Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files. Artifact catalogues are PDF files in spreadsheet format. Photographs are in jpeg format.
History / Biographical
After the flooding of the Souris River in 2004 receded, Tomasin Playford and her crew of Andrea Richards, Sarah Graham and Shane Kolesar returned to the Atkinson site and commenced cleaning up the earlier excavation of Atkinson.
An area east of the Atkinson excavations was also opened for testing in 2004. This area was designated as Atkinson II. In some of the field notes it is referred to as Atkinson East. A test block was opened and fenced off from the cattle with snow fence. A 4m2 block was surveyed in (units 13 - 16) and two partial units that were truncated by the riverbank (units 11 &12) were also placed to the south of the 4m2 block.
Three of the students who had completed the recent field school were hired as crew. Jessica McKenzie, Evie Fevez and Emily Ansell joined the crew at the Atkinson II site.
Recoveries from XU 13 - 16:
Large bison bone was recovered from units 11 and 12 and a metal tobacco box seal was recovered from unit 12. More small pieces of metal found in levels 2 and three together with small bone fragments. A bone fragment with butchering marks from a metal tool was recovered from level 6 and pottery was found in level 9. A few lithic flakes were found in level 13 and in a trench at the bottom of unit 13 above a calcite cemented layer. Recoveries from these tests were sparse and diminished as the excavation series became more distant from the river. It is likely that the remains that were recovered represent the northern edge of these occupations.
The upper occupation at Atkinson II appears to be an early historic occupation with a sparse scatter of bone and a few pieces of metal. The lower layers, below level 7 are likely precontact. Units 9 and 10 were dug as test pits and produced very little in the way of cultural materials.
Scope and Content
Sub-sub-sub series contains: Summary information of field methology, number and co-ordinates of excavations, personnel and their staff position; Field journals are daily records of recoveries, features and activities at the site; Site records include excavation level and unit summaries, feature sheets, profiles; sample records and maps; Artifact catalogues are lists and identifications of all artifacts recovered; Photographs are of excavation units, features, the landscape and personnel.
Box contains minutes geenrated by local MPE associations, collected and microfilmed by the central office. Rolls in this box include the following:
Roll 13: Oakbank 1940-51; Oakburn 1940-51; Oak Lake 1928-51; Oakland 1928-51; Oakville 1928-51; Osbourne 1927-51; Rapid City 1926-51; Pierson 1928-51; Pilot Mound 1928-51; Pipestone 1929-51; Poplar Point 1947-51; Portage 1927-51; Purves 1928-51
Roll 14: Rapid City 1926-27; Rathwell 1928-51; Regent 1927-51; Reston 1927-51; Rhodes 1928-48; Riverton 1948-51; Sandy Lake 1943-51; Selkirk 1947-51; Roblin 1926-51; Rossburn 1929-51; Roundthwaite 1928-51; Russell 1940-51; Ste Agathe 1946-51; St Jean 1949-51; Sanford 1927-51; Scrick 1944-51
Roll 15: missing
Roll 16: Starbuck 1927-40; Stonewall 1939-51; Strathclair 1947-51; Swan Lake 1928-51; Teulon 1940-51; Thorn Hill 1926-51; Tilston 1928-51; Treherne 1928-51; Vista 1940-51; Warren 1947-51; Waskada 1925-51; Wawanesa 1927-51; Wood Bay 1937-51; Wood Bay 1926-37; Wood North 1928-51
Roll 17: Side 1 Alexander to Birdtail Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Birnie to Cartwright Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 18: Side 1 Chillon to Ebor Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Eden to Fork River Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 19: Side 1 Forrest to Hamiota Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Harding to Kronsgart Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 20: Side 1 Landseer to Maples Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Margaret to Napinka Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 21: Side 1 Neelin to Purvis Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Rapid City to Silverton Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 22: Side 1 Sinclair to Warren Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Waskada to Woodnorth Oct 1951 – June 1957