinity of Dragon Lake are located The lake has also provided a reliable within the limits of the governing legisla on the east or south shores of the lake. source of freshwater fish. A recent ethno tion. Excavations had previously taken place at graphic study of the local Southern Car The potential difference between the two other pre-contact sites: at FfR.o 4 in rier community, the Red Bluff Band, de assessed significance of a subsurface site 1977 (Thomas 1977) and at FfR.o 10 in scribes people ice fishing on Dragon Lake at the inspection stage and its true content 1979 (Lawhead 1980). These earlier ex in the winter, and fishing from canoes in and complexity is explored in this article. cavations were also conducted in order to the spring and early summer before head-· Sites are not usually subject to in-depth mitigate road upgrades. Although an ef ing to the major rivers in late summer for investigation unless impacts to the site are fort was made at relative dating, no di the salmon run. Dewhirst, in his Aborigi unavoidable. Small subsurface sites, ini rectly dateable material was recovered nal Sustenance Impact Assessment tiaily thought to be of low significance, during these earlier excavations. Referring (Archeo Tech Associates 1993:27) notes may have more to contribute in the course to the antiquity of FfR.o 10, Lawhead that: of further research, as the following ex (1980:65) notes that: When the ice left in early spring, families ample from the Quesnel area illustrates. The artifacts from around Dragon Lake in visited lakes and creeks to fish whitefish dicate that this area has been utilized for a (lhewh), suckers (goosbai and delgiyas), Background long time. Several "early" point styles have ling (tsintelh) and trout (tuk'i). Trout were In the fall of 2000, archaeological in been noted in local collections and the large caught with a pole and line, and the other vestigations were conducted under Herit point ... from Cluster 1 at FfR.o 10 has simi fish were taken in nets. Families caught age Inspection Permit #2000-305, at the lar characteristics. Microblades are com these fish in Dragon Lake (Slughun, 'big Dragon Lake IR 3 site, FfR.o 23. This is a mon, but the chronological history of this snake') and in the creeks that flow into and small subsurface lithic scatter site located tool type in the Central Interior is not well out of Dragon Lake. GL [an informant] re on the northwest shore of Dragon Lake understood. called that on Dragon Lake families fished approximately 4.5 km east of Quesnel, BC With regard to site function, Lawhead from dugout cottonwood canoes; they would smoke dry the fish for later use, un (Areas 2000).