Canada / SK / FbNp-17 (Amisk) / NZA-15748

Lab number

NZA-15748

Material dated

bison bone collagen; collagène osseux de bison

Taxa dated

Bison sp. (id. by J.J. Leyden)

Locality

just north of Saskatoon, in the Opimihaw Creek valley, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, South Saskatchewan River, Saskatchewan

Map sheet

73 B/02

Submitter

J.J. Leyden

Date submitted

March 8, 2006

Normalized Age

4358 ± 45

δ¹³C (per mil)

-19.1

Significance

Archaic, Oxbow; Archaïque

Stratigraphic component

Level 5

Context

Level 5, paleosol in loam, 10-15 cm thick, varies 70-95 cm depth

Associated taxa

Mammalia: Bison bison

Additional information

AMS date.

Comments

FbNp-17, Amisk: This site is located on a remnant spur extending into the creek valley from the west. Sedimentation was primarily colluvial, augmented by aeolian deposition. According to Amundson (1986; Amundson and Kelly 1987), a sequence of 12 stratigraphic layers contained seven cultural levels. Level 1 yielded five Plains side-notched points, two Prairie side-notched points, a Plains triangular point, and two Avonlea side-notched points along with three radiocarbon dates. The youngest two are dates on bone (S-2531 and S-2770), and the oldest is on charcoal (S-2537). The variety of point styles and spread of dates indicate that two or more occupations may have been contained in a compressed sequence that could not be separated in excavation. Amundson (1986) suggests that if only two occupations are present they may represent a transition from Avonlea to Prairie side-notched followed by a Plains side-notched component. Without additional data, none of the radiocarbon dates can be definitely associated with a projectile point type. Levels 2 and 3 lacked diagnostic artifacts, but both were dated on bone. The Level 2 date (S-2769) suggests that a substantial temporal hiatus occurs beneath Level 1. The Level 3 date is somewhat older (S-2767). Level 4 yielded six Oxbow points and a date on bone (S-2536). A single Oxbow point was found in Level 5 along with a date on bone (S-2535). No diagnostic artifacts were found in Levels 6 and 7, but each was dated on bone. The Level 6 date (S-2534) has a younger mean than the dates on Levels 4 and 5, but all of them overlap at 2- sigma. The Level 7 date is much older (S-2768) and suggests that a second temporal hiatus occurs near the base of the site deposits. Several years after Amundson's excavations had been back-filled, Abigail Burt opened a test pit farther upslope for the purpose of geomorphological studies. She reached a depth of 2.65 m where a bison radius was recovered, but a date on this bone cannot be directly related to the cultural record. Bison bones from the Oxbow components in Levels 4 and 5 comprised one of seven samples in Leyden's (2004) study of southern Saskatchewan bison palaeoecology. An AMS date acquired by Leyden is slightly older than the Level 5 date and in close agreement with the date resulting from Burt's study.

References

• Leyden, 2004