surprising as First Nations have used this FIELD NOTES 2002 location to cross the river for many generations. In August, we had fun teaching a Resource Inventory Committee (RIC) BC ARCHAEOLOGY ON-SITE program and an introduction to archaeology Special thanks to Richard Garvin from Okanagan University course to a number of youth from the Collage for collecting the 2002 Field Notes. Tl' azt' en First Nation, and in May offered a culturally modified tree workshop in Fort St. Antiquus Archaeological modified trees and a possible ''kindling tree" James. This January, our proposal to receive Consultants Ltd. were also discovered during the AlAs. Nine Forest Investment Account funding to In January, 2002, Antiquus conducted a representatives from Tl'etinqox-t'in, Tsi Del revise the Fort St. James Archaeological brief, detailed excavation program at a pre­ Del, and Yunesit'in First Nations were Predictive Model was approved. As part of contac;t period pithouse village site. EeRl21 employed during the fieldwork. this project, we will be working closely V.:ith is located at the east end of Seton Lake near Karen Brady First Nations to create a cultural heritage the town of . The project objective resource inventory and hope that further was to recover a sample of intact cultural Ecofor Consulting funding will support fieldwork this spring deposits from a small (10m by 3m) proposed The archaeology crew of Ecofor and summer. subterranean water reservoir tank impact Consulting, out ofFort St James, BC enjoyed Louise Foreman zone. This study was commissioned and a busy 2002 field season. Under the five overseen by the T'it Kit Administration in permits received, we provided cultural Matrix Research Ltd. Lillooet heritage consulting services to clients Matrix Research Ltd. began operations in Ten units were dug and our excavations including forest licensees, the Ministry of Quesnel, BC in 2002. During the 2002 field recovered about 150 lithic artifacts, most of Forests, First Nations, and private season Matrix surveyed approximately 200 which were simple utilized and retouched landowners. As presented at the last BC proposed forestry developments in the flakes. The projectile points recovered are Archaeology Forum in Nanaimo, we Cariboo and Prince George forest regions in temporally diagnostic ofthe Plateau Horizon continued our involvement with monitoring the central interior of the province. Primary (2,400 to 1,200 BP) and Kamloops Horizon the construction of a permanent bridge over field staff included Susan McNeney, Ty (1 ,200 to 200 BP). Surprisingly little debitage the Sustut River, within the traditional Heffner, Simon Kaltenrieder, Rachael was recovered, and unused flakes were territories of the Gitxsan and Takla Lake Sydenham, Chris Burk, Joanne Hammond, outnumbered by tools. Also encountered Band. Amanda Marshall, Project Stuart Alec, and Nan-Neh Sah from the were three human burials and the northern Archaeologist, recovered a number of lithic Nazko Band Government, and Geronimo edge of a large housepit feature buried by artifacts from the nearby vicinity of the Squinas and Stanley Peters from Lhtako previous adjacent road construction. As a historic bridge crossing. This is not Dene Nation. During these surveys 63 result of our investigations, it has since been decided to put the tank above ground to avoid any direct adverse impacts to the human remains. Charcoal samples have been submitted for dating and the results and final report (Permit No. 2002-8) will be available in the near future. Mike Rousseau

Cariboo Heritage In 2002, Cariboo Heritage (with assistance from Maven Archaeological Consulting and Terra Archaeology) co!llpleted 24 forestry­ based archaeological impact assessments (AlAs) in the Chilcotin Forest District comprising roughly 6,500 ha and nearly 42 km of roads. These AlAs were completed on behalf 9f DWB Forestry Services Ltd., Lignum Ltd., Riverside Forest Products Ltd, and Tsi Del Del Enterprises Ltd. Four archaeological sites were found, all surface or subsurface lithic scatters ranging in size from two to 17 artifacts including one non­ diagnostic projectile point. Seven culturally Historic Sustut Bridge - photo provoded by Ecofor Consulting

