This unit showed considerable disturbance, 3-4 different layers of fill descended to 30cm in depth. Most items within the fill layers consisted of bottle caps, nails, glass, PVC piping, and other mid-20th century debris. It is important to note extensive disturbance where a bottle cap was found below the cultural layer and below the TD pipe bowl (cat. no 97-10). Only 2 noteworthy artifacts were recovered from the cultural layer, a kaolin pipe bowl and an early historic glass fragment.
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Located at the southwest corner of the monument, this square was excavated to follow the increasing cultural layer from 487/195, and 487/194. Again, there was indication of high disturbance but in this case there seemed to be a very fine sand fill which dominated the square. There appeared to be 2 cultural layers, one 10cm deep, and a second, more dominant layer at the 30-40cm depth. The south wall profile indicates the absence of the dominant cultural layer to the west (so looking south, the layer disappears to the right). A large stone (40cm in diameter) was within the cultural layer 30cm deep, most likely from the monument. Further research into the placement of the monument and its construction is required to understand the disturbance that has taken place.
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Pertinent artifacts found included a piece of Native copper, and small pottery fragments, all of which were recovered in upper layers with historic debris beneath.
Located just east of the monument, this unit revealed an assortment of items. Feature #1 was designated within this unit at the 15-20cm level. This feature contained a hard clay layer, (medium to dark grey), burnt wood, fire-cracked rock and wattle and daub fragments. Stratigraphy consisted of a fill layer down to 10cm, a substantial, thick and uniform cultural layer from 10-20 cm, with clay intrusions intersecting the cultural layer at 15cm. The north profile shows the cultural layer dipping down and to the west to 50 cm. This is most likely caused from an animal burrow. Significant artifacts included 2 kaoline pipe bowl fragments. Large quantities of daub and pottery sherds were also recovered. Despite fill layers, this square proved to be "relatively" undisturbed.
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This unit produced a large assortment of materials, with minor indication of disturbance within its stratigraphy. Nodules of what appear to be dried or thermally altered red ochre (cat. no.97-80) were recovered, and pottery fragments appeared in level 1, and 2. Signs of possible disturbance included historic fill debris in underlying layers. Level two contained more pieces of pottery, thicker in width and some with decorations. Disturbance is noted, due to historic glass underneath the sherds, at the same level as kaolin pipe fragments.
A high concentration of metal was recovered down to 25cm. Disturbance was noted, as prehistoric pottery extracted at the12cm depth was mixed with bottle caps and glass. Large amounts of what appear to be fire-cracked rock were found but are most likely monument stone in the upper layers, and possibly fire-cracked rock in the cultural layer from 20 to 40cm. Also, some mottling was recorded, however this unit did contain a distinct, thick cultural layer. Several flakes of quartz came from all layers within this unit and may represent a possible tool making area.
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Located just SE of the monument, significant disturbance was noted from 0-25 cm. Large gneiss rocks were noted, with a cement fill. Beneath this disturbed layer, however, was an intact cultural layer containing significant prehistoric artifacts. Continuing on with 486/196, this square had more quartz "microblades" matching in size, and shape of previous finds. Also, an abundance of large daub fragments were recovered from the 30-35 cm depth as well as pottery sherds mixed in the same area. The "monument stones" recede at 25 cm leading into the cultural layer. Two large, uncut stones ranging from 30-40 cm in diameter were
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protruding in the south wall. This will make excavations of 485/194 and 485/193 difficult. However, given the amount of artifacts recovered from unit 486/194, and a distinct cultural layer, future excavations should focus in this area. One decorated pottery sherd came out of the north wall at the 40cm level. It should also be noted that clay intrusions were continuous throughout this square.
Feature 2 was identified in this square with the following description:
"Dark organic soil located extensively throughout square, pottery in 26-32 cm depth, most fired pottery sherds leading into mottled sterile soil. Decorated pottery in north wall 47cm from the west wall, and 40cm depth".
This unit contained significant mottling and disturbance throughout. Only one pertinent artifact, a pipe bowl fragment with some decoration was unearthed. Also, historic metal and debris was scattered throughout the unit. Profiles indicate mottling occurring in the duration of the square with a 1-2cm cultural layer erratically dispersed within parts of the unit. This unit marks the highly disturbed area west of the east-west gridline.
