Radiocarbon date reports have been scanned in multi-page PDF files.
History / Biographical
The Crepeele locale is located within the larger Lauder Sandhills area, located in southwestern Manitoba. The area is a complex region of high biodiversity made up of stabilized sand dunes and wetlands that encourage the development of mixed forest and grass prairie. This area provided a variety of subsistence resources for pre-European hunter-gatherers. At the present time the grass prairie is now farm land but the areas of vegetated sand dunes have not been cultivated and have revealed numerous pre-contact archaeological sites.
Archaeological surveying was conducted in 2003. The results of the 2003 Casselman survey showed over 300 test uints contained cultural material and indicated several areas for further examination including the Crepeele site DiMe-29, Sarah site DiMe-28 and Graham sites DiMe-30.
From 2003 to 2008 field work took place at the locale with 75 - 1m x1m units excavated. The Crepeele locale is a complex region of high biodiversity made up of stabilized sand dunes and wetlands that encourage the development of mixed forest and grass prairie. This area provided a variety of subsistence resources for pre-European hunter-gatherers. At the present time the grass prairie is now farm land but the areas of vegetated sand dunes have not been cultivated and have revealed numerous pre-contact archaeological sites.
To help establish the cultural sequence at the locale Radiocarbon dates were obtained from the three sites in the Crepeele locale.
Radiocarbon dating
The technique of radiocarbon dating was developed by Willard Libby and his colleagues at the University of Chicago in 1949.
Radiocarbon dating is used to estimate the age of organic remains from archaeological sites. Organic matter has a radioactive form of carbon (C14) that begins to decay upon death. C14 decays at a steady, known rate of a half life of 5,730 years. The technique is useful for material up to 50,000 years. Fluctuations of C14 in the atmosphere can affect results so dates are calibrated against dendrochronology. Radiocarbon dates are calibrated to calendar years.
Dates are reported in radiocarbon years or Before Present. Before Present refers to dates before 1950. The introduction of massive amounts of C14, due to atomic bomb and surface testing of atomic weapons, has widely increased the standard deviation on all dates after A.D. 1700 causing these dates to be unreliable.
Accelerated mass spectrometry can more accurately measure C14 with smaller samples and can date materials to 80,000 years.
Scope and Content
Sub sub series contains radiocarbon dates from: Crepeele, Sarah and Graham sites.
The Sarah site was 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 Crepeele West (Units 1-5) and Crepeele East (Units 6-9). The site was subsequently renamed the Sarah site DiMe-28. In 2004 another 9 units were excavated (Units 10-18).
Based on the recoveries it was determined that the Sarah site is a stratified site with woodland ceramics in the upper occupation and late woodland points in both of the upper occupations. These upper occupations produced abundant bison bone including foetal bone. The lower occupations produced less bone and no foetal bone, although absence of foetal bone in the lower occupations does not necessarily indicate a warm season occupation. This could be due to sample error or perthotaxic factors such as scavenging of the fragile bone by dogs or other carnivores.
The dates from the Sarah site include 550+/-40 B.P.; 1430+/-80 B.P; 2810+/-80 B.P.; 3120+/-130 B.P. The lower occupations did not yield any diagnostic materials although debitage was abundant. These occupations were most productive at the edge of the large sand dune at the southern edge of the excavations. It is assumed that the major portion of these occupations have been overridden by the dune in the past 3000 years. Heavy earthmoving equipment would be required to remove this overburden which limits the possibility of future excavation.
Environment
The Sarah site is a large area located at the eastern end of the Crepeele locale. Ground cover is a mosaic of aspen poplar groves and patches of mesic grass prairie. Excavation profiles indicate that this has been the situation since early precontact times, although as local climatic conditions change (primarily rainfall), the relative size of these areas and where they may have occurred also changed. The soil is aeolian sand sheet derived from delta outwash deposits along the western edge of glacial Lake Hind. The present topography is a variable dune landscape reworked by aeolian activity that creates a mosaic of microhabitats. These include forested patches in the lee of sand dunes with grassland on the southern and western exposures and small damp lowlands that support balsam poplar, willows, red osier dogwood, high-bush cranberry and water birch. There is no permanent water source in the area although a small seasonal stream meanders through a damp lowland to the east of the Sarah site.
