Background Overview

Archaeology is inherently a sampling process of past human behaviour. Not all behaviour leaves either traces of material culture or lasting alteration of the environment that can be directly attributed to that behaviour. Nor do all material culture preserve over extended periods of time. It is rare for organic material to exist in its discarded form once cast aside. Therefore, of all the material culture generated by a peoples’ activities, only the inorganic objects remain for later detection, the rare exceptions being carbonized material or objects deposited in highly acidic (e.g., peat bogs) or anaerobic conditions.

Archaeological sites not only distil the length of human occupation and the various adaptations made to the changing environment (e.g., hunting/gathering to semi-permanent horticulture) through the artefacts recovered and their settlement patterns, but also can yield ecofacts that inform us of the various plant and animal species that were present and exploited at any given time through the past. As such, archaeological sites not only can inform us of how people adapted to a changing environment, but also give evidence of how the environment was changing during those times.

Additionally, cultures will change through a relative environmental stasis due to other forces. As well, cultures can drastically alter the very environment that it is adapted to, and remain relatively culturally constant through this change.

Previous Archaeological Studies

Although D. Boyle and W.J. Wintemberg were conducting archaeology in the Region of Waterloo from the late 1800s, the first archaeological site recorded on rare property was by George MacDonald in 1961. However, MacDonald may never have visited the site as he recorded mostly second hand knowledge. Two sites were recorded by D. Stothers in the early 70s during his survey of the Grand River. Two more sites were discovered in the mid 70s and early 80s during the assessment of the originally planned Cambridge by-pass. All of these sites are located in the agricultural fields on either side of the Grand River.

In 1991 the University of Guelph hired Archaeological Research Associates (ARA) to conduct on archaeological assessment of the entire Cruickston Park farm (Parker 1995). As a result of that assessment, 46 additional sites or isolated artefacts were discovered. Pre-contact Native sites ranged from circa 9500 BP to 800 BP. Three Euro-Canadian sites from the 19th C. were also found. The majority of these sites and findspots were found while visually inspecting ploughed agricultural fields. Only four locations were found while test-pitting. The lands around the Cruickston manor (i.e., 53 acres) and the islands within the Grand River were not archaeologically assessed.

Individual artefact collectors have also over the years recovered artefacts from rare property, primarily from the agriculturally worked lands referred to as the river flats on either side of the Grand River. One such collector – now licensed by the province – is Chris Dalton. His collection also has representative artefacts from the river flats dating from the Early Archaic through to the Late Woodland period.

Beginning in the spring of 2004, the archaeology team began surveying various sections of rare (then Cruickston) on weekends. Disked fields were visually assessed in three to four metre parallel transects. The majority of the assessed fields were located south of Blair Road and on top and south of the slope facing Blair Road. As a result, two projectile points were discovered, one from the field east of the Cruickston stables, and the second from the field east of Cruickston Creek, a Genessee point dating to circa 5000 years BP. Both of these fields had previously yielded isolated artefacts (ARA 1995). A third field, located north of Blair Road and at the far eastern part of rare, yielded a Late Archaic Crawford Knoll point, dating to circa 3000 years BP.

The archaeology team also began test-pitting the terrace located below the cliff faces between the cliffs and flood plain, north of the parking lot at the eastern extremity of the property. Swales between cliff faces were also tested, as were cliff tops where no terrace existed between the cliff and river. This testing occurred approximately one day a week, usually on a weekend. Three university students also test-pitted along this corridor for a week in mid-summer, under the supervision of John MacDonald.

The area test-pitted covered a stretch from approximately the second stream cut north of the eastern parking lot, north and then west to the western portion of the alvar savannah north of the slit barn. As a result of this test-pitting, eighteen artefact locations were discovered, ranging from one artefact to numerous positive test-pits. Only two of the sites could be dated to a particular time period and both are Princess Point, circa 1100 to 1300 years BP. Both of these sites yielded pottery fragments with characteristic cord-wrapped-stick impression decoration. The remaining 16 locations could not be attributed to any specific time periods, other than to pre-contact Native, as no culturally diagnostic artefacts were recovered. Chert debitage from flint knapping activities was the type of artefact most recovered.

Some test-pitting also occurred along the grassy or wooded areas adjacent to the agricultural field and paralleling the Grand and Speed Rivers. Two artefact locations were discovered as a result. Whether these are two discrete sites or simply part of larger known sites were not confirmed.

2005 Survey Results

Compared to 2004 relatively little survey was conducted in 2005. The number of individuals who participated was halved, and the number of days surveying was quartered. As a result only two new sites were discovered, both while test-pitting. Only one agricultural field was systematically surveyed – the field south of Indian Woods – and only its south half.

The first site discovered is located on the alvar savannah north of the slit barn, located on a slight knoll inland from four tightly clustered sites that were discovered in 2004. It consisted of culturally undiagnostic chert flakes. The second site was found while test-pitting the wooded areas around the Springbank house, affectionately known as the piggery, and around Cruickston Creek. Five chert flakes were recovered from a single test-pit beside the creek in an area predominated by boulders. A second visit to Cruickston Creek did not result in any new finds.

Site Test Excavations

Both in 2004 and 2005 a site was test excavated to determine several factors: is the site single or multiple component (i.e., how many different cultures occupied the same locale); how large is the site; what activities were conducted; and, what is the nature of the soil matrix so close to the Grand River. Both sites were located in the alvar savannah north of the slit barn and approximately 60 to 70 metres apart.

The 2004 test excavations were conducted on one of the Princess Point sites located in a small treed and thickly underbrushed area. The site was initially identified by means of test-pits yielding chert flakes and small pottery sherds. A five metre grid was established through the bush with the intent of excavating a one-metre square unit within each five metre block until the entire site area was determined. Each one-metre excavation unit was plotted using triangulation from the five metre grid. Excavated soils were screened through ¼ inch mesh placed over tarpaulins so no soil intermixing would occur. Artifacts from each one-metre unit were bagged together and received a unique mapping designate.

The site appeared to be single component, meaning only one group of people occupied this site. Activity areas are discernable from the materials recovered, not all being manufactured artefacts. The soils represent a typical forest matrix. That is, no significant deposition of flood-borne soils appears to have occurred here.

Two types of non-manufactured objects recovered from the site were of interest. The first was a piece of chert that appeared to have been derived from its source of origin and had not been altered through flint knapping. Could this piece of chert been derived from the rare limestone bedrock? The second objects were conically shaped fossils of various sizes that were found over the site, and at times seemed to be from concentrations. This begs the question, were these fossils naturally deposited or were they collected and brought to the site (i.e., curated) by the site occupants?

The 2005 test excavations occurred on a site located in the open grassed alvar area to the west of the tested Princess Point site. In the week of July 4th four university students were supervised by J. MacDonald. Test-pitting confirmed that there was a tight cluster of artefacts as well as recovering a circa 3200 year old Late Archaic projectile point. A five metre grid was established over the cluster from which one-metre units could be plotted. Three one-metre units were excavated in quads. That is, each quarter area of a one-metre unit was excavated as a separate unit.