FINAL PHASE 1 REPORT OF THE MASTER PLAN OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF THE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY OF MUSKOKA Edited by D.A Robertson and R.E Williamson ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES INC. Submitted to THE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY OF MUSKOKA and THE MOHAWKS OF GmSON ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES INC. 662 Bathurst St. Toronto, Ontario MSS 2R3 in association with . Unterman McPhail Cuming Associates Mount McGovern Co., Ltd. Dr. Carole Carpenter Ms. Susan Maltby, Conservator July, 1992 Project Personnel Project Director: Dr. Ronald F. Williamson l Project Researchers: Dr. Carole H. CarpenterS Mr. Martin S. Cooperl Mr. David Cuming2 Ms. Eva M. MacDonald1 Mr. Robert 1. MacDonaldl Ms. Barbara McPhail2 Ms. Susan L. Maltby4 Mr. David A Robertson1 Ms. Jean Simonten2 Mr. Phillip J. Wright 3 Project Information and Communication Co-Ordinators: Ms. Beverly J. Gamerl Ms. Eva M. MacDonald1 lArchaeological Services Inc. 2Untennan McPhail Cuming Associates 3Mount McGovern Co. Ltd. 4Susan L. Maltby, Conservator sYork University " ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many individuals have contributed to the collection and compilation of data for this study. It is only through their co-operation and generosity that this work was made possible. We would like to acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Ron Reid, of the Muskoka Heritage Areas Program, for providing detailed environmental data which has been generated as part of the Heritage Areas study; Ms. Judi Brouse, of the District of Muskoka, for her support and provision of mapping; Ms. Bernice Field, of the Ministry of Culture and Communications, for providing access to the database of archaeological sites listed with that Ministry; Mr. Peter Carruthers, of the Ministry of Culture and Communications, for information regarding the survey of the Severn waterway; and Dr. Barry Warner, of the University of Waterloo, for discussing his own unpublished data on the paleoecology of Plastic Lake. Finally, we thank all those who responded to our appeal for information concerning the history of the Muskoka region and its heritage as well as those members of the Muskoka Cultural Advisory Committee who provided comments on an earlier draft of this document. Logistical and financial support was provided by the District Municipality of Muskoka and the Muskoka Heritage Foundation, through the Muskoka Heritage Areas Program, the Mohawks of Gibson, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Culture and Communications. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Project Personnel .................................................. .. i Acknowledgements ii Table of Contents iii List of Figures and Tables v INTRODUCTION by R.F. Williamson and D.A Robertson 1 CHAPTER 1 LANDBASED ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN MUSKOKA by R.I. MacDonald, D.A Robertson and M.S. Cooper 3 1.1 Culture History of the Study Area 3 1.2 Previous Archaeological Research in the Study Area 7 1.3 Modelling Archaeological Site Potential 17 1.4 Modelling in Ontario: A Selective Review 22 1.5 Research Design ................................................ 23 1.6 Paleoenvironmental Constraints 24 1.7 Analysis and Interpretations 40 1.8 Recommendations and Application 45 CHAPTER 2 THE UNDERWATER AND INUNDATED ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD INMUSKOKA by Phillip Wright ..... ...................................................... 51 2.1 The Marine Archaeological Record 51 2.2 The Approach 51 2.3 A Freshwater Maritime Perspective: Prehistoric to Contact 53 2.4 The Underwater Archaeological Record in Other Southern Shield Areas ................................................... 57 2.5 A Case Study of Underwater Ceramic Deposits in the Frontenac Axis ..... 59 2.6 Assessing Submerged and Inundated Prehistoric Site Potential in the Muskoka Area by Theme ................................................. 61 2.7 A Freshwater Maritime Perspective: The Historic Period 65 2.8 Conclusions: The Marine Archaeological Record and Predictive Modelling 77 CHAPTER 3 BUILT HERITAGE AND CULTURAL lANDSCAPES IN MUSKOKA by D. Cuming, B. McPhail and J Simonten ........................................ 79 3.1 The Approach to Planning for Built Heritage and Cultural Landscapes 79 3.2 Thematic Overview of the Settlement History of Muskoka 80 3.3 Identification of Cultural/Historic Landscape Units 111 3.4 Review of Existing Built Heritage Resource Databases 120 3.5 Conclusions and Delineation of Historic Thematic Zones for Phase 2 Field Survey .......................................... ., 141 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) CHAPTER 4 FIRST NATION TRADITIONAL USE SITES AND HISTORIC EURO­ CANADIAN SETTLEMENT: ORAL HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY by M.S. Cooper and D.A Roberston 147 4.1 Introduction 147 4.2 First Nation Traditional Use Sites and Oral History 147 4.3 Preliminary Determination of Traditional Use Site Potential 151 4.4 The Archaeology of Buro-Canadian Settlement 153 4.5 Defining Buro-Canadian Archaeological Site Potential 154 CHAPTER 5 THE INTANGIBLE HERITAGE OF MUSKOKA by Carole Carpenter 155 5.1 Introduction to the Concept of Intangible Heritage. .. 