View east of one of the possible wind turbine farm locations west   of EKATI

Jean Bussey of Points West Heritage Consulting Ltd. has conducted archaeological investigations for BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. (BHPB) in its claim block north of Lac de Gras since 1994. Each year, she has undertaken to provide archaeological potential assessments, complete archaeological inventories, assess and mitigate sites or conduct tours of archaeological resources for interested groups. Archaeological sites located near development areas have been tested and mitigated through systematic data recovery consisting of subsurface excavation and/or surface collection. Sites well removed from such activity areas have been recorded and are periodically revisited, but are otherwise avoided.

The majority of the recorded sites in the BHBP claim block are associated with eskers, but sites are also found on other terrain types, usually near the larger lakes. There are still many portions of the claim block that have not been inventoried because no development or exploration activity has been identified in the vicinity. The majority of the sites near EKATI are best described as lithic scatters, sites that are characterized by unworked flakes of stone and may include an occasional tool. The most common lithic or stone material is quartz, which is found naturally as veins in the bedrock of the Lac de Gras area. Quartz cobbles are also found naturally in the numerous eskers in the claim block and it is suggested that both sources of quartz were used prehistorically for stone tool manufacture.

View west of an exploration location that was examined intensively

A number of the sites in the BHPB claim block have yielded small chert tools suggestive of the Arctic Small Tool tradition, which may date 2500-3500 years before present, but the majority of the archaeological sites probably relate to activities conducted in the last 2500 years. Although most sites are associated with the prehistoric period, a number of traditional use sites have also been identified with the assistance of interested First Nations.

Mistrelle Lockhart, of Points West, and Peter Sangris of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation assisted with the archaeological field work conducted at EKATI in July. The 2006 field investigations involved examination of 16 proposed exploration locations, two potential wind turbine farm localities and three possible options for access routes to an advanced exploration area. Archaeological investigations involved a combination of aerial examination using a helicopter and ground reconnaissance. Areas with moderate or greater archaeological potential were traversed on foot and exposures and bedrock outcrops within the development areas were closely examined. No new archaeological sites were discovered in 2006, but in total there are 199 sites recorded in the BHPB claim block.