12 The Midden 34/4 archaeological sites were located and completed in association with the following based applications and should be recorded, 6 previously recorded First Nations bands: Nakazdli, Tl'azt'en, compatible for use in other interior regions. archaeological sites were revisited and Yekooche, Dzitliainli, Lake Babine, Russell Brulotte updated, and 46 traditional use sites were Wet'suwet' en, Lhiedli-T'enneh, Nazko, located and recorded. The majority of Saik'uz, Red Bluff, McLeod Lake, and Okanagan University College archaeological sites recorded were small to Nadleh Whut'en. Over the summerof2002, Richard Garvin medium-sized surface and subsurface lithic Of the 328 individual archaeological (Department of Anthropology) continued scatters. However, one site was a very large assessments conducted over the year, 41 his SSHRC funded research work on early (>35 ha) lithic workshop site, seven sites archaeological sites and 88 traditional use contact Aboriginal cemeteries on the contained small cultural depressions (cache sites were recorded. The following were northwest coast of BC. Working in pits), three sites had large cultural among the most interesting. conjunction with the Nisga'a and Haisla depressions (housepits), and one site FiRo 1 is located at Yardley Lake, near First Nations, eight historic cemeteries consisted of a pre-contact cultural heritage Hixon. Tests conducted at the site revealed containing over 1 ,500 interments have be~n trail. . . both surface and subsurface lithics recorded to date. The past summer' s A few sites are of particular note. At the comprised of chalcedony and obsidian. A investigations included recording and large lithic workshop site mentioned above, large quantity of fish scales and small mapping projects in Gitwinksihlkw, distinctive nodules of chalcedony or agate mammal bone were present in some of the Gitlakdamix, Kitamaat Village, and ~t the were reduced over a wide area. The location tests. mouth ofthe River. Cemeteries can of this site does not appear to be related to FhRs 83 is a multi -component site located be an important source of informatiOn for any hydrological or topographical features, on a high terrace above the Blackwater River. the interpretation of society, culttire, and . or visible bedrock formations, and the lithic Features include multiple cache pits and a ethnic identity. The North Coast Native source could not be located. The trail. The lithic assemblage consists of basalt Cemeteries Project has provided a unique surrounding area warrants further reduction flakes and a core fragment. opportunity for research into specific investigation as an important lithic GeSk 12 is a large quarry site (3 ha) on the questions regarding Native history, the procurement zone. shores of Big Loon Lake, near Babine Lake. influence of missionaries on traditiona!' Numerous lithic procurement and primary Outcrops of concentrated cobbles, nodules, Native culture, and the nature and processes reduction sites, represented predominantly and lenses offine -grained back chert, brick­ of culture contact in general. Great by small lithic scatters, were also red jasper, tan chalcedony, agate, and basalt appreciation and thanks to all associated encountered along a major creek system. occur along the lakeshore. Strewn along the with the project for their interest and hard Basalt and dacite cobbles and pebbles were beach and found in subsurface tests near work. Additional recognition, for their obtained from streambeds and then reduced the shore were numerous core remnants, patience and fortitude, are extended to at the sites. The distribution of sites and primary reduction and thinning flakes, and Nelson Clayton and Chester Moore pattern of raw material use along this bifacial preforms. A major workstation was (Gingolx), Harry Nyce Jr., Gerald Nyce and drainage system is interesting and warrants identified on the shore and concentrations Nick Azak (Gitwinksihlkw), Joe Gosnell Jr., further research. of lithic materials were also recovered from Richard Gosnell, and Peter Clayton One of the three housepit sites contained tests below the current lake level. (Gitlakdarnix), and Steve Wilson, Crystal three housepit depressions and a cache pit. GfSh 2, located on the Middle River in the Ross, Kevin Stewart, and Lee Wilson It was located on the bank of an extinct river Fort St. James Forest District is composed (Kitamaat Village). channel that is now occupied by a wet of30 round to oval cultural depressions and Richard Garvin meadow. The site may have been occupied cache pits. Subsurface tests recovered some when the river channel was active and could obsidian flakes. Parks Canada be the subject of an interesting study. Two prehistoric trails were also recorded. Investigations 2002 Unfortunately, one of the housepits had GeSk 11 , associated with GeSk 12 noted In 2002, Parks Canada and Haida been looted prior to our survey. above, is also referred to as the ''Wright Bay archaeologists worked at four projects in Ty Heffner to Trembleur Lake Trail." Up until the 1820s, Haida Gwaii. This included work at this trail connected two Native villages. GiRs Richardson Island, directed by Quentin 11 is located in the Prince George Forest Norcan Consulting Ltd. Mackie of the University ofVictoria(UVic); District and was the main transportation In 2002, Norcan Consulting Ltd. an environmental archaeology project led route connecting