Bridge project leads to archaeological find

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The details of Saskatchewan's most distant past became a great deal clearer recently, with the discovery by Saskatchewan Highways workers of an amazingly well-preserved archaeological site containing artifacts some 8,000 years old. Uncovered near the small community of St. Louis (roughly halfway between Saskatoon and Prince Albert) during the standard heritage impact assessment that is required prior to any highway or bridge construction, the find has archaeologists, anthropologists and nearby residents buzzing with excitement. One of the oldest archaeological finds ever in the province, the bones, tools and other artifacts of human settlement buried at the site are giving scientists a detailed and unprecedented look into the lives of Saskatchewan's ancient inhabitants.

"They've found bones, tools, remnants of settlements," related Richard John, a council member from the nearby One Arrow First Nation. "It's a very significant find for Saskatchewan's Aboriginal peoples. It shows how our earliest ancestors survived, and made use of the land."

The exciting discovery took place in June of this year, when the site of the future St. Louis bridge was assessed for any cultural or historical significance. Test holes drilled in the area uncovered the remains of tools and bones, and Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation immediately contacted the University of Saskatchewan, and commissioned Saskatoon-based Stantec Consulting to organize a full-scale excavation.

Over the course of the summer, excavators peeled back layer after layer of soil, and uncovered a treasure trove of ancient remains. Dating the site proved that its contents ranged from 5,000 (for the topmost layer) to 8,000 years old (for the most deeply buried items). For comparison, the oldest archaeological discoveries at Saskatoon's Wanuskewin Heritage Park date back only 5,300 years.

Almost as exciting to researchers as the age of the findings was their state. The artifacts were buried in oxygen-deprived, silty soil, which preserved them in excellent condition. Bones still bore the marks of man-made weapons, and tools retained their wear marks.

Of particular interest among the more than 4,000 artifacts and animal bones found were the remains of several bison, including two complete skulls from an extinct species much larger than the modern version; wolf and coyote skeletons, showing that these animals, too, were much larger in ancient times; and relatively untouched campfire, workshop and butchering areas that hint at the existence of relatively permanent and stable settlements.

By extrapolating from the dates of various items, researchers have already drawn a number of tentative conclusions about these earliest residents. The repeated use of the same site over many generations indicates that the area was continuously settled for many centuries. The presence of both bison and wolf bones, and of stone axes and arrowheads, shows that the inhabitants were skilled hunters who defended their settlements against beasts of prey. The more extensive butchering of animals in later times also hints that the food supply may have been dwindling.

Aboriginal people from One Arrow, and other Saskatchewan First Nations gathered at the site on Oct 1 to hold a sweat lodge, coinciding with the end of the excavation period and the covering of the site. The total cost of the excavation was estimated at $120,000, and was paid by Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation.

Providing the most informative data yet on Saskatchewan's first Indigenous people, the artifacts from the St. Louis dig will continue to be studied, to further fill in the tantalizing picture already partially painted.