Archaeology in Newfoundland and Labrador 1997
Edited by K. Nelmes
A Stage 1 Historic Resources Overview Assessment of the Proposed Waterline from Rattling Brook Big Pond to Highway 101
Sylvie LeBlanc
Introductory Statement
This report presents the results of a Stage 1 Historic Resources Overview Assessment. The study involved a 10 metre corridor approximately 3 kilometres in length between Rattling Brook Big Pond and Highway 101 approximately 7 kilometres from the junction with Highway 202.
The objectives of this study were to determine the presence of any historic/archaeological resources in the study area and to make appropriate recommendations for mitigation of any resources discovered.
Background research was conducted between July 3 and 10, 1997. Fieldwork was conducted on July 12 and 13, 1997.
The format of this report follows that recommended by the Culture and Heritage Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, dated January 21, 1992.
Methodology
The methods employed in this study were those recommended by the Culture and Heritage Division and are in keeping with current practice in Canadian archaeology.
Topographic maps and site records maintained by the Cultural Heritage Division were inspected to determine whether known sites existed in the study area. A larger regional survey of recorded sites was then conducted to determine what cultural groups occupied adjacent areas and what the possibility of their presence in the study area might be, with the results as indicated below.
An interview was conducted with one outdoorsman familiar with the area through his hunting and sport fishing activities.
Finally, a walking survey of the proposed corridor was conducted. Test pits were few, since virtually the entire corridor is either bog or boulder field. Test pits and temporary removal of vegetation along the shore of Rattling Brook Big Pond revealed no trace of occupation.
Results
The results of all aspects of this study were entirely negative. No archaeological sites are reported from within the actual study area. Although a number of archaeological sites are known from the coasts and islands of Trinity and Placentia Bays, only one interior site, Russell’s Point on Dildo Pond, is even remotely close to the study area. Access to Dildo Pond from Trinity Bay is only a short distance overland in contrast to the distance that must be traversed to reach Rattling Brook Big Pond.
Background Research
Sites reported from areas adjacent to the study area in Trinity and Placentia Bays are listed briefly below. All data are from published sources as cited or the Archaeological Site Record data base maintained by the Culture and Heritage Division.
| Map Reference: 1N/12 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CjAj-1 | Hopeall Head | Dorset Eskimo | Don Locke collection |
| CjAj-2 | Dildo Island | Dorset Eskimo | LeBlanc 1997 |
| CjAj-3 | Anderson’s Cove | Maritime Archaic | |
| CjAk-1 | Collier Bay | Maritime Archaic | |
| CjAk-2 | Thornlea | Maritime Archaic | |
| Map Reference: 1N/13 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ClAl-1 | Frenchman’s Island | Dorset/Recent Indian | Evans 1980, 1982 |
| ClAl-2 | Come By Chance River | 19th C. European | Gilbert 1995 |
| ClAl-3 | Little Mosquito Cove | unknown | |
| CkAl-1 | Come By Chance | unknown prehistoric | Linnamae 1971 |
| CkAl-2 | Arnold’s Cove | unknown prehistoric | artifact at the Newfoundland Museum |
| CkAl-3 | Stock Cove | Dorset/Recent Indian | Robbins 1992 |
| CkAl-4 | Sampson Head Cove | Maritime Archaic/Palaeo-Eskimo/Recent Indian | |
| CkAl-5 | Peddle’s Cove | 19th C. European | Thomson 1990 |
| CkAl-6 | Bob Peddle’s Cove | 19th C. European | Thomson 1990 |
| CkAl-7 | Great Mosquito Cove | 19th C. European | Thomson 1990 |
| CkAl-8 | Crout site | Recent Indian/Palaeo-Eskimo | Thomson 1990 |
| CkAl-9 | Crossing Pond | Middle Dorset | |
| Map Reference: 1N/5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ChAl-2 | Placentia Cemetery | European | |
| ChAl-3 | Argentia Harbour | unidentified | |
| CiAj-1 | Russell’s Point | Recent Indian | Gilbert and Reynolds 1989 |
Except for the Russell’s Point site, all known archaeological sites are located on the coasts of Trinity or Placentia Bays. Although considerably more survey has been conducted in coastal areas than in the interior, surveys on the shores of Dildo Pond revealed only the single site at Russell’s Point, a fact that leads to the conclusion that coastal occupation was much more intense than that on the interior.
