Archaeological Investigations at the O'Connor Site, Port Hardy Margaret Winnifred Chapman INTRODUCTION The major focus of this report cen­ had already been destroyed by construc­ ters on two seasons of archaeological tion activities associated with the investigations at the O'Connor Site growth and development of the town, and (EeSu 5) near Port Hardy, British Colum­ the likelihood of further destruction in bia. The town of Port Hardy, on the the near future appeared to be great. northeastern tip of Vancouver Island, now lies on the western shore of Hardy Reconnaissance indicated that the Bay, a large body of water opening entire perimeter of Hardy Bay had been northward onto Queen Charlotte Strait occupied at various times in the past. (Fig. 3.1). The town was initially Interspersed midden deposits, most of established across the bay from its which had already been destroyed or present location, but in the early damaged to some extent, dotted the 1900's it was relocated to accommodate a shoreline. The O'Connor Site, a large large government wharf. Since that shell midden on the east side of the time, and particularly in the past bay, was one of these and it too had several years, the community has ex­ been partially destroyed. A small pri­ panded rapidly. Major logging, mining, vate road had been cut through the site and fishing interests, as well as re­ and consequent erosion had damaged a lated secondary industries, are all large portion of the cut bank. A boat situated in close proximity to the town. dock and ways at the northern limit of the midden had caused surface dis­ The Port Hardy area was initially turbance of that area as well. At the considered for two reasons. First, time of this preliminary reconnaissance other than one small test excavation at it was learned that construction, which nearby Fort Rupert (Capes 1964), no would further destroy two significant archaeological excavations and very areas of the site, was being considered. limited survey work had occurred in the The necessary permission for the 1971 immediate area. excavations was readily obtained and a 6 week project was initiated. By 1973 Second, several archaeological sites construction was not yet underway and it 65 66 CENTRAL COAST ARCHAEOLOGY Fig. 3.1. Map of Vancouver Island and adjacent mainland. O'CONNOR SITE 67 was possible to excavate the site for a given to the detailed presentation and further 10 week period. analysis of data recovered from the excavations. Despite the lack of arch­ Our initial attention at the O'Connor aeological material from the immediate Site was directed towards the recovery vicinity, comparisons with other of prehistoric cultural information assemblages from the Central Coast are within one specific area of the site, made wherever possible. This is done in and hence the first season's excavations order that some suggestions can then be were primarily exploratory in nature. offered with regard to the position of When it became possible to return to the the O'Connor Site within the generally site for an additional field season, our known archaeological sequence for this goals could be more explicitly defined part of the Northwest Coast. on the basis of the initial field work. Apart from specific problems which were In relation to the overall site area, examined, it was anticipated that the the data obtained through excavation increase in sample size would permit represent only a very small sample of preliminary placement in a chronological the total extant midden deposit. There­ and culture-historical framework, and fore, no attempt has been made to that general conclusions regarding establish a rigid chronological sequence cultural affiliations and prehistoric or a series of distinct cultural phases. subsistence patterns would emerge from Rather, a tentative statement about site the ensuing analysis. Strategies and utilization and cultural development techniques employed during the within the site is put forward. In excavations of each season are discussed addition, recommendations concerning the below. nature and direction of future archaeo­ logical investigations within the local The largest portion of this report is area are discussed. THE PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL SETTING The Physical Setting More specifically, it is within the Suquash Basin which is characterized by The area of concern lies within the a gently rolling topography, very seldom region of British Columbia commonly rising above the 300 m level. referred to as the Coastal Trough. Topographically this is a low-lying area The climate in this area is typical which extends from Puget Sound and the of the inner coast, cool and moist, with San Juan Islands in the south to Dixon a January average temperature of 2 Entrance in the north-west. Bounded by degrees C and a July average of 13 the Insular Mountains to