Stage 3 Archaeological Assessment Jackson Harvest Farms Aggregate Extraction Site 1 (AiHd-171), Site 2 and Review of Recommendations for Site 3 (AiHd-172) 1894 Witmer Road, Township of Wilmot Regional Municipality of Waterloo Lot 10, German Block South of Bleams Road Geographic Township of Wilmot Waterloo County, Ontario Submitted to Jackson Harvest Farms c/o Rick Esbaugh 2819 Herrgott Road St. Clements, Ontario N0B 2M0 and The Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport Prepared by @ the Museum of Ontario Archaeology 1600 Attawandaron Road, London, ON N6G 3M6 Phone: (519) 641-7222 Fax: (519) 641-7220 Archaeological License: James Taylor Sherratt, M.A., P074 Our File: 2018-158 PIF Numbers: P074-0017-2018 (Site 1 AiHd-171), P074-0018-2018 (Site 3 AiHd-172), P074-0049-2019 (Site 2) September 2019 Original Report submitted to Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport 13 September 2019 TMHC Stage 3 Archaeological Assessment, Jackson Harvest Farms Site 1 (AiHd-171), Site 2 and Site 3 (AiHd-172), Wilmot Twp., Waterloo County, ON ii ____________________________________________________________________________________ Executive Summary In the fall of 2018, Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants Inc. (TMHC) was contracted by Jackson Harvest Farms to complete a Stage 3 archaeological assessment of the two Indigenous archaeological sites (Site 1 AiHd-171) and Site 2 within a proposed new aggregate pit and found during the Stage 1 and 2 assessment of the subject property completed by Archaeological Research Associates (ARA) Ltd. earlier the same year. In addition, TMHC was asked to review the Stage 3 recommendations for Site 3 (AiHd- 172), a 19thcentury archaeological site associated with an extant farm lot on the property. The Stage 3 assessment was carried out in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act R.S.O. 1990 and to meet the provisions of the Aggregate Resources Act R.S.O. 1990 as required by Policy No. 2.01.08 of the Aggregate Resources Policies and Procedures Manual (MNRF 2015). Stage 3 assessment for Site 1 (AiHd-171) consisted of a controlled surface pick- up (CSP) and the excavation of 27 1 m2 test units over an area approximately 25 m2. A total of 39 artifacts were recovered of which 15 are Indigenous. Two potential cultural features were also identified. The Indigenous component of Site 1 dates to the Woodland Period and has further Cultural Heritage Value or Interest (CHVI). The historic component of Site 1 is interpreted to be associated with Site 3 which dates to the late-19th to 20th century domestic site. It does not have further CHVI under the provincial framework. The Stage 3 assessment of Site 2 consisted of a CSP and the excavation of nine 1 m2 units over an area approximately 10 m2. A total of two Indigenous artifacts were recovered. Site 2 is an isolated Indigenous find spot for which a more specific cultural or temporal affiliation cannot be assigned. It has no further CHVI under the provincial framework. Site 1 (AiHd-171) contained both a 19th century and Indigenous component. The 19th century component has no further CHVI and no further work is recommended. The Indigenous component of Site 1 (AiHd-171) meets provincial criteria for Stage 4 assessment based on the recovery of Indigenous ceramics and identification of a possible culture feature. Two options are available: 1) long-term protection and avoidance; and 2) excavation. Avoidance and long-term protection is always the preferred mitigation strategy. In this case, the proponent has indicated that the site falls within the extraction area for the proposed aggregate pit and cannot be avoided. As such, excavation is the only viable mitigation strategy. The Stage 4 excavation strategy for Site 1 (AiHd-171) was developed in consultation with the participating Indigenous communities. The recommended Stage 4 excavation strategy entails: ______________________________________________________________________________________ TMHC Stage 3 Archaeological Assessment, Jackson Harvest Farms Site 1 (AiHd-171), Site 2 and Site 3 (AiHd-172), Wilmot Twp., Waterloo County, ON iii ____________________________________________________________________________________ • a small block excavation shall be undertaken around the two units (300N 495E:1 and 300N 495E:3) containing possible features, using standards established in Section 4.2.2 for hand excavation (MTC 2011:76). Unit excavation must continue until the per-unit count is less than 10, with fewer than two formal tools, diagnostic artifacts, burnt artifacts, and fire-cracked rock (Section 4.3 Standard 1 Table 4.1). If subsurface features are identified the excavation should be extended 2 m beyond the edge of the feature; features must be cleaned, mapped, photo- documented and excavated according to Section 4.2.2. Standard 7. • following block excavation, mechanical topsoil stripping should be undertaken for the portion of the site containing cultural features. This should follow Section 4.2.3 of the Standards and Guidelines (MTC 2011:78-79) and involve the use of an excavator with a flat-edged ditching bucket to expose the ploughzone/subsoil interface. Stripping should extend a minimum of 10 m beyond any confirmed cultural feature. The subsoil surface should be shovel shined to assist in the identification of cultural features. Any identified cultural features should be documented and excavated following Section 4.2.2., Standard 7 (MTC 2011:77). Jackson Harvest Farms Site 2 is a small, low-yielding Indigenous site for which a more specific age or cultural affiliation can be attributed due to a lack of diagnostic artifacts. As the Stage 3 per-unit excavations did not identify any units containing 10 or more artifacts, diagnostic artifacts, Indigenous ceramic sherds, or cultural features (MTC 2011:58, Section 3.4.1.1), Site 2 does not have further CHVI under the provincial framework. Therefore, the site does not meet provincial criteria for Stage 4 mitigation and no further assessment is recommended. Jackson Harvest Farms Site 3 (AiHd-172) was subject to additional background research to contextualize the site and identify its occupants. After further background research and a re-evaluation of the overall date for the artifact collection using an assemblage-based approach in keeping with The Archaeology of Rural Historical Farmsteads Bulletin (MTCS 2014), Site 3 (AiHd-172) is determined to be a ca. 1855 or 1862-1900 domestic site related to the occupation of the property largely by the Wilhelm family. Given the above and the fact that less than 80% of the site occupation pre-dates 1870, AiHd-172 has no further CHVI within the provincial framework. As such, the site does not meet provincial standards for further Stage 3 assessment and no additional work is recommended. These recommendations are subject to the conditions laid out in Section 5.0 of this report and to Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport review and acceptance of this report into the Ontario Public Register of Archaeological Reports. ______________________________________________________________________________________ TMHC Stage 3 Archaeological Assessment, Jackson Harvest Farms Site 1 (AiHd-171), Site 2 and Site 3 (AiHd-172), Wilmot Twp., Waterloo County, ON iv ____________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iv Project Personnel…………………………………………………………………….. vii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... vii List of Images ....................................................................... 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List of Maps ....................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... v Indigenous Territorial Acknowledgements ................................................................. viii 1.0 PROJECT CONTEXT .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Development Context ........................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 Purpose and Legislative Context .................................................................. 1 1.2 Archaeological Context ........................................................................................ 2 1.2.1 Site Areas: Overview and Physical Setting ................................................... 2 1.2.2 Summary of Registered or Known Archaeological Sites .............................. 3 1.2.3 Summary of Past Archaeological Investigations within 50 Metres .............. 4 1.2.4 Dates of Archaeological Fieldwork .............................................................. 6 1.3 Historical Context ................................................................................................ 7 1.3.1 Indigenous Settlement in Waterloo County ................................................... 7 1.3.2 19th Century and Municipal Settlement......................................................... 7 2.0 SITE 3 (AiHd-172)