the Chilaco and Fraser conducted a number of forest industry by Trevor Orchard, PhD candidate at the rivers. related archaeological assessments within University of Toronto; and further Norcan also completed the development the Prince George, Lakes, Fort St. James, investigations at Kilgii Gwaay and K1 Cave. of a predictive model for the Morice Forest Morice, and Vanderhoof forest districts. This summary will focus on Kilgii Gwaay District. This model, which includes field Project supervisors, including Norm Canuel, andK1 Cave. applications for the collection of ecological, Russell Brulotte, Veronica Cadden, and This past spring, Fedje led a Parks Canada geographical, and archaeological Shane Bond, were assisted by 34 part-time funded excavation project at the Kilgii Gwaay information, identifies and measures archaeologists and technicians. site in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve/ archaeological site potential using 1 0 Archaeological assessments were Haida Heritage Site. This was a continuation predictive variables. The model has web-

The Midden 34/4 13 of work carried out in 2000 and 2001 (Fedje village site. Our investigations were directed just north ofLillooet. et al. 200 I). The investigative team included to the earlier occupations there in I991, deep Though most of our work has focused on Parks Canada, UVic, and Haida testing by the first Simon Fraser University­ the Cariboo and Lillooet areas field studies archaeologists, and paleobiologist Rolf Secwepemc Education Institute were also undertaken in the Chilcotin, Mathewes from Simon Fraser University. Archaeology Field School revealed very Kamloops, Merritt, Kelowna, and Ft. Ware Work focussed on the shell-rich deposits deeply buried occupations to the northeast. (MacKenzie) areas. While the majority of identified in 2001 and on adjacent That testing demonstrated a cultural record work undertaken in 2002 was related to waterlogged sediments. A number of extending to at least three meters below the archaeological inventory and impact wooden artifacts, two of which were directly ground surface. Charcoal from the 2.5 meter assessments for forestry companies, we also dated to 9,400 BP, were recovered in addition deep occupation level produced a worked in conjunction with a number of to a rich lithic and faunal assemblage. The radiocarbon date of 6,000 years BP, with other smaller frrms on a variety of projects stone tool assemblage is being analyzed by earlier but undated material below that. including forestry surveys, trail studies, UVic MA student Cynthia Lake, and the The primary goal of this year's excavations inventory studies, micro-hyd,ro wooden artifact analysis is being conducted in the Heritage Park was to excavate this developments, and subdivisions. by a team Jed by AI Mackie of the BC deep and very old portion of the site. To Our clients have included First Nati9ns Archaeology Branch. accomplish this, an area of6 x 16 m was taken as well as the private sector and provincial Fedj~ co-directed investigations at Kl down to 70 em by backhoe and shovel, and government. In an ever-increasing·number Cave on the west coast ofHaida Gwaii (under individual2 x 2m units were then excavated of instances, First Nation communfties or BC Archaeology Branch and Council of to a depth ofthree meters. A large, freshwater groups have been the lead in archaeology Haida Nation permit), with karst resource shellfish midden was uncovered in one contracts for both private and public sector expert Paul Griffiths. The research team portion of the site, which appears to date to developments as well as their own included both archaeologists and cavers. within the last 3,000 years. A wide variety of archaeological research. Previous work recovered bear remains Late and Middle Period stone and bone Kevin Towhig dating from 9,500 to 14,500 I4CyrsBP and a artifacts were recovered from the site, as well dog skeleton dating to 2,500 14CyrsBP as thousands of tool production flakes, tens University of (Ramsey et al. n.d.). In 2002, a larger of thousands of mussel shells, and The months of May and June 2002 saw paleontological sample, including extirpated numerous faunal remains. Human remains the return of archaeological field research species, was recovered and a deeply buried were also found, and were excavated at the to the Dionisio Point site in Dionisio Point layer containing charcoal and bone was request of the Kamloops Band. Provincial Park on the north end of Galiano identified. Primary funding for the 2002 This excavation will hopefully reveal new Island, SW British Columbia. This last project was through a SSHRC grant to data and insights on middle and early year's fieldwork at the site included the Quentin Mackie at UVic. Holocene archaeology in the area, and archaeological field school