the west and degrees C (Kendrew and Kerr 1955). The the Coastal Mountains to the east, the mean annual precipitation is high (1600 trough narrows to a width of mm) but less than the adjacent Quatsino approximately 16 km near Kelsey Bay in Sound area of the west coast which Johnstone Straits. This constriction receives a mean annual total of 2,374 mm acts as a dividing line between the (Province of British Columbia Department Hecate Depression to the north and the of Agriculture 1967:30,31). Georgia Depression to the south (Holland 1964:32). Hardy Bay is situated in the Shelford defines this region as the Nahwitti Lowland, an area of low relief "rainy western hemlock biome" of that is part of the Hecate Depression. Vancouver Island (1963:211). Within the 68 CENTRAL COAST ARCHAEOLOGY biome, a change in the plant and animal economy of occupants of the bay area communities occurs. Predominantly south since very early times. Although large of 51 degrees N is a "hemlock-wapiti- clam beds still exist in Hardy Bay they cedar" community, and to the north is a are no longer exploited because of con­ "hemlock-deer-Sitka-spruce" community. tamination by industrial and domestic The O'Connor site is nearly on the waste. There are many excellent sources dividing line between these communities outside the bay for butter clams, horse as is evident in the mixture of floral clams, and cockles. Mussels, abalone, and faunal species. The terrestrial and crabs, rock oysters, and barnacles are maritime biota of the region have been also readily available. described by several authors and need not be repeated in detail here (Chapman Birds and waterfowl are also and Turner 1956; Shelford 1963; plentiful and include many species of McTaggart - Cowan and Guiguet 1 965). ducks, geese, and grebes in addition to However, some brief comments on the eagles, crows, ravens, loons, and great biota as a resource are necessary. In herons. The past occurence and use of general the food resources, although these various animal and plant resources often seasonal, are varied and abundant. will be discussed later in this report. The sea provides several species of edible kelp and seaweed. Numerous species of berries (noteably elder­ The Cultural Setting berries, huckelberries, salmon berries, salal berries) and roots were harvested The O'Connor Site lies within the from the land (Chapman and Turner 1956). ethnographic territory of the Southern Among the land mammals, cougar, deer, Kwakiutl. This area encompasses the bear, and elk were important for food northeastern portion of Vancouver and hides. Smaller species, including Island, the adjacent mainland and marten, racoon, mink, beaver, and otter offshore islands from Cape Mudge in the are also locally present. Hardy Bay south to Rivers Inlet in the north (Fig. itself does not now support a large 3.1). The Southern Kwakiutl is one of population of sea mammals although the three main linguistic groups of the several species are represented. Seals, Kwakiutl branch of the Wakashan family porpoises, sea lions, whales and otters (Boas 1966:12). The other two groups are sighted variously through the year are the Heiltsuk and the Haisla, both (Cowan and Guiget 1965). The most inhabiting areas to the nor t h of the important fish species, both in quantity Southern Kwakiutl. Boas (1966:37) dis­ and in terms of prehistoric subsistence tinguished two dialects: a northern one patterns, are the salmon. Their runs on the west coast of Vancouver Island will be discussed in detail later, in and on the east as far as Nigel Island connection with seasonal use and and on Smith and Seymour Inlets; and a exploitation at the O'Connor Site. Also southern dialect "...spoken by all important in the past, and today, are tribes further to the east". Further, the halibut fishing grounds to the north Boas identified twenty tribes within au Nahwitti, Shusharti, and Hope Island these groups. as well as some of the offshore islands around the peninsula in Beaver Harbour. Through the ethnographic work of Cod and herring are abundant and Dawson (1 887), Boas (1 909, 1921 , 1 934, available locally, as are several 1966), Drucker (1943, 1965) and others, species of rock fish (rock cod) and the as well as through some of the early small dogfish. explorers such as Vancouver, Menzies and Johnstone, we have come to know and Shellfish have clearly played an understand the post-contact culture of important role in the subsistence the Southern Kwakiutl. O’ CONNOR SITE 69 One of Boas' most significant works Sound was 60 miles away, about a four- was his compilation of geographical day overland journey for his people. place names of the kwakiutl (Boas 1934). Later on in his account Menzies states In Hardy Bay he records 22 locations, 3 that sea otter were more plentiful here of which are in the immediate vicinity than anywhere else on their voyage.