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Canada / BC / GdTc-16 (Paul Mason) / SFU-258
- Lab number
- SFU-258
- Material dated
- charcoal; charbon de bois
- Locality
- east side of Skeena River, Kitselas Canyon, 16 km northeast of Terrace, British Columbia
- Map sheet
- 103 I/09
- Date submitted
- July 11, 0096
- Date uploaded
- February 14, 2020
- Measured Age
- 5050 ± 140
- Normalized Age
- 4270 ± 200
- δ13C (per mil)
- -25.0
- Significance
- Gitaus
- Context
- Unit C8, Layer F, 96 cm depth, housefloor excavation #2
- Comments
- GdTc-16, Paul Mason: The occupation history of this multicomponent site begins with the earliest archaeological evidence yet found in the Skeena valley, called the Bornite phase. It is characterized by a developed microcore and microblade industry and the absence of groundstone tools. The Paul Mason site served as a short-term seasonal camp during this phase. During the subsequent Gitaus phase, microblades decline in frequency while a groundstone industry appears. The Paul Mason site functioned as a seasonal camp, probably for summer fishing. The Skeena phase, known from the nearby Gitaus site (GdTc-2), was not identified at Paul Mason. The Paul Mason phase (not identified at the Gitaus site) exhibits a decline in chipped stone tools and increases in groundstone, cobble and flake tools. More important is the first appearance of prepared house floors, marking the beginning of permanent residential structures and the first indication of a winter village in Kitselas Canyon. Most of the 19 dates from the Paul Mason site are assigned to one of these named phases. However, the three youngest dates may represent either contamination by modern charcoal or possibly re-use of the site following the end of the Paul Mason phase.