I. Introduction
Just north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Wanus kewin Heritage Park provides a window into the past of the plains. For the past 30 some years, there have been continual excavations done and several archaeological discoveries made on this land. Since 2010, Wolf Willow with a Borden designation of FbNp-26 has been the site of the excavations, where a ten metre by eleven-metre hole was dug and methodically excavated by archaeology students from the University of Saskatchewan. This report will highlight the seventh and final year of exaction at Wolf Willow FbNp-26, focusing in on the finds of unit 26S 16E.
The summer field school from the department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Saskatchewan runs for six weeks through May and June and is a primary source of excavators for archaeology at Wanuskewin. Lead by Dr. Ernie Walker, with the help of Dr. Glenn Stuart and Devon Lawson, students applied the knowledge of the land from previous years’ excavations to their own to better interpret the past events, both geological and cultural. Artifacts discovered at this site range from 500 to 4000 years old, divided into cultural levels and groups. Cultural level one (C1) is known as Plains Side Notched and dates to approximately 500 years ago. Following that is cultural level two (C2), known as Prairie Side-Notched, from approximately 1000 years ago. McKean complex makes up cultural level three (C3), which dates to 3000 years ago. The last cultural level at Wolf Willow FbNp-26 is known as Oxbow culture, making up cultural level four (C4) at 4000 years ago. In this final year of digging at Wolf Willow FbNp-26, an additional row of ten one metre units was added, which is the location of unit 26S 16E. II. Environment and Geology Wanuskewin Heritage Park is located in the Opimihaw Creek Valley, just five minutes north of Saskatoon, connecting into the South Saskatchewan River. As it was formed when the glaciers covering the majority of North America began to recede 12,000 years ago, the Opimihaw valley and resulting aquatic bodies remained on the prairies. Over thousands of years, erosion, mass wasting, and other geological events gave the valley its shape, which was ideal for the habitation of many organisms, both faunal and floral. Glacial lake turned into a flowing river, growing and meandering as the geology and geography of this land evolved. This valley became ideal for living due to its sources of food, water, and shelter. The mass wasting events produced many large, flat areas where trees could also grow, making it ideal for campsites as it was sheltered by the valley. At the same time, large cliffs had been left without slumping, making them ideal for bison jumps which were a primary source of food for people on the plains, while the creek running through the valley provided a source of water. With all of these resources immediately around the Wolf Willow FbNp-26 site, it makes sense that this valley was so frequently inhabited for close to six thousand years. The geology of the 2016 excavation proved more complex than initially thought, with mixed strata and inconsistent matrixes for the cultural levels. It was different than that of the previous year’s excavations and therefore raised many questions. The previous excavations showed clear evidence of the nearby creek once running through the site, from the southwest to the northeast, as a gravel lens was deposited. …show more content…
This level was within the tan sandy silt matrix that started to appear towards the bottom of C2. Starting at approximately 31 centimetres and disappearing at 39 centimetres depth, C3 had 20 artifacts in this small layer of space. Faunal remains consisted primarily of bone fragments from long bones, with notable artifacts being a scapula fragment (#127) and the distal end of a tibia (#122). Many carpals and tarsals were found in this level. The number of lithic remains was much greater at this level compared to the very slight amount in previous cultural levels. Finds include an exhausted core fragment (#115) and a spall (#118) of Swan River chert, as well as flakes and fragments of shatter. The only other material found at this depth was quartzite, and only shatter was found, no core or anything larger than a
Just north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Wanus kewin Heritage Park provides a window into the past of the plains. For the past 30 some years, there have been continual excavations done and several archaeological discoveries made on this land. Since 2010, Wolf Willow with a Borden designation of FbNp-26 has been the site of the excavations, where a ten metre by eleven-metre hole was dug and methodically excavated by archaeology students from the University of Saskatchewan. This report will highlight the seventh and final year of exaction at Wolf Willow FbNp-26, focusing in on the finds of unit 26S 16E.
The summer field school from the department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Saskatchewan runs for six weeks through May and June and is a primary source of excavators for archaeology at Wanuskewin. Lead by Dr. Ernie Walker, with the help of Dr. Glenn Stuart and Devon Lawson, students applied the knowledge of the land from previous years’ excavations to their own to better interpret the past events, both geological and cultural. Artifacts discovered at this site range from 500 to 4000 years old, divided into cultural levels and groups. Cultural level one (C1) is known as Plains Side Notched and dates to approximately 500 years ago. Following that is cultural level two (C2), known as Prairie Side-Notched, from approximately 1000 years ago. McKean complex makes up cultural level three (C3), which dates to 3000 years ago. The last cultural level at Wolf Willow FbNp-26 is known as Oxbow culture, making up cultural level four (C4) at 4000 years ago. In this final year of digging at Wolf Willow FbNp-26, an additional row of ten one metre units was added, which is the location of unit 26S 16E. II. Environment and Geology Wanuskewin Heritage Park is located in the Opimihaw Creek Valley, just five minutes north of Saskatoon, connecting into the South Saskatchewan River. As it was formed when the glaciers covering the majority of North America began to recede 12,000 years ago, the Opimihaw valley and resulting aquatic bodies remained on the prairies. Over thousands of years, erosion, mass wasting, and other geological events gave the valley its shape, which was ideal for the habitation of many organisms, both faunal and floral. Glacial lake turned into a flowing river, growing and meandering as the geology and geography of this land evolved. This valley became ideal for living due to its sources of food, water, and shelter. The mass wasting events produced many large, flat areas where trees could also grow, making it ideal for campsites as it was sheltered by the valley. At the same time, large cliffs had been left without slumping, making them ideal for bison jumps which were a primary source of food for people on the plains, while the creek running through the valley provided a source of water. With all of these resources immediately around the Wolf Willow FbNp-26 site, it makes sense that this valley was so frequently inhabited for close to six thousand years. The geology of the 2016 excavation proved more complex than initially thought, with mixed strata and inconsistent matrixes for the cultural levels. It was different than that of the previous year’s excavations and therefore raised many questions. The previous excavations showed clear evidence of the nearby creek once running through the site, from the southwest to the northeast, as a gravel lens was deposited. …show more content…
This level was within the tan sandy silt matrix that started to appear towards the bottom of C2. Starting at approximately 31 centimetres and disappearing at 39 centimetres depth, C3 had 20 artifacts in this small layer of space. Faunal remains consisted primarily of bone fragments from long bones, with notable artifacts being a scapula fragment (#127) and the distal end of a tibia (#122). Many carpals and tarsals were found in this level. The number of lithic remains was much greater at this level compared to the very slight amount in previous cultural levels. Finds include an exhausted core fragment (#115) and a spall (#118) of Swan River chert, as well as flakes and fragments of shatter. The only other material found at this depth was quartzite, and only shatter was found, no core or anything larger than a