Canada / NT / OdPc-13 / AA-40859

Lab number

AA-40859

Field number

00-DCA-130e

Material dated

charcoal; charbon de bois

Taxa dated

Picea sp. (28 mg, id. by R.J. Mott)

Locality

Woodward Point, northeast shore of Prince Albert Sound, Victoria Island, Northwest Territories

Map sheet

87 E/9

Submitter

A.S. Dyke and J.M. Savelle

Date submitted

February 22, 2002

Normalized Age

1839 ± 36

δ¹³C (per mil)

-24.5

Significance

Palaeoeskimo; Paléoesquimau

Context

Palaeoeskimo hearth, 7 m asl

Additional information

The sample gave no visible reaction to HCl.

Comments

OdPc-13 (00-DCA-130): This is a large, multicomponent site on several beach levels with both Palaeoeskimo and Neoeskimo features. Three groups of 3, 2, and 1 Palaeoeskimo features, respectively, are located on the 7.5 m beach. Sample 130a, caribou or muskox bone fragments, was collected from a vegetated patch with flagstones near Feature 1, a tent ring with a midpassage (photographed) measuring about 3 x 3 m. Sample 130b is dead tundra plant material and burnt bone fragments from beneath a flagstone in the hearth area of Feature 2, which is a partly overgrown tent ring about 4 x 2 m with a midpassage. Sample 130c is caribou or muskox longbone fragments from a rectangular paved area of about 2.5 x 2 m (Feature 3) and from a vegetated patch in front of it 40 m east of Feature 2 and on the same level. These three features comprise one group. Feature 4 is a Thule-style gravel rim tent ring with a hearth located downslope from the midpoint between features 2 and 3 and at about 7 m elevation. Charcoal (130d) was collected from this hearth. A probable weathered antler arrow head occurs in this feature. Feature 5 is located 50 m downslope from Feature 2 and at 7 m elevation (measured). A concentration of large chert cores and flakes (photographed) are located beside a hearth. Charcoal from the hearth is sample 130e, dated by AA-40859. Feature 6 is an isolated hearth (1.0 x 0.5 m) with two clusters of chert cores and large flakes at 4-4.5 m elevation on medium beach gravel located 10 m from the coastal meadow and about 150 m northeast of Feature 2. Charcoal and burnt bone from this hearth comprise sample 130f, dated by AA-40860. Feature 7 is another isolated hearth 10 m northeast of Feature 6 and at the same elevation. Charcoal sample 130g was collected from this feature at 5-10 cm depth; no chert cores or flakes are associated. A third hearth occurs about 10 m southeast of Feature 7. Feature 8, about 150 m north of Feature 7 and about 0.25 m lower in elevation, is also an isolated hearth (about 1.0 x 0.5 m). Charcoal collected between two hearth floorstones (photographed) is sample 130h, dated by AA-41504. Small scraps of driftwood occur near this hearth. Feature 9, about 25 m north of Feature 8 and at the same elevation, is a Thule-style light tent ring with interior three-sided hearth (photographed). Charcoal from this hearth is sample 130j. The tent ring is about 2.5 x 3 m. Small pieces of driftwood are scattered around it. Feature 10 is a gravel rim tent ring (about 3.5 x 3 m) with a hearth about 75 m northwest of Feature 7 and about 1 m higher (5-5.5 m). Caribou or muskox longbone fragments were collected from this feature (130k).

References

• Savelle and Dyke, 2002