Digging up history

Thousands of artifacts estimated to be 9,000 years old have been found in what has been called one of the most significant archeological finds in Northern Ontario in an area behind the McKenzie Inn on Highway 11/17.

Amongst the discoveries, 30 to 40 projectile points, or spearheads, have been found along with hundreds of other stone tools.

Project archaeologist Dave Norris said the amount of tools and amethyst found and the depths at which they’re being discovered is unique for Northern Ontario. He added they’ve found everything undisturbed and only shaped by time. The area also appears to have been a habitation site.

"There’s not a lot that you can interpret right now," he said. "After 9,000 years, there’s not a lot left. Just the stone tools remain."

Many of the tools were made with jasper taconite, a stone not really found anywhere else in North America, Norris noted.

"Coming in to the area, they identified it as a material to work with that was good for making tools," Norris said. "There’s all sorts of different grades of it. It’s a very difficult material to use to work with, which is a testament to their ability to shape the rock and make the tools they had to use."

What makes the site so exciting to work with is the sheer size; it’s almost 20,000 square metres. Also the antiquity of the site is noteworthy, said Norris.

"The whole area in itself is very beautiful to work at, to be a part of," he said, adding a paleontological site is a rare find.

"They’re not something you generally dig every summer," he said.

While the site was discovered a few years ago, it wasn’t fully investigated until last year. Saskatoon-based company Western Heritage was contracted to excavate the site and Norris said they are working with Lakehead University.

Some anthropology students are lending a hand with the excavation.

Masters student Lesley Kingsmill has wanted to be an archaeologist since she was in Grade 4 and has always wished to be part of a project like this.

"In doing my undergrad in anthropology, you do learn about everything but it’s all reading," she said. "You don’t’ really get to look at a lot of stuff until you get out here, so it’s pretty amazing when you do read about this and you get to see it here. This is 9,000 years old."

Kingsmill has found a broken projectile point herself as well as several flakes from tools. The excitement from the excavation comes from not knowing what she might find.

"Something, anything could come up," she said. "You’re looking at cultures from the past and I find it interesting because you don’t really know exactly how they lived and this is how you’re figuring it out."

Norris and his team began their work on the project in mid-May and plan to be wrapped up by October. After they’re done examining the artifacts, they’ll be sent to Lakehead University for students to use for information and to further their careers in anthropology.