This unit had mottling throughout, mixing 20th century debris (brick, cable wire,) with European historic items such as pipe bowl fragments and stem fragments. The cultural layer diminishes to the east of the squares, around the 198 north-south gridline.
This unit represented a high level of disturbance. No significant cultural layer was discovered, only mottled dark and light soils. Minor fill layers were uncovered within the 0-10cm levels. Artifacts recovered represented modern debris such as glass, and fishing sinkers, however 2 bone buttons were discovered in the 0-10cm level, along with small fragments of refined white earthenware European ceramic.
Cement surrounded most of the square intersecting south and east walls and going down throughout the square. The absence of a cultural layer was not surprising due to the cement structure, which, according to local residents was a children’s merry-go-round or "tilt-a-wirl". No significant artifacts were recovered from this unit.
This unit proved to be rich in both cultural layer and artifacts. The stratigraphy of this unit consisted of a fill layer from 2-10cm in depth, a cultural layer from 10-20 cm increasing toward the monument (or to the west). Clay intrusions were found within the cultural layer. These were not fragments of daub but a dark grey clay that formed its own layer located sporadically throughout the cultural layer. Artifacts represented three periods: 1) modern park debris (paint chips, bottle caps and slag; 2) Euro-Canadian layer at the 11cm depth which produced a kaolin bead manufactured from the stem of a kaolin pipe. Level 2 daub was an unfired light brown while in level 3, the daub appeared to have been fired with some edges charred; 3) Native assemblage (included many quartz flakes, some with an orange mineral impurity (97-46), pottery sherds and red ochre nodules).
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A distinct cultural layer was absent and what remained was of a mottled ( disturbed) nature. Most artifacts were modern debris including various unknown metal fragments, glass, plastic, and slag. Disturbance is noted from kaolin pipe fragments revealed in the top fill layers with modern debris below. Possible prehistoric assemblage includes small fragments of pottery sherds, calcined bone and one fragment of quartz.
It would appear that the amount of artifacts revealed is (of course) highly correlated with the amount of modern disturbance. As suggested throughout this report, it should not be concluded that flooding and eroding from the LaVase River have displaced materials from the North Bank. Areas of disturbance are very evident, however the type of disturbance is not always distinguishable. The following areas of disturbance are recognized from the general area of the 1997 excavations.
1) Creation of the Monument
It is quite evident from excavations that the monument would have been formed in the general area where it is now located from the monument fill unearthed from the units. Hypotheses have been formulated by John Pollock and Michael Barnes, however these have not been further researched. The most likely method of manufacture was to dig a trench where stones may have been placed. This trench seems to circle the area of the monument. Stones would have been cut to create the monument, leaving fragments of unused stone, which were most likely placed in the trench located in unit 486/194 (just southeast of the monument). Also located in that general area was a cement mixture found between cut rocks. The cement is most likely excess mortar, or cement which was used to fuse monument stones together. Obviously, monument builders overestimated the amount of stones needed. This is evident in the large gniess boulders within squares from the southeast to the southwest direction of the monument. ASI (1996) also reported large granite rocks 75cm in maximum length from a trench-like feature located northwest of the monument in unit 491/189.
Whether this trench-like area was prepared before or after completion of the monument is not known. The significance of this description lies in the fact that the monument seems to have been placed in a rich archaeological potential zone, where recoveries would be of importance. However, further research will be conducted before 1998 field excavations to avoid this highly disturbed area and concentrate on the region that may have artifacts in situ.
2) Merry-Go-Round
A cement structure was discovered in unit 486/201. This structure has been poured around an iron ring approximately 10cm in diameter. The cement extends to 120cm at maximum diameter. This is, of course an approximation since the concrete intersects units 485/201, 486/202, and 485/202.
Collaborating reports from excavations since 1995, the following gridline boundaries will be recommended for 1998 excavations.
North Boundary Gridline: 490
South Boundary Gridline: To Riverbank
East Boundary Gridline: 198
West Boundary Gridline: 188
These boundaries give roughly a 75 to 100 square meter area that may be of archaeological significance with minor amounts of disturbance
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