Scope and Content
Sub-series has been divided into sub sub series including: Sarah 2003 and Sarah 2004,
The Graham site is a located adjacent to the Crepeele site towards the western end of the Crepeele locale. The Graham site was initially designated as a separate site early in the testing of the Crepeele locale due to what appeared to be a distinction between Early and Late Woodland ceramics. Subsequent testing has shown that this distinction was premature and that the cultural mosaic represented in the western section of the Crepeele locale may not readily separate in this manner. However, due to the records management that was already in place, the original separate designations have been retained.
Environment
Ground cover is a mosaic of aspen poplar groves and patches of mesic grass prairie. Excavation profiles indicate that this has been the situation since early precontact times, although as local climatic conditions change (primarily rainfall), the relative size of these areas and where they may have occurred also changed. The soil is aeolian sand sheet derived from delta outwash deposits along the western edge of glacial Lake Hind. The present topography is a variable dune landscape reworked by aeolian activity that creates a mosaic of microhabitats. These include forested patches in the lee of sand dunes grassland on the southern and western exposures and small damp lowlands that support balsam poplar, willows, red osier dogwood, high-bush cranberry and water birch. There is no permanent water source in the area although a small seasonal stream meanders through a damp lowland along the eastern margin of the Crepeele locale.
Excavations at the Graham site took place from 2004 to 2008. Analyses of the recoveries shows that, with two exceptions, all of the occupations that have been tested produced bison foetal bone. The presence of foetal bison is a strong indicator of wintering occupations...The absence of foetal in some area does not necessarily indicate warm season occupations since these excavation series are small and the absence could be due to sample error or perthotaxic factors, such as scavenging of the fragile bone by dogs or other carnivores.
From this evidence the Graham site has been interpreted as being primarily a wintering area. This is consistent with the lack of surface water (snow would serve as a substitute in winter) and the abundance of wood for fuel – a critical requirement for winter occupation. Cultural occupations date from Mortlach circa 250 B.P to woodland circa 580 B.P.
Scope and Content
Sub-series has been divided into sub sub series including: Graham 2004, Graham 2005, Graham 2006 and Graham 2008
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
The Duthie site is the first site identified in the Makotchi-Ded Dontipi locale. It was reported to Dr. Bev Nicholson by Doug Jackson, a local collector who had observed archaeological materials that had been exposed during the construction of Maple Hill Road northwest of Lauder. The site is named after the landowner, Randy Duthie.
The initial inspection of the exposed materials indicated that the eastern half of the site had been severely impacted by raising a road grade using an elevating grader. However, an undetermined amount of the site remained to the west, flanked by a low sand dune. Testing and preliminary excavations were conducted in 1992-93. In 1994 a field school added to the excavated sample. The undisturbed portion of the site, west of Maple Hill Road was situated at the base of a low sand dune and had an aspen and willow forest cover. The water table was approximately one meter below surface at the time of excavation. A rising water table has since prevented further excavations.
Two dates on bone collagen were obtained during excavations. These were 880+/-80 B.P. (Beta 62705) and 970+/-40 B.P. cal. 1030 A.D. (TO 13366). These dates are consistent with an Initial Middle Missouri cultural assignment. The site occupation is identified by the distinctive ceramics found there. Ceramics at the Duthie Site are tool impressed with incising and lip modeling with fabric impressions on most vessels. Jill Taylor analysed the ceramics from the site for a Specialist thesis, Brandon University (1994) and a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan. (Taylor 1995).
Analysis of residue from Duthie site pottery by Matthew Boyd recovered corn (Zea mays) phytoliths and bean (Phaseolus sp.) starch grains indicating consumption of these domesticates at the Duthie site. (Boyd 2006)
The occupation of this site indicates a migration of people from the south who were well acquainted with horticultural farming. These people had previously migrated to South Dakota following river valleys into the central plains from the eastern woodlands during late Hopewell times. It appears that they later migrated well to the north into southern Manitoba but there is no evidence that they remained there for more than a single year.
Boyd, M., C. Surette and B.A. Nicholson. 2006 Archaeobotanical Evidence of Prehistoric Maize (Zea mays) Consumption at the Northern Edge of the Great Plains. Journal of Archaeological Science 33: 1129-1140.
Taylor, J. 1994 An analysis of the ceramics recovered during 1992 and 1993 at the Precontact Duthie Site (DiMe-16). Specialist thesis, Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The Series has been divided into seven sub-series, including (1) Duthie site (2) Jackson site (3) Twin Fawns site (4) Vera site (5) Schuddemat site (6) Bradshaw site (7) Hollow B site.
