View southeast of area of proposed tailings pond in the NWT.

In August 2006, Jean Bussey of Points West Heritage Consulting Ltd. conducted an archaeological assessment of the proposed North American Tungsten Corporation Ltd. mine, known as the MacTung Project, which is located northwest of Macmillan Pass. The mine is situated near the Yukon/Northwest Territories border and potential development areas were identified on both sides although the ore deposits are in the Yukon. Jean was assisted by Brian Apland, of Points West, and Harold Dick of the Ross River Dena Council. The work was conducted under a Class 1 permit in both territories (Yukon Archaeological Sites Regulations permit 06-01ASR and NWT Archaeologists permit 2006-988).

The 2006 work was intended as a preliminary assessment to determine if more detailed archaeological investigation was required and was originally restricted to the Yukon. Due to terrain constraints, alternate development areas in the NWT were identified and a second permit was applied for. In the Yukon, two possible mill locations, a waste rock dump and a potential tailings pond divided into an upper and lower section were identified. No previous archaeological investigation has been conducted in these areas. In the NWT, an alternate mill location and a single proposed tailings pond were identified. Similar developments in the NWT had previously been examined for archaeological resources with one site, KhTg-1, recorded within the proposed tailings pond.

View northeast of the location of KhTg-1 within the proposed NWT tailings pond.

Prior to conducting any ground reconnaissance, a series of low and slow helicopter overflights were completed. A series of traverses were then walked on landforms judged to have moderate or greater archaeological potential. Most proposed development areas within the Yukon portion of the project were characterized by heavy vegetation cover while some were in disturbed upland areas. Because it is not possible to conduct shovel testing under a Class 1 permit, the objective was to examine natural exposures. No archaeological sites were discovered, but potential for such was identified. The tailings pond in the NWT was also characterized by heavy vegetation cover, but the alternate mill location was in a rugged, upland area that had good exposure. No new archaeological sites were discovered, but previously recorded KhTg-1 was relocated and photographed.

The investigations conducted in 2006 suggest that the Yukon mill location, a few landforms south of the waste rock dump and portions of the upper tailings pond have sufficient archaeological potential to justify additional field investigation. Although some previous archaeological work has been conducted in the NWT portion of the study area, it is not known where testing was undertaken and further investigation is recommended near the proposed tailings pond. During this reconnaissance, the archaeological significance of KhTg-1 should be reassessed.