A quartz lithic scatter at Kennady Lake.

The Gahcho Kué survey was the sixth year of field inventories, assessments and mitigation undertaken by Callum Thomson on behalf of De Beers Canada Exploration Inc. (DBCE), in advance of their proposed diamond mine development. In 2003, Callum and assistant Henry Basil from Lutsel K'e worked in three areas: the Gerle Sill, where they flagged six previously recorded sites and found three new sites in an area of expanded exploration activity; the Kelvin and Faraday Lakes area, where they revisited two known sites and ensured their continuing stability, walked the proposed 3 km winter access route to this area of intensive exploration drilling, and inspected ten drill sites; and on the East Esker, part of a prominent sand and gravel feature that runs east-west for at least 30 km, south of Gahcho Kué.   Callum and Henry found an additional twelve sites on and adjacent to 5 km of the East Esker, including a major quartz quarry where material was obtained for stone tool-making, and two large workshops where the quartz was manufactured into tools.   This brings to 31 the number of sites found on a 16 km section of the east-west esker, parts of which have been or are planned to be exploited for aggregate, and almost 100 in total around Gahcho Kué.

A cemetery at Drybones Bay.

The preliminary survey of Drybones Bay and parts of the coast and near interior between Wool Bay and Matonabbee Point, southeast of Yellowknife on Great Slave Lake, was conducted under amendment to the permit, by Callum Thomson and Randy Freeman, with leadership and local knowledge provided by elders and youth from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. The objective was to examine the potential for disturbance of sites during continuing mineral exploration and potential development activities, primarily at Wool Bay and Drybones Bay. Sixty-three new sites were added to the previous inventory of five, including precontact stone tool sites and quartz quarries, many sites containing boulder features such as tent rings, hide stretchers and toboggan weights, and a variety of sites from the historic period including four cemeteries, cabins and camps, and fish camps.   The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board is currently examining the potential cumulative effects of mineral exploration on environmental and archaeological resources in this area.