On a hill top west of Collingwood, archaeologist Shane McCartney is leading a team to find out what was on a rural property before it became a farmer’s field.
More than 100 test squares, placed one metre across, have been excavated by hand. On Tuesday, each shovel full of earth was carefully sifted, as crews searched for small pieces of pottery and stone tools.
“It’s one of the earliest sites of European and Aboriginal contact in this region. So it's giving us further insight into how these people lived, when all that is left is historical record, which is spotty at best,” he says.
Archaeological digs conducted in the area in the past indicated that there was likely something of historical significance. The current survey had to be done before a new home can be built on the property.
Existing archaeological evidence has shown that an Iroquoian tribe, known as the Petun, lived along the escarpment west of Collingwood in the late 1500s. McCartney says differently coloured arrow heads that were found at the site indicate that another tribe may have lived there.
“They could have been the Odowa that were a more mobile hunter/gather group that would go in a seasonal round to exploit resources, in different parts of the province, depending on the season.”
McCartney calls this project one of the most exciting in his career, but this excavation also has special meaning. Vincent Dion-Sioui, who was sent here by the Huron Wendat Band council to observe the dig and ensure the First Nation's interests, says he visualizes his ancestors as tiny fragments of history.
“I try to imagine them living their life, standing up long houses hunting, playing lacrosse in that field over there that what I try to think about.”
This stage of the excavation will be wrapped up this week, but because of the cultural significance of what has been found, archaeologists will be back for a larger dig later this fall.
