A Lithic Analysis of the Jackson Site (DiMe-17) in Southwestern Manitoba 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 Anthropology and Archaeology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Leanne J. Belsham July 2003 © 2003 Leanne 1. Belsham. All rights reserved. Permission to Use In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment 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 or 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 recogni tion shall be gi yen to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in this thesis. Requests for permission to copy or to make use of material in this thesis in whole or in part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology 55 Campus Drive University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Abstract The Jackson site (DiMe-17) is a Late Precontact site located in the Lauder Sand Hills of southwestern Manitoba. Primarily a bison kill and processing locale for Vickers focus people, this winter occupation has a calibrated radiocarbon date range between A.D. 1427 and A.D. 1683. Although a small Blackduck component was evident in the southwest corner of the site, the Vickers focus occupation was the dominant presence at this site and is the focus of this thesis. Archaeological investigations between 1994 and 1997 yielded a sample from 36 one square metres excavation units and 67 shovel tests pits. As par1 of an extensive investigation of Plains Woodland occupation of the region over the past 1200 years, excavation of the site served to provide additional information about Vickers focus occupation within the Makotchi-Ded DOlltipi locale. This study offers a lithic analysis that encompasses the debitage and tools with an emphasis on the spatial distribution of the lithic materials. This seeks to assess the validity of the proposed activity areas at the Jackson site. The lithic analysis verified the presence of habitation and kill areas. Lithics from the east-central part of the site indicated processing activities as opposed to a large midden area associated with faunal processing as initially proposed in earlier studies. Late Side-notched projectile point types dominate the assemblage from the site. Plains and Prairie Side-notched point styles are affiliated with the Mortlach phase, Central Plains Tradition, Mississippian Tradition, and Middle Missouri Tradition. The Vickers focus people may have interacted and exchanged lithic matel1als with these groups. The Vickers focus people utilized exotic (Knife River flint, Tongue River silicified sediment, obsidian) as well as local materials (chalcedony, chert) to manufacture their tools. ii Acknowledgments I wish to express appreciation towards my committee members, Drs. Urve Linnamae, Ernie Walker, Bev Nicholson and Mary Marino. Dr. Walker served as my advisor for this thesis and Dr. Marino was the external examiner. Dr. Margaret Kennedy acted as defence Chairperson. I was provided with funding by the University of Saskatchewan through a series of teaching assistantships, which gave me an opportunity to teach and interact with the undergraduates within the department. Financial aid from the Vivian Williams Morton and Arthur Silver Morton scholarship and University of Saskatchewan's Vice President's Student travel grant permitted me to attend archaeological conferences. These experiences allowed me to learn about current research regarding lithic assemblages from other Canadian archaeological sites. It also gave me the opportunity to speak with other professionals regarding the Jackson site. The Saskatchewan Archaeological Society awarded me with a research grant, which enabled me to purchase digital calipers, which are an asset when measuring thousands of flakes. The grant also provided the means to acquire research materials from other accredited universities and institutions across Canada and the United States. I would like to thank Drs. Bev Nicholson and Scott Hamilton for ensuring employment every summer since 1996. In addition, they provided me with an opportunity for the last two years to be involved in the SCAPE project as laboratory supervisor and manager. This experience has given me the chance to interact with different researchers from a variety of disciplines, attend conferences, and participate in the creation of the PC based cataloguing program (ArchWizard). Acknowledgment must also be given to avocational archaeologists, Doug Jackson and the late Ray Bradshaw, who discovered the Jackson site. They recognized the importance of this