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Frank and James conducting
systematic surface collection at LcNs-138
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Jean Bussey of Points West Heritage Consulting Ltd. directed
archaeological investigations for a Joint Venture Project
involving the Tibbitt to Contwoyto (formerly the Lupin) winter
road. This was a continuation of work initiated in 2001. Robert
Lackowicz, representing Points West, and Frank Basil (Lutsel
K’e First Nation) and James Lafferty (North Slave Metis
Alliance) assisted with field investigations. The fieldwork
consisted of a combination of monitoring, site protection,
site testing and mitigation. In 2001, 55 new archaeological
sites were recorded and 14 previously recorded sites were
revisited. Six of these sites are in Nunavut and the remainder
are in the NWT. In 2002, a number of the sites and portages
were viewed during tours conducted with elders. The first
tour involved elders from Lutsel K’e, Madelaine Drybones
and August Enzoe, along with their researcher, Nancy Casaway.
The second tour involved Inuit elders, Tom Kopak and Walter
Bolt, along with their researcher Amanda Niptanatiak. LhNr-3,
LhNr-5 and LhNr-6 in Nunavut were revisited in company with
Jack Kaniak of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association and Chris Hanks
of BHP Billiton, one of the Joint Venture partners.
Monitoring involved revisiting all sites within 30 m of winter
road related development activities and some of those between
30 and 100 m of such activity. In addition, a number of the
sites located more than 100 m from development areas were
either revisited or examined from the air to confirm their
condition. No new disturbances were identified at any of the
sites in the vicinity of the Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road.
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| Rob and Frank excavating
a subsurface test at LcNs-138 |
It was determined during analysis of the data collected in
2001 that 13 intact archaeological sites were within 30 meters
of existing disturbances associated with the winter road.
Markers consisting of rebar and/or wooden survey stakes were
erected at four of these sites to ensure that road related
activities would not impact sites during the winter of 2002-2003:
KjPa-1, KkNv-9, LcNs-140 and LhNr-5. In addition, a fifth
site located more than 30 m from disturbances associated with
a small gravel pit was partially staked in the event that
expansion of this borrow area is required in the future. This
protection measure was selected over more permanent forms
of barriers because of the isolated locations of these sites.
Investigations at LcNs-133 and KkNv-12 were limited to additional
surface examination since the former had been previously mitigated
and there was no evidence of archaeological material at the
latter. Subsurface testing was conducted at eight sites near
the winter road, including one of the staked sites: LcNs-137,
LcNs-138, LcNs-139, LcNs-140, LcNs-141, LcNs-142, LcNs-145
and LeNs-27. Sparse quantities of buried cultural material
were noted at LcNs-137 and LcNs-142 and more substantial buried
deposits were evident at LcNs-138 and LcNs-139. No buried
archaeological material was encountered in the testing at
LcNs-140, LcNs-141 and LcNs-145. Systematic surface collection
was undertaken at all, but two sites. LcNs-145 was not collected
since it is no longer threatened now that the gravel pit it
is located adjacent to has been abandoned. LcNs-139 was judged
to be too large and too complex to adequately mitigate through
testing and surface collection. LeNs-27 is larger than originally
identified and limited surface collection was undertaken,
along with subsurface testing, but only the portion near the
roadwork area was adequately mitigated; other intact portions
are sufficiently distant. Avoidance of LcNs-138, LcNs-139,
LcNs-140, LcNs-145 and LeNs-27 is the preferred alternate
and has been recommended. It was not feasible to stake most
of these sites, but their locations have been recorded and
will be identified to those involved in road planning. LcNs-137,
LcNs-141 and LcNc-142 have been adequately mitigated through
a combination of surface collection and subsurface testing
and no further archaeological investigation is required.
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