Artifact catalogue containing 556 records from Atkinson site 2004.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
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
In 2004 Tomasin Playford and her crew of Andrea Richards, Sarah Graham and Shane Kolesar cleared sand cover from over the 2003 excavations and extended sand clearing back from the north edge of the 2003 units to permit implementation of four additional units. During this sand clearing a hearth was identified together with small numbers of lithics and pottery body sherds. This occupation had been noted during sand clearing in 2003 and a charcoal sample was collected and radiocarbon dated to 1440 A.D. This hearth was assigned to Atkinson II, a later occupation.
Four units (5, 6, 7, & 8) were surveyed in adjacent to the 2003 units. Excavation proceeded by means of shovel shaving until the datum pegs from the previous year were located. The new units were then given datum pegs and string boundaries and the high pressure pump was set up for water screening of silt/clay matrix.
Continued to shovel shave levels 1 - 4 and recovered small burned and unburned bone fragments. Level 5 produced a projectile point, an end scraper and a large heat-treated Swan River Chert (SRC) flake. Other SRC flakes were also recovered. Levels 6 and 7 yielded large numbers of flake debitage. The matrix in levels 5-7 contained a scatter of small, bright red ochre particles. The river began to rise on the ninth of June and the site was sandbagged on June 11th, temporarily bringing an end to excavation for Atkinson 1. Tomasin and her crew were relocated to the Crepeele site, west of Lauder.
On July 20th, Tomasin and her crew returned to the Atkinson site and commenced cleaning up the earlier excavation following the flooding. Following the clean up, excavations were resumed on the units that had been opened. An additional Gowen point was recovered from level 8 as well as some poorly preserved bison bone. A lot flakes and small amounts of bone were recovered on west side of block and larger bone and flakes in bone bed along the east side in levels 8 - 10. Two bifaces were recovered in level 11 and a third in level 13. The excavations were terminated at level 18 when water started coming up through the unit floors.
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.
The Sarah site was initially chosen for excavation based on the results of the Casselman survey. The survey recovered significant amounts of faunal remains, some ceramics and lithics from the test pits. Excavations took place in 2003 at the Sarah site DiMe-28.
In 2004 further excavation took place as part of a Brandon University Archaeology Field School. Units 10 to 18 were excavated with Denise Ens as the instructor and James Graham teaching assistant.
Scope and Content
Record of excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather noted by teaching assistant.
IThe Sarah site was initially chosen for excavation based on the results of the Casselman survey. The survey recovered significant amounts of faunal remains, some ceramics and lithics from the test pits. Excavations took place in 2003 at the Sarah site DiMe-28.
In 2004 further excavation took place as part of a Brandon University Archaeology Field School. Units 10 to 18 were excavated with Denise Ens as the instructor and James Graham teaching assistant.
Scope and Content
Record of excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather noted by the instructor.
The Sarah site was initially chosen for excavation based on the results of the Casselman survey. The survey recovered significant amounts of faunal remains, some ceramics and lithics from the test pits. Excavations took place in 2003 at the Sarah site DiMe-28.
In 2004 further excavation took place as part of a Brandon University Archaeology Field School. Units 10 to 18 were excavated with Denise Ens as the instructor and James Graham teaching assistant.
Scope and Content
Record of excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather noted by a crew member.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files.
History / Biographical
The Crepeele site was excavated in 2003 and again in 2004. Units 1 to 8 were excavated in 2004. Field journals were maintained by the crew chief and assistant. The crew also excavated other sites during the field season and the relevant page numbers are noted for each journal.
Scope and Content
Record of daily observations at the site including: excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather.
Field journal book 2 by crew chief Tomasin Playford of excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather. Pages 37 to 49 and 73 to 78 relate to the Graham site.
Field journal crew member Andrea Richards of excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather. Pages 27-33 relate to excavation unit 9 at the Graham 2004 site.
Field journal crew member Shayne Kolesar of excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather. Pages 34-44 relate to excavation unit 14 at the Graham 2004 site.
In 2007 the Brandon University Archaeology Field School was held at the Crepeele site in the Crepeele locale. Denise Ens instructed the school with Kate Decter & Jessica MacKenzie assistants.
Seventeen units were excavated XU 30 - 46. Faunal (animal bone), lithics, fire cracked rock, diagnostic lithics and ceramics were recovered from the site. There are over 3050 records in the catalogue.
Scope and Content
Record of excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather noted by teaching assistant.
Artifact catalogue containing 646 records from Atkinson site 2003.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Artifact catalogue containing 343 records from Atkinson site 2006.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files.
History / Biographical
Graham units 9 and 14 were excavated with the Crepeele site in 2004 and were reassigned to the Graham site DiMe-30 keeping the same unit numbers.
Field journals from 2004 contain notes concerning the Graham, Sarah and Atkinson sites. The relevant page numbers are noted.
Scope and Content
Record of daily observations at the site including: excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather.
The Atkinson site was named for the landowners Ken and Karen Atkinson who were very helpful to the archaeology and geoarchaeology crews that worked at the site. Their support made the project possible.
The Atkinson site story begins with the discovery of a charcoal lens eroding from the north bank of the Souris River in the summer of 2002. Study of Cultural Adaptations on the Prairie Ecozone (SCAPE) project geoarchaeologist Dr. Garry Running was exploring the stratigraphic layering in the bank when he noted the lens and reported it to Dr. Bev Nicholson. Upon closer examination, a tiny pressure flake was observed on the lens exposure and it was decided to collect a charcoal sample for radiocarbon dating.
The resulting date of 5250B.P cal. 4225 B.C. placed the site in the early Archaic period. A second date on bone collagen of 5580B.P. cal. 4500 B.C. confirmed the earlier date and gave an averaged date of circa 4400 B.C or 6,500 years ago.
The Atkinson site is one of the oldest excavated sites in Manitoba. Based on the date of the site and the kind of lithics (stone tools) present it is considered a Gowen occupation. The Atkinson site is evidence that bison hunters were active on the northern plains at a very early date. Similar sites have also been found on the High Plains in the U.S. and are referred to as the Mummy Cave Complex.
The Atkinson Site is of great importance as it is the first undisturbed site of this type to be excavated in Manitoba and extends the range of these sites south and east from the type-sites in central Saskatchewan. Based on the date and sample evidence further excavations were conducted by Dr. Nicholson's team. in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Scope and Content
Sub series has been divided into three sub sub series including: (1) Atkinson 2003, (2) Atkinson 2004; (3) Atkinson 2006