site and realized that the impending road construction would ultimately destroy the site and reported their findings to Dr. Nicholson. During the years 111 of investigations, many field school students, supervisors, paid crew both in the field and in the lab, and one volunteer exposed themselves to poison ivy, mosquitoes, and cold showers. These folks are thanked for their hard work, careful recording, and determination. I would also like to express gratitude to Dr. B.A Nicholson for allowing me to use the Jackson site lithic assemblage for my research and for providing me laboratory space at Brandon University while completing my analysis. A special thank you to my editor angels, Dr. Scott Hamilton and Jill Taylor­ Hollings for their critical evaluations and suggestions scribbled along the margins of my numerous drafts. As well as for their time that they gave to read the drafts despi te their hectic schedules. Scott and Jill also provided me with invaluable advice and words of encouragement when I needed to hear those words the most. Dr. Hamilton also supplied me with many maps and radiocarbon data for this thesis. Jonathon Perrin, Niki Daniels, and Holly Alston are also thanked for their volunteer participation in helping me test the reliability of the measuring devices used in this thesis. Without their results, I might still be using sliding calipers. A special thank you to Ken Bessant for giving me invaluable advice regarding statistics. Sylvia Nicholson offered very helpful suggestions regarding taking digital photographs and allowed me to borrow the digital camera for my photos. Shannon Weins, Ada Anholt, and Debbie Croteau, the departmental secretaries, acted as messengers by ensuring that my email messages were given to Urve and Ernie while I lived in Brandon and Thunder Bay. My student experience at the University of Saskatchewan would not have been complete without some very special people. Kim, Jeremy, and Keila, along with the Grad Movie night gang, shared some memorable times, particularly the Oscar movie party and murder mystery dinner. A special thank you is extended to Tomasin Playford who shared with me her invaluable advice about thesis organization and formatting. Bev, Scott, Tomasin, Jill, Niki, Kim, and Janet gave moral and emotional support unselfishly. My husband, Dave Norris, deserves a gold medal because he met me when I first entered the graduate program and despite the difficult times has stayed by my side. He IV has remained patient when I was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Dad, Mom, Keith, Marilyn, and my grandmother for giving me encouragement. They reminded me that work should not be the only thing a person survives on. This thesis is dedicated to those people who stood by my side. v Table of Contents Permission to Use Abstract 11 Acknowledgments 111 Table of Contents \'1 List of Figures X List of Tables XI Chapter 1. Goals of the Lithic Analysis of the Jackson Site 01 1.1 Introduction 01 1.2 Research Goals 01 1.3 Chapter Summaries 04 Chapter 2. Geographical Setting and Site Background 06 2.1 Introduction 06 2.2 Glaciation and Geomorphology of Southwestern Manitoba 06 2.3 The Current Hydrology of the Lauder Sand Hills 13 2.4 Climate 16 2.5 The Ecology of the Lauder Sand Hills 19 2.5.1 Aspen Parkland 19 2.5.2 Mixed Grass Prairie 21 2.5.3 Sand Hills 'J'J 2.5.4 Fauna 'J'J 2.6 Jackson Site 'y'_J 2.6.1 Excavation History 24 2.6.2 Age 26 2.6.3 Recoveries 28 2.6.4 Seasonality 28 2.6.5 Previous Lithic Analyses of the Jackson Site 29 2.7 Summary 29 Chapter 3. The Cultural Influences of Vickers Focus People 31 3.1 Introduction 31 3.2 Late Precontact Period 33 3.3 Plains Side-notchedJPrairie Side-notched/Plains Triangular Projectile Point Series 36 3.4 Blackduck Phase 39 3.5 Mortlach Phase 41 3.6 Central Plains Tradition 44 3.7 Mississippian Tradition 4S 3.8 Middle Missouri Tradition 47 3.9 Oneota Tradition 51 3.10 Summary of the Late Precontact Culture History in Southwestern Manitoba and Adjacent Areas 52 3.11 Definition of the Vickers Focus 53 3.11.1 Vickers Focus Pottery 54 VI 3.11.2 Settlement and Subsistence Strategies of Vickers Focus People 55 3.11.3 Vickers Focus Archaeological Sites in the Tiger Hills Region 55 3.11.4 Vickers Focus Archaeological Sites in the Lauder Sand Hills Region 58 3.11.5 Lithic Materials and Artifacts Associated with Vickers Focus Lithic 61 3.11.6 Radiocarbon Dating 62 3.11.7 Origins and Disappearance Vickers Focus People 63 3.11.8 The Connection Between Vickers Focus and Mortlach Phase 64 3.12 Summary 65 Chapter 4.