155 5.2 Sources of Intangible Heritage Identified in Muskoka . .. 156 5.3 Historical Outline ............................................ .. 161 5.4 Conclusions and Rationale for Phase 2 Collection of Intangible Heritage Data for Themes Outlined in Chapter 3 163 CHAPTER 6 PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF EXISTING CULTURAL FACILITIES by Susan Maltby 165 6.1 Introduction. ............................................... .. 165 6.2 Database of Existing Cultural Facilities ............................ .. 165 6.3 Facilities Survey 167 6.4 Conclusions. ............................................... .. 167 CHAPTER 7: SUMMARY OF PHASE 1 TASKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PHASE 2 by Ronald F. Williamson and D.A Robertson ;............... 169 7.1 Introduction 169 7.2 Phase 2 Landbased Archaeological Survey 169 7.3 The Archaeological Draft Plan Review Process 169 7.4 Phase 2 Marine Archaeological Research 170 7.5 Phase 2 Field Checking of Historical Thematic Zones . .. 170 7.6 Phase 2 Collection of Intangible Heritage .......................... .. 170 7.7 Phase 2 Collection of Traditional Use Site Data 170 REFERENCES 173 • APPENDICES. ........................................................ .. 189 iv List of Figures Figure 1 Surveyed Areas and Documented Archaeological Sites on the Severn River '" 14 Figure 2 Time Series Diagram, Inferred Regional Vegetation Communities for the Study Area and Vicinity 34 List of Tables Table 1 Summary Data: Documented Archaeological Sites 15 Table 2 Climate of the Study Area 28 Table 3 Land Use Constraints 41 Table 4 Survey Localities 49 v INTRODUCTION by RF. Wdliamson and D.A. Roberston Archaeological Services Inc. (AS!), in association with Unterman McPhail Cuming Associates, Dr. Carole Carpenter of York University, Mr. Phillip Wright of Mount McGovern Co. Ltd., and Ms. Susan Maltby of Susan L. Maltby, Conservator, has been contracted by The District Municipality of Muskoka and the Mohawks of the Gibson to prepare a master plan of heritage features for those lands within their respective jurisdictions. The project study team is under the direction of Dr. Ronald F. Williamson, Senior Archaeologist, (AS!). The ultimate objective of the research is the preparation of a high quality heritage planning study which identifies, analyses and establishes priorities concerning archaeological and other heritage sites located within the study area's boundaries. This study area is defined as those lands within the District Municipality of Muskoka and the Reserve lands of the Mohawks of the Gibson, incorporating approximately 3000 square kilometres. This study will also result in the provision for land developers of a set of clear procedures to follow with respect to heritage features prior to securing development approvals. The benefits to the community at large include an enhanced understanding of the region's heritage, and the delineation and protection of archaeological sites, some of which, in the future, may provide recreational and educational opportunities in archaeology for the general public. Master plans of heritage resources, by their nature, are capable of serving as effective management tools in the effort to reconcile the goals of heritage preservation with the need for development, through the establishment of a planning process. In order to do so, a master plan must take adequate account of the cultural and historical development of its study area. Nevertheless such research is not intended to be-- nor should it be construed to be-- an attempt to compile a comprehensive or definitive "history" of its particular study area or its inhabitants. Such an objective can never be met within the fiscal or scheduling limitations to which such a project is subject. For the purposes of a master plan study, the general understanding of a region's past, which is built up during the background research component (Phase 1), and can be critically examined in subsequent phases, is sufficient for its specific goals to be achieved. Inevitably, therefore, a large body of specific data related to a study area's past must be omitted, however, this in no way reflects a judgement of that data's qualititive value or cultural interest. Rather, it is expected that the completed master plan will be utilized in conjunction with input from local historical and cultural experts. It is also to be hoped that it may, in addition to meeting the demands of the planning and development process, serve as a useful point of departure for those individuals or organizations conducting their own more detailed research