Archaeological Investigations at the Dog Child Site (FbNp-24): An Evaluation of Mummy Cave Subsistence Patterns A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts In the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Jody Raelene Pletz Copyright Jody Raelene Pletz, December 2010. All rights reserved. Permission to Use In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying, publication, or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis. Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of material in this thesis in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology 55 Campus Drive University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B1 i Abstract The Dog Child site is a multi-component archaeological site located within Wanuskewin Heritage Park, approximately three kilometres from the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The site was excavated from 2004 to 2009 during the summer field season with help from the University of Saskatchewan Department of Archaeology and Anthropology field school and the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society field school. A Master of Arts thesis dealing with the first three years of excavation entitled The Dog Child Site (FbNp-24): A 5500 Year Multicomponent Site on the Northern Plains was completed by Cyr (2006). A focus on the 2007 to 2009 field seasons has been undertaken in this thesis. Artifacts including projectile points and pottery recovered from the site as well as radiocarbon dates confirm the presence of six occupation levels. Five different projectile point series or complexes are associated with the six occupation levels including: Plains Side-Notched, Prairie Side- Notched, McKean series, Oxbow complex, and Mummy Cave series (Gowen). The Mummy Cave series at the site encompasses two of the occupation levels identified. Due to the rich Gowen cultural level at the site the opportunity to study this cultural occupation in more detail became the focus of the second research program. The Hypsithermal is a period of increased complexity and debate on the Plains. This thesis focuses on the 7500 to 4500 years B.P. time frame during which Mummy Cave series cultural occupations are present. The archaeological remains recovered from the Gowen occupation at the Dog Child site suggest the utilization of a broader subsistence base rather than a sole focus on utilizing and consuming bison. Comparison of other sites from this time period indicates that the Dog Child site may be unique in the number of specimens and taxa represented by the excavated faunal assemblage. From this analysis a wealth of new archaeological data including insight into Hypsithermal subsistence patterns and paleoenvironmental studies can be observed. ii Acknowledgements Numerous people are responsible in the completion of this project. First and foremost I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Ernest G. Walker for encouraging me to examine the Dog Child site. He is also responsible for motivating me to enter graduate studies, which I am very thankful for. He has been a constant driving force in keeping me on track and providing me with invaluable advice which I will take with me no matter where my path in life leads me. I would also like to thank other members of my committee, Dr. Margaret Kennedy and Dr. Liz Robertson. Both have been of immense help when I needed someone to talk to. I would like to send an extra thanks to Dr. Robertson, who had also play a huge hand in keeping this project on track. I would also like to thank Dr. Robertson and the University of Calgary‟s Archaeology Department for allowing us to use their facilities to analyze soil samples and extract phytoliths. Additional thanks go to the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology for the dynamic environment and knowledgeable faculty and staff, including Dr. Lieverse, Dr. Meyer, Dr. Maingon, and Dr. Aitken. In particular I would like to thank Debbie Croteau who was able to provide guidance and assistance for whatever questions I had. There are so many people that have contributed to the success of the excavation and it would be impossible to name everyone. I would like to thank all of the students who participated in the field school from 2004 to 2009; especially those that I had the privilege to instruct, you made the field school extremely enjoyable and memorable. As well, thank you to Heather Milsom who also helped with the instruction, it was a pleasure working with you. I would also like to thank the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society field school for their participation. In particular, I would like to thank Talina Cyr-Steenkamp who provided a lot of help as well as some invaluable resources when it came to certain aspects of the project, namely the format and catalogue for the site‟s artifacts. Financial support was provided by: the University of Saskatchewan in the form of scholarships and teaching assistantships, by the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation in the form of a research grant, and from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC) in the form of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Scholarship. iii Thanks to my many friends and fellow graduate students who provided support, encouragement, and advice. I would particularly like to thank Karin Steuber, Karmen VanderZwan, Heather Milsom, and Nadia Smith and other colleagues including Natalie Jacobs, Michelle Manchur, Adam Splawinski, Loni Williams, Maria Mampe, Ian Larsen, Nathalie Cahill, Alan Korejbo, Matthew Stewart and many others. I would like to send a special thank you to Karin Steuber who spent many hours proofreading and providing me with an outlet when I was frustrated. Thank you to everyone for your invaluable friendship, you made the journey more enjoyable! Additional thanks go to my friend Brandie Bugiak; I am grateful for the time you took to proofread chapters and to listen to me when I needed someone to talk to. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my family: Derek, Dave, Doreen, Brett, Tony, Jocelyn and all of my extended family for your love and support throughout. Special thanks go to Derek who has patiently waited for the completion of this project. iv This thesis is dedicated to my parents David and Doreen Kobelka who encouraged me to further my education. Thank you for everything! v Table of Contents Permission to Use .................................................................................................................... i Abstract ................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ iii Dedication ............................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ......................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... xiv Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... xvi Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Thesis Objectives ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Thesis Organization ....................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2: The Biophysical Environment of the Dog Child Site ........................................... 5 2.1 History of the Area......................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Geography ...................................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Geomorphology ........................................................................................................... 12 2.4 Soils and Sediments ..................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Hydrology ...................................................................................................................