The high biodiversity and evidence of pre-Europeon contact prompted the decision to test the Crepeele locale. The survey was named in recognition of the Casselman family, the original landowners.
Archaeological testing began in the Crepeele locale in May 2003 on property now owned by the Crepeele family. The locale covers over 6 sections or approximately 3,800 acres of land in an area of stabilized sand dunes and wetlands covered with mixed forest and prairie grass. Given the terrain, the size of the crew and time constrains, an area of approximately 60 acres was chosen for the survey. The survey used the established archaeological methodology of walking the selected area and using a shovel test surveyed grid. The use of GIS technology to locate the exact test spot and record the information into a GIS database was a significant advance and was one of the advantages of the integration of multi-disciplinary techniques encouraged by the SCAPE project. Over one half of the test pits resulted in the recovery of cultural materials. The results of the Casselman survey indicated several areas for further examination including areas that became the Crepeele, Sarah and Graham sites.
Scope and Content
Sub sub series has been divided into five sub sub sub series including: (1) Summary information; (2) Field journals; (3) Site records; (4) Artifact catalogues; and (5) Photographs.
Albert Edward McKenzie was born in Wilcox Lake, York County, Ontario in 1870 to Francis Bethel McKenzie and Maria (Carley) McKenzie. In 1882 he moved to Brandon, Manitoba with his family, where his father established a Flour, Seed and Grain business. At the age of twenty-six, following his father’s death, A. E. took over the family business and transformed it into a seed institute. As the President of The Brandon Seed House, and, later, A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd., Mr. McKenzie played a central role in the daily operations of his company up until three weeks prior to his death on September 25, 1964.
In 1901, Mr. McKenzie married Laura Bell of Carmen, Manitoba, with whom he had two daughters, Marjorie and Kathleen. Kathleen married Walter C. Roberts and became a member of the Board of Directors of her father's company. Marjorie graduated from Brandon College, and received additional degrees from the Columbia College of Expression, and from Northwestern University. From 1927-1930 she taught at Brandon College, then resigned to do post-graduate work. She returned to Brandon College in 1935 as Instructor of Public Speaking and Dean of Women in Clark Hall. Marjorie resigned as Dean of Women after one year, and eventually relocated to British Columbia. Both Kathleen and Marjorie survived their father. Laura had passed away in 1943. At the time of his death. A.E. McKenzie was also survived by had one grandson: David McKenzie Roberts.
In addition to building his company into one of Canada's foremost seed institutes, McKenzie was also involved with many community projects. He was affiliated with the YMCA, YWCA, Salvation Army, and Community Chest. He was a charter member of the Kiwanis Club, and a long-term officer of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce. However, McKenzie's major interest was Brandon College, for which he served as a governor and as chairman of the board of governors for the College.
A central figure in the fight to save Brandon College, McKenzie was instrumental in the formation of Brandon College Inc., and, in 1945, he established the A. E. McKenzie Foundation, for which the Government of Manitoba was the sole trustee. His gift to the
Foundation was securities valued at $1 million, which ensured the survival and re-establishment of Brandon College and later Brandon University.
In 1941, McKenzie received the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Manitoba. In 1962, he was honored with a certificate of merit for exemplary citizenship in commerce and in every aspect of community life from the City of Brandon.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of correspondence created and received by A.E. McKenzie during his years as President/General Manager dealing with the operation of his company. This includes construction estimates, and correspondence with the company's lawyer, Wm. Johnson. A letter from Gairdner & Company Limited regarding McKenzie's attempt to reacquire ownership of A. E. McKenzie Ltd. from the Province of Manitoba.
The sub-series also contains material relating to legal matters: one file concerns a successful legal action against the A.E. McKenzie Seed Company by the Canadian Alfalfa Association. The action arose following the sale of seed to a seed company located in Berlin, Germany in 1938. A second file deals with the prosecution of the company in Bismarck, North Dakota for mail fraud. The company lost both cases. Patents secured by the company are also included within the sub-series.
Also contained within the legal sub-series are records dealing with A.E. McKenzie's passing. These include correspondence with the National Trust Company and Miss Jean MacKay, and a summary of A.E. McKenzie's will. There are also some documents dealing with McKenzie's stocks and shares in the Company.
Documentation relating to the 1918 By-Law Campaign, in which McKenzie tried to secure tax relief for his company in relation to the construction of its new plant, is also included within the sub-series.