offered by the Daryl Fedje provide insights into the development of Department of Anthropology and later Secwepemc land-use patterns. In Sociology at the University of British Simon Fraser University­ particular, this year's work also allows us to Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. Secwepemc Education Institute compare directly the archaeological records Dr. Colin Grier, who has directed Field School of the 6,000 year (and older) terrace site research at the Dionisio Point site since This year marked the I Oth anniversary of occupations, which we have excavated in 1996, Jed the research team and taught the the Simon Fraser University-Secwepemc previous years, with those of comparable field school. Bill Angel beck, a UBC PhD Education Institute Field School, with 26 age from the riverside site. student in Northwest Coast archaeology, students enrolled from the Karnloops and George Nicholas acted as teaching assistant. Ten students Burnaby campuses, and from Okanagan were enrolled, nine from UBC and one from University College, University of Northern Terra Archaeology Limited the University of Victoria. Two members British Columbia, Langara College, and the Terra Archaeology began its' first field of the Penelakut Tribe, Robert Laing and University of Victoria. In addition to the 14 season with modest expectations. As it Pecolliket George, joined the project, credit hours, RIC certification was included. turned out, we were relatively busy in 2002 assisting in the archaeology and passing Our work continued a study of long-term with numerous projects scattered on their knowledge of traditional culture, land use patterns in the Interior Plateau that throughout the interior regions of BC.ln fact, ecology, and food resources. has been underway since 1991. Excavations the "field season" was extended into Previous years of excavation intensively this year were not on the glaciolacustrine December and January, taking advantage of targeted the remains of one of five large terraces on .the Kamloops Indian Reserve, the mild conditions this winter. plank houses that existed at the site where most ofour work has been conducted, In terms of archaeological findings, roughly I ,500 years ago. Fieldwork in 2002 but rather in the nearby Secwepemc Heritage identified sites include cache pits, house broadened the scope of investigations to Park. The park is situated on a large depressions, and lithic scatters. Our most include the organization of the village as archaeological site, EeRb 77, the most visible noteworthy finds this season were three a whole. Midden areas around all five of portion of which is the cluster of housepit Early Nesikep (5,500-7,200 BP) projectile the known house remains were sampled depressions that mark a late prehistoric points and microblades recovered from a site in order to obtain a preliminary sense of

14 The Midden 34/4 what resources each household was Sediment, floral, and radiocarbon samples of 5,050 BP from deposits to the south, on obtaining and consuming. (two charcoal and four bone) were collected the same stranded shoreline as the main In total, eight 1 x 1 m excavation units were from the site and have also been submitted deposits. This suggests the site may have dug. Students were paired and shared for analysis. Diagnostic materials recovered been occupied from 9,300 BP to the mid­ digging, screening, paperwork, and both in situ and as surface finds include: a Holocene, although only the pre-8,000 BP photography duties over the course of the Pebble Tool Tradition bipoint/bifacial knife layers appear to be highly stratified. Nicole project. Students also were taught mapping (1 0,000-5,000 BP); an Early Nesikep Tradition Smith ofUVIC is working on an MA thesis techniques through use of a total station. In projectile point (7,500-6,000 BP); three using mass spectrometry to determine raw addition to excavation and mapping, Bill Lochnore Phase (5,500-3,500 BP) projectile material types, and comparing them to the Angelbeck introduced students to site points; two Shuswap Horizon (3,500-2,400 tool typology from this site. survey and subsurface testing methods. BP) projectile points; a Plateau Horizon Our Tanu Island field camp also served as Visits by Penelakut Tribe elders added (2,400-1 ,200 BP) projectile point; and 12 a staging point for other fieldwork in Haida intriguing information to supplement our microblades (est. 8,000-2,000 BP). In addition, Gwaii. Trevor Orchard, PhD candidate at the analysis and reconstruction of the site. evidence for more recent traditional use of University of Toronto continued -'his Thanks go out to the Penelakut Tribe for the site and surrounding area was also environmental archaeology work based from the continued support and involvement in identified. This evidence strongly suggests our