The best known cultural groups to occupy the areas adjacent to the study area are Recent Indian/Beothuk peoples (A.D. 1200-1650[?]) and Dorset people of the Late Palaeo-Eskimo tradition (ca. AD 500 to 900). A few small Maritime Archaic sites (ca. 4000-3500 BP) are reported, but, thus far, the Maritime Archaic occupation of the area seems light by comparison to other groups. There is also slight evidence for the presence of early Palaeo-Eskimo people (3000 to 2100 BP) particularly at Dildo Island and Frenchman’s Island. At the latter site a small collection of exquisitely-fashioned stone tools and weapons indicated the presence of people of the Shallow Bay complex.
Informant Interview
Our informant, of Chapel Arm, Newfoundland, was interviewed with regard to the possibility of any historic resources in the study area. He has hunted and fished in the area for decades and reports that neither he, nor any of his companions has noticed any trace of prehistoric or other archaeological remains in the area.
Preliminary Field Reconnaissance
Except for the remains of a very recent campfire, probably no more than a few months old, located near the shore of Rattling Brook Big Pond, no evidence of occupation was found. Test-pitting was unrewarding since the entire area consists of bog or small lichen-covered boulder fields. Test pits in the bog confirmed that no cultural layers exist beneath the peat and vegetation; scraping the lichen from boulder field areas produced the same results.
All lines of evidence point to the study area as one far less than suitable for human habitation. Resources in the immediate area appear scarce. There are no obvious lookouts or features that might have directed caribou towards hunters. Native trout are unlikely to have been an important food resource to prehistoric peoples. The coastal distribution of known archaeological sites supports this hypothesis of low archaeological potential for the study area.
Evaluation And Discussion
No archaeological sites were discovered in the small study area; those in adjacent areas are either coastal locations or, in the case of Russell’s Point, located on a prominent point of land on a large inner body of water with easy access from the coast. From this study, there appear to be no significant gaps in our knowledge of the study area. The study also leads to the conclusion that it is unlikely that archaeological sites will be found in the study area. Therefore the potential significance of archaeological resources in the study area is nil and no mitigation measures are necessary.
Recommendations
The preferred project alternative for the process waterline is that discussed in this report. The study demonstrates that no further research is necessary.
References Cited
Evans, Clifford 0.
1981 – “1980 Field Report of Frenchman’s Island Project,” in Archaeology in Newfoundland and Labrador 1980, J. S. Thomson and B. Ransom, eds. pp. 88-94. Historic Resources Division, Department of Culture, Recreation and Youth. St. John’s.
1982 – “Frenchman’s Island Site (ClAl-1) Preliminary Field Report,” in Archaeology in Newfoundland and Labrador 1981, J. S. Thomson and C. Thomson, eds., pp. 210-225. Historic Resources Division, Department of Culture, Recreation and Youth, St. John’s.
Gilbert, W.
1995 – “Russell’s Point, 1994: a Report on the Russell’s Point Archaeology Project, July 4 to November 18, 1994.” Report on file at the Culture and Heritage Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, St. John’s.
Gilbert, W. and K. Reynolds
1989 – “A Report of an Archaeological Survey: The Come by Chance River and Dildo Pond.” Report on file at the Cultural Heritage Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, St. John’s.
LeBlanc, Sylvie
1997 – “Dildo Island Archaeological Project: the Dorset Occupation of Dildo Island, Preliminary Field Report: 1996.” Report on file at the Culture and Heritage Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, St. John’s.
Linnamae, Urve
1971 – “Preliminary Report of an Archaeological Survey of Placentia Bay, Newfoundland.” Manuscript on file at the Archaeological Survey of Canada, Ottawa.
Robbins, Douglas T.
1982 – “Preliminary Report on the Stock Cove Site (CkAl-3),” in Archaeology in Newfoundland and Labrador 1981, J. S. Thomson and C. Thomson, eds., pp. 190-209. Historic Resources Division, Department of Culture, Recreation and Youth, St. John’s.
Thomson, J. Callum
1990 – “Report of a Terrestrial Archaeological Survey of Great Mosquito Cove, Bull Arm, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland.” Unpublished report submitted to Mobil Oil Properties, St. John’s, Newfoundland. Copy on file at the Culture and Heritage Division, Department of Tourism, Culture, and Recreation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s.