The sub-series is divided into six sub sub series, including: (1) Secretary; (2) Legal Matters; (3) Correspondence; (4) Patents; (5) By-Law Campaign 1918; and (6) Miscellaneous.
Notes
* "Tapes" in the Related Material field refers to hard copy written summaries originally provided on tape for typing. Organization by tape number was found to be more efficient than listing these items by title.
Language Note
Within McS 2 1.3, the correspondence sub sub series, there are some documents written in Gregg shorthand. No translation is available.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 2 Office of the President/General Manager
Related Material
Regarding sub sub series McS 2 2.2 (Legal Matters): The court pocket for the alfalfa case involving McKenzie Seeds at the Court of Queen's Bench in Regina, Saskatchewan may be available through the Saskatchewan Archives Board. John Diefenbaker acted for the Alfalfa Association in this case.
Historical Topics under A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds, Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes) contains some information regarding McKenzie's patents (file 16, Tapes 29 and 30), and a legal case in Bismarck, North Dakota in 1957 regarding the violation of mail fraud statutes involving the sale of seed wheat (file 11, Tape 26)*. Information regarding the sale of Alfalfa seed to a German seed company is available in file 2. There are also a number of files containing information about A. E. McKenzie.
A.E. McKenzie was born in Wilcox Lake, York County, Ontario in 1870 to F.B. and Maria (Carley) McKenzie. His family came to Manitoba in 1883. He was educated in Brandon, Manitoba and graduated from the Collegiate Institute at age 21. In 1897 he founded the Brandon Seed House. McKenzie was present at the cornerstone-laying ceremony of Brandon College on Juy 13, 1900. From that moment on, he was very involved in the College, first as an interested businessman, and later as a member of its Board of Directors. In 1902, McKenzie married Laura Bell in Port Arthur. They had two daughters, Marjorie Bell and Kathleen. In 1906 the Brandon Seed House was incorporated and from then on was known as the "A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd.."
McKenzie became a member of the Brandon College Endowment Committee in 1918. The following year he was on the Finance Committee. By 1925, McKenzie was a member of the Board of Directors. In 1928, he was part of a syndicate that advised the Baptist Union that they were developing an endowment plan to provide continuing financial support to the College and talked the Union into providing $10 000 towards the accumulated deficit.
In 1931, McKenzie organized the Brandon Board of Trade to help save Brandon College when the Baptists said they could no longer afford to keep the College. After the By-law failed, he helped to organize the Brandon Citizen’s Campaign to raise enough money so that the College could open the following year.
When the Baptists withdrew support in 1938, McKenzie was one of the central figures on the Brandon Board of Trade that decided to save the College from closure. A representative delegation from Southwestern Manitoba of over 60 men descended upon Premier Bracken’s office to try and convince him to help the College. On June 12, 1938 McKenzie said he would set up a $100 000 endowment to Brandon College. He subsequently raised this amount to $300 000. On August 1, 1938 the Board of Trade launched a campaign to raise $15 000 to match what the government was prepared to offer the College. McKenzie was asked to provide Brandon College with $3000 personally. In September of 1938, McKenzie upped his endowment once more to $500 000. The fund raising worked however, and the chater establishing Brandon College Incorporated was assented to on April 17, 1939. On June 6, 1939 a by-law was again presented to the citizens of Brandon, and fortunately it passed.
In 1941, McKenzie received an honorary L.L.D. from the University of Manitoba. The A.E. McKenzie Foundation was created in 1945 by the provincial government, who had assumed 90% of the A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. stock.
On September 25, 1964 McKenzie died at the age of 94. He never retired, but worked full time until two weeks before his death. The funeral was held in the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre. The Arts and Library Building at Brandon College was completed in 1960, and is known as the A.E. McKenzie building, in honour of the man who contributed so much time, effort and financial help to the College during a crucial period in its history.
Custodial History
Records were accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
A.E. McKenizie’s records in the Brandon College fonds are very useful from an administrative point of view. Because McKenzie was so involved in Brandon College from the very beginning until his death in 1964, it is easy to understand how the College Administration arrived at decisions. There is correspondence between McKenzie and various regarding College and Board of Director business. There are Brandon College financial statements and letters regarding the A.E. McKenzie Foundation. The records contain newspaper clippings, pamphlets and lists of names of members of various Brandon organizations. As well, McKenzie has letters regarding Building Expansion in the 1940’s and minutes of Board of Director meetings. There are also several photographs. One photograph is the 1919 graduation picture of Zoe Hough. Another is tentatively identified as Frances Wolverton, also of the Class of 1919. There are two more photographs of unidentified young women.