camp, and other members split off to the pn;>ject. a long-term continuity (10,000"100 BP) in continue paleontological field work at Kl Colin Grier First Nations' usage ofthe area Radiocarbon Cave on the west side of Moresby. Island. dates will confirm if the occupation of the Earlier in the Spring, UVIC stude[lts were University of Northern British Ts'peten site is within its estimated age lucky to be able to contin·ue their Columbia I Cariboo Tribal Council range of 6,000-2,000 BP.lnitial assessment involvement with Parks Canada at the Kilgll Archaeology Field School of the site and its deposits suggest long­ Gwaay site in southernmost Haida Gwaii. The 2002 University of Northern British term usage of the site as a spring to late­ In other UVIC news, MA candidate Glen Columbia (UNBC)/Cariboo Tribal Council summer resource gathering camp. We would MacKay directed work at the Nii ii site, a (CTC) archaeology field school took place like to thank: Farid Rahemtulla and UNBC probable Archaic occupation in the Scottie this past summer at Ts'peten (Gustafsen for organizing this project with CTC and Creek drainage of the Southwestern Yukon. Lake) under the co-instruction of Rudy inviting us to lead it; Tamara Archie, Scott Two MA theses in archaeology were Reimer of First Heritage Consulting and and Sara Cousins, Cheryl Chapman, and the defended in February: Duncan McLaren on Dave Hall of Airowstone Archaeological CTC and its member communities for their the long term histories of the Stave Research and Consulting. The UNBC field moral and financial support, and for allowing Watershed near Vancouver, and Bret Guisto school is unique in that university students us to explore their history. on land use patterns in the Owyhee Valley and First Nations community members work Rudy Reimer and Dave Hall uplands, Idaho. Duncan has started an side by side and receive university course Interdisciplinary PhD here, with research to credits at different levels, depending on University of Victoria focus on post-glacial coastline modelling experience. This is the second joint project In July and August, University of Victoria and archaeological site survey in eastern undertaken with the CTC. Twelve students (UVIC), Parks Canada, and Haida . SFU graduate student lain · took part in this field school, including seven archaeologists and students spent eight McKechnie continues to be a friendly students from the four local First Nations weeks at the Richardson Island site. This presence in the bone lab as he works on his communities comprising the CTC (the Canoe site was also excavated in I 995, 1997 by Daryl material. Dr April Nowell Creek, Canim Lake, Williams Lake, and Soda Fedje (Parks Canada), and in 2001 by continued her research with field projects in Creek bands), and five students from UNBC. Quentin Mackie and team. This is a highly Jordan and in the Ukraine. Becky Wigen The field school training included survey, stratified "raised beach site" which is over (lNIC), and Susan Crockford (Pacific ID) mapping, and site recording exercises, four metres in depth and contains >50 continue to work on various research and several field trips, as well as a full-scale separable layers. Recent excavations have consulting projects of archaeological and excavation. concentrated on the pre-9,000 BP deposits. biological interest. The Department of The Ts'peten site is located along the The 2002 field season was marked by a large History in Art has newly hired Dr. Marcus northern shoreline of Ts'peten (Gustafsen number of hearth features, rich in charcoal Mil wright, an archaeologist specializing in Lake) in south-central British Columbia, and calcine bone. In some cases these mediaeval Islamic ceramics. Professor John approximately 30 km southwest of 100 Mile features could be separated vertically by thin Oleson of Greek and Roman studies House: Twenty-five 1 x 1 m units were (ca. 1 mm thick) smears of silt and clay, continues his busy research program in excavated in 10 em arbitrary levels to depths suggesting that annual re-occupation Jordan. of 40-100 em below the surface. In total, an events could be tracked. Other notable finds The biggest change at UVIC this year is estimated 5,000 pieces of fauna and 2,000 this past summer included possible the complete remodelling and expansion of pieces of lithic materials were recovered from habitation features, increased certainty about the archaeology Jabs, which now includes a the site, some concentrates of which which of the many layers contains the first much larger room to grow our faunal surrounded a single hearth feature. Analyses microblade addition to the bifacial collection in. Strangely, these rooms already of these materials are currently underway. technologies, and a new radiocarbon date seem full! Quentin Mackie

The Midden 3414 15