The program for the McKenzie Centennial Exhibit describes the materials in this sub-series as a "visual collection of artifacts, printed materials and photographs, 1883-1996, celebrating the centennial of A.E. McKenzie Co. Inc."
Created by current employees and based on research by Nancy McLennan, Sandra Head and J. Lasby Lowes, the McKenzie Centennial Exhibit opened on April 25, 1996. It remained open to the public on every Thursday between 2 to 4 p.m. to the end of June, 1996. Some of the furnishings used in the display were contributed by the Daly House Museum. Located in the McKenzie Building, the exhibit was assembled along the corridors of the building. It contained a variety of materials, such as invoices, pay envelopes, blueprints, documents, furniture and photographs from the one hundred years of McKenzie Seeds’ history.
Following the close of the exhibit, a smaller permanent installation was to be constructed at the McKenzie Building.
Custodial History
In the course of preparing the exhibit, Nancy McLennan took documents from the collection, but failed to make a record of where the documents came from. As a result, these materials have been left in the Centennial sub-series. It proved impossible to return them to their original place in the fonds.
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes the individual descriptions of each exhibit printed on small white envelopes, a guide to the exhibit, a photograph listing for photos used in the various displays and the 1973 Directory of Canadian Chartered Accountants. The sub-series also includes intact files for exhibits 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 39 and 40, Wholesale Sales Literature, Steele Briggs Seed Co., Scrimping and Spending Big Time, Seed Wagon, Mostly Catalogue Inserts, Letterhead, and For Your Reading Pleasure, respectively.
In addition, a number of booklets made by the creators of the exhibit are also contained within the sub-series. These booklets are primarily a combination of original and reproduced sales literature and catalogues, but also may or may not contain some correspondence, seed packets, clippings and history for McKenzie Seeds, Pike Seeds/Robertson Seeds, Acquisitions (Steele Briggs, Canada Seeds, Brett-Young Seeds), and McFayden/McConnell.
In addition to the above booklets, there are also materials dealing with the catalogues and sales literature of McKenzie Seed Co. suppliers, such as Bodger Seeds, H. Keft from Holland, the Denholm Seed Company, and the Vis Brothers. A number of documents, programs and booklets relating to the seed industry in general, such as the "Black Leaf" Bulletin and a number of documents relating to agriculture in Manitoba are also included.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
Related Material
Photographs from the Centennial Exhibition of McKenzie Seeds can be found in Series 5 (Photographs), sub-series 5.9 (Centennial Photos).
In 1945 the A. E. McKenzie Trust of 1939, which led to the formation of Brandon College Incorporated, was cancelled. As a result A.E., who was still trying to solve the College's financial problems, set about attaining a special act of legislature that would enable him to transfer 90% of his company's stockholdings to the control of the Province of Manitoba to benefit the College.
See fonds level administrative history description.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes correspondence regarding the McKenzie Foundation between Brandon College Inc., McKenzie Seeds, William Johnson and the Government of Manitoba. It also contains records dealing with Educational Advisory Board. A substantial amount of this correspondence is in regards to the payment of Brandon College Inc. from the McKenzie Foundation. In addition, there is also correspondence generated by the Comptroller-General and Wm. Johnson regarding Foundation Account, as well as some other financial information.
Various documents are also present within the sub-series, including Bill 87, amendments, an authorization provision for variation in agreement and an agreement between McKenzie, Brandon College Inc. and the National Trust. A collection of prepared statements or briefs, many written by A.E. McKenzie regarding the purpose and future of the Foundation are also included.
Information regarding the A.E. McKenzie Foundation can be found in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes), Historical Topics file 1 (Tape 9).
Series 5 (Photographs), oversized drawer #4 contains newspaper clippings dealing with the establishment of the McKenzie Foundation.
Flintstone Hill is located on the north bank of the Souris River. It is a deeply stratified lacustrine, fluvial and aeolian soil profile that has been exposed by the river through stream-bank erosion. This section is thought to be the most complete middle to late Holocene exposure on the northeastern plains. While the value of the site is primarily for paleo-environmental research and reconstruction, cultural deposits have been identified at the site. Local collectors have picked up lithic materials as they eroded out of the bank for the past several decades and it was they who had named the site. Mr. Bruce Timms from Lauder first drew the Flintstone Hill site to the attention of Dr. Nicholson of Brandon University.
During the mid 1990’s to the early 2000’s archaeological testing took place on Flintstone Hill. In 1998, an archaeological field crew dug a series of overlapping trenches down the slope of the profile and produced a schematic drawing. A peat layer at the bottom of this profile, dated from the top at 9,400 RCY and at the bottom to 10,400 RCY, has provided details of marsh plant and insect communities at this time.
Subsequent archaeological investigations at the site recovered several cultural deposits including: a hearth dating to 3250+/-70 R.C.Y. (BETA 109529); a butchered atlas bone 4090+/-70 R.C.Y. (BETA 109990); and bone fragments accompanied by Swan River Chert and Knife River Flint lithic flakes 5350+/-50 (BETA 109530). While no diagnostic tools were recovered, these dates suggest that this occupation, which is contemporary with the Atkinson site, may be a Gowen occupation.
Extensive paleo-environmental research has been conducted at the site. Dr. Running, a geomorphologist from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, participated in the Study of Cultural Adaptations in the Prairie Ecozone (SCAPE) Project and he and his students tested the site for several years. He was joined in this effort by Dr. Havholm, Dr. Boyd, Dr. Wiseman, Dr. Beaudoin, and other SCAPE researchers in the interpretation of the paleo-environment of the Glacial Lake Hind basin. The following article is recommended reading.
Running, Garry L., Karen G. Havholm, Matt Boyd and Dion J. Wiseman
2002 Holocene Stratigraphy and Geomorphology of Flintstone Hill, Lauder Sandhills, Glacial Lake Hind Basin, Southwestern Manitoba. Geographie Physique et Quaternaire
56(2-3):291-303.
Scope and Content
Sub series has been divided into two sub sub series including: (1) Flintstone Hill 1997 (2) Flintstone Hill 1998-2000
This sub-series is artificially created and contains records that did not fit into any of the preceding series or sub-series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
The records in this sub-series concern A.E. McKenzie's personal life. It contains a number of documents created by his father, F. B. McKenzie, including land deeds, financial records, and a grant of probate. The sub-series also includes documents concerning the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Co., the dissolution of partnership between A.E. McKenzie and George. E. McKenzie, the release of F.B. McKenzie's estate to his son and a copy of A.E. McKenzie's mother's last will and testament.
Also included within the sub-series is a file or correspondence between McKenzie and R.B. Dessert, a former employee of McKenzie Seeds who established his own seed company in California after leaving Brandon. The correspondence is almost entirely personal in nature.
Thank you letters regarding Brandon College and scholarships, as well as minutes from meetings of the Education Advisory Board can also be found within the sub-series.
The scrapbooks in this sub-series are fragile, particularly the product book. They must be handled with great care.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of three scrapbooks. Two of the three contain copies of advertisements for a number of businesses, including McKenzie Seeds, Steele Briggs, Patmore's, Rennie's, and McFayden Seeds. Clippings dealing with a variety of other companies in the seed industry are also included. The third scrapbook contains pictures of various flowers, vegetable, herbs and other seed products in alphabetical order. An inventory is available for the third scrapbook.
Notes
Date(s) of creation, including distribution, publication, etc.:
a) [No title] ad book - 1906-1911
b) "Scrap Book" ad book - 1917-1926
c) [No title] product book - c.1903 - c.1940
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
The Lovstrom surface collection came from small fields cleared within, and adjacent to, the major portions of the site which were excavated. The Lovstroms initial collection has since been added to by field personnel from Brandon University. The initial collections consisted of lithics and ceramics. A collection of faunal remains from the cultivated area was made by a Brandon University zooarchaeology class in 1986 which yielded specimens of elk, canid, mussels, and sucker, in addition to an expected abundance of bison. Since these materials were in a surface context, it may be that some of the faunal remains were historic.
The high biodiversity and evidence of pre-Europeon contact prompted the decision to test the Lovstrom locale. Nine 1m2 units were excavated in 1985 and, in 1986, an additional 15 1m2 units were excavated for a total of 24 test units. This testing indicated the presence of a large precontact locale with lithics, woodland ceramics and large amounts of reasonably well-preserved faunal materials.
The lithics indicated a late Prehistoric occupation (Nicholson 1986:35). However, the ceramics were more useful in that they identified the presence of Late Woodland cultures (Blackduck and Duckbay) and a single Middle Missouri vessel. It is believed that the Middle Missouri vessel was imported since the paste and construction/decorative technology differ distinctively from that of all other vessels recovered from the site. It was on the basis of an examination of these surface finds that the decision to test the Lovstrom site was made. These test excavations were conducted during the summers of 1985 and 1986.
Field investigations through shovel tests, excavation units, and examination of rodent mounds, indicated that the cultural deposits at the Lovstrom locale extend approximately 500m north from the edge of the Souris channel and eastward for over two hundred meters from the escarpment along Jock’s Creek. The presence of dense forest vegetation covering much of the locale, and the subsurface nature of the archaeological deposits obscured surface indications.
Radiocarbon dates: Test Unit 4: 1215/320 BP and Test Unit 8 1280/190 BP
Scope and Content
Sub-series has been divided into sub sub series including: Lovstrom survey 1985 and Lovstrom survey 1986
Block A was the most southern site in the locale. The excavation block consisted of 12 contiguous 1m2 units dug in a 3m x 4m rectangle. The block was the least productive of cultural materials, and bone preservation was the poorest. Under the sod, the black loam layer appeared at 5 cm below surface, and the glacial clay at 25 cm below surface. Excavators described the soil matrix as gritty and silty, and it became concrete hard when dried.
The occupation or bone layer extended from 10 to 25 cm below surface and consisted of a contiguous scatter of FCR and unidentifiable large ungulate bone which was heavily processed and intensively scavenged by carnivores. Most cultural materials were recovered within this layer. Fire cracked rock (FCR) and small burnt bone fragments were present but no intact hearths or processing features were evident.
Non-cultural materials included limestone and other natural pebbles derived from the parent till. (These small limestone pebbles were apparent in the occupation layers in other blocks as well). Root and rodent disturbance was extensive throughout Block A. Most units were excavated to gravelly clay till. Nine of the twelve units were dug to level 4b, which ended at 40 cm b.s.
No further excavations were done at this site. No C14 dates were taken.
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.
This sub-series consists of publications that did not fit into any of the preceding series or sub-series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes one copy each of Manitoba Business Top 100 (June 1985), Trade and Commerce Supplement, Brandon (c. 1963) and Manitoba Business (November 1985).
It also includes a Christmas Song book, the book "By Gossip and Myth" by Prof. George MacDowell and a document entitled "Background Information re A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd."
The following newspaper clippings have been located in the map case drawer #4 located in the archives reading room:
1. $175,000 Gift Set for College from City Man
2. McKenzie Will Leaves House to Arts Centre
3. The Old Alma Mater is Down on Her Knees
4. How to Help the Alma Mater
5. Good Things are "growing" on at McKenzie Seeds (ad)
6. Fire fails to halt work at McKenzie Seeds
7. McKenzie Seeds: new facilities are first in North America
8. A full-page advertisment for McKenzie Seeds from "The Brandon Sun" (September 24, 1971)
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
The J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre and the A.E. McKenzie Building were both completed in 1960. The Evans Theatre is named for John Robert Charles Evans, who served as president of Brandon College from 1928 to 1959. The A.E. McKenzie Building was originally the Library and Arts building, and was named for A.E. McKenzie, a local businessman and supporter of the College. The George T. Richardson Centre, which includes the Evans Theatre and the John E. Robbins Library, was completed in 1993.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of photographs of the A.E. McKenzie Building, the George T. Richardson Centre, the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre, the John E. Robbins Library and the link between the Evans Theatre and the McKenzie Building.
Radiocarbon date reports have been scanned in multi-page PDF files.
History / Biographical
The North Lauder locale has a long archaeological and geological history that is important for understanding the forces that shaped the region. Archaeological research in the locale shows that the area has been occupied by humans for at least the past 6,500 years. Environmental forces provided an area of diverse resources that attracted early peoples.
Archaeologists from Brandon University have been conducting research in the North Lauder locale that has focused on the Atkinson site, a 6,500 year old hunter-gatherer site and Flintstone Hill.
The geomorphology of the glacial Lake Hind Basin over the past 11,000 years is known primarily through the study of a cut bank along the Souris River. Flintstone Hill contains the most complete stratigraphic record for the post-glacial period on the northern plains. The site has been extensively studied by geoarchaeologists, geologists and paleoenvironmentalists over many years and their findings have contributed to our understanding of the region.
Radiocarbon dates were obtained from the Atkinson site and Flintstone Hill.
Radiocarbon dating
The technique of radiocarbon dating was developed by Willard Libby and his colleagues at the University of Chicago in 1949.
Radiocarbon dating is used to estimate the age of organic remains from archaeological sites. Organic matter has a radioactive form of carbon (C14) that begins to decay upon death. C14 decays at a steady, known rate of a half life of 5,730 years. The technique is useful for material up to 50,000 years. Fluctuations of C14 in the atmosphere can affect results so dates are calibrated against dendrochronology. Radiocarbon dates are calibrated to calendar years.
Dates are reported in radiocarbon years or Before Present. Before Present refers to dates before 1950. The introduction of massive amounts of C14, due to atomic bomb and surface testing of atomic weapons, has widely increased the standard deviation on all dates after A.D. 1700 causing these dates to be unreliable.
Accelerated mass spectrometry can more accurately measure C14 with smaller samples and can date materials to 80,000 years.
Scope and Content
Sub sub series contains radiocarbon dates from: the Atkinson site and Flintstone Hill.
The vegetation in block H is similar to other areas in the locale with an open oak forest with a light understory of saskatoon, hazelnut, poison ivy and sarsaparilla.
The excavations of the eight 1m2 units in 1988 resulted in the recovery of over 650 ceramic fragments including 20 rim sherds from at least four vessels, a grooved maul, fire-cracked rock, lithic debitage and a reworked Avonlea projectile point. A large amount of bison bone, including a number of axial elements and a fragmented skull were also recovered.
Based on the 1988 recoveries at the site further excavations took place in 1991. Nine excavation units were opened next to the previous excavations. Another 250 ceramic sherds were recovered in 1991. Nine vessels have been identified based on rim sherds. Vickers Focus and Woodland vessels have been identified and two vessels similar to Scattered Village Complex were recovered.
The lithic material assemblage is intermediate between Blocks G and E with KRF being the most frequent material category followed by local cherts.
Two features, a hearth and a curvilinear arrangement of rock were recovered. The high numbers of ceramic fragments suggests a habitation area, rather than hunting or butchering behavior. However, the separation of occupations at the site is difficult to establish and there may be different uses of the site by successive occupations.
Radiocarbon dates from this block indicate two occupations separated in time by some 300 years. XU 181 – 405/110 BP and XU 184 – 780/110 BP.
Scope and Content
Sub-series has been divided into sub sub series including: Lovstrom Block H 1988 and Lovstrom Block H 1991.
Block B consisted of 20 contiguous 1m2 units excavated to 30 cm below surface. (except unit 58 which was excavated to 35 cm bs to obtain extended soil profile). The block is situated in recent oak and poplar forest at the head of a ravine leading to Jock’s Creek, adjacent to an area cleared for market gardening. As was the case with Block A, the understory is heavily overgrown with hazelnut, chokecherry, saskatoon, and a poison ivy/sarsaparilla ground cover.
The soil levels below the sod in Block B consisted of a black, silty, and gritty loam layer from 5 cm to 23 cm below surface, a yellow and sandy clay from 23 cm to 30 cm below surface, and glacial till at 30 cm below surface. As in Block A, limestone cobbles were found throughout the occupation level around the bone. It is evident that bioturbation – primarily tree roots and rodent burrowing – have significantly altered patterns of original deposition of lithics, ceramics and small bone.
The faunal layer lay close to the surface, situated entirely in the black loam 5 cm – 23 cm below surface. The 23 cm depth also marked the end of the dark silty loam. At 10 cm below surface, a discernible patterning of the bone appeared. Concentrations of bone in narrow rows ran in an irregular pattern from the northwest to the southeast part of the block. This pattern was most apparent in the north end of the block which is the highest point in the block. In the same 1m2 unit, patches of weathered, very poorly preserved bone would be found lying close to patches of well preserved bone. It is believed that this variability in preservation results from uneven rates of burial due to taphic activities of pocket gophers or other agents of bioturbation. The same pattern of uneven preservation occurs over much of the locale but is most evident in Block B.
Diagnostic lithics included eleven projectile points that were predominantly Plains or Prairie Side-notch types, but included two unnotched triangular points. Cord-wrapped impressed rim sherds and body sherds were recovered. The ceramics are variants of the Woodland Blackduck horizon.
RC dates: XU49 – 675/80 BP XU 59 – 705/75BP.
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.
