ANTH 3CC6 – Archaeological Field School 2010
Nursery Site, AhGx-8
Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, ON
Instructor: Meghan Burchell
Department of Anthropology
burcheme@mcmaster.ca
905-525-9140 ex. 24356
Cell: 905-520-2190 (emergencies only please)
Field Assistant: TBA
The Archaeological Field School is a unique course that provides hands-on practical
experience in the methods and techniques of archaeological excavation. Following the
legislation set forth by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage in Ontario, this course will
teach students the required elements of archaeological field practice for both professional
(CRM) and research-based archaeology. While most of our time will be spent in the field,
we will also be devoting time to leaning new laboratory practices, analytical techniques
and refining research skills.
Another component of this course will be to challenge previous conceptions about the
practice of archaeology, and to develop a better understanding of how archaeological
narratives are constructed and disseminated to the public.
By the end of the course, students will be fully capable of participating in the full
spectrum of archaeological practice, specifically, survey, mapping, excavation, research,
analysis and report writing.
Structure of the Course
- The course will begin each day at 9am and work will continue to 3:45pm. There is a
morning/afternoon break (15mins) and a lunch break at 12 (1 hour).
- Students are expected to attend daily, be on time, and participate the entire day.
- Weather: We work in the rain but we do not work in the lightening (or if there is
serious potential for lightening). Be prepared to stay warm and dry. If the weather is
very hot and sunny, be prepared with lots of water and sun block.
- Absences for medical reasons will need to be documented with a doctor’s note.
Absences for non-medical/non-emergency reasons will result in deductions from
participation marks.
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Assignments
Introductory Site Report
1st Mapping Assignment
Field Notes
Reading Summaries
Reflection Paper(s)
Preparation and Participation
Database/Catalogue
Test
Auger/Test Pit Lab
Final Report
5%
5%
10%
10%
5%
15%
5%
15%
10%
20%
DUE
May 7
May 12
Submitted each Friday
May 4, 11, 18, 25, June 1
TBA
Cumulative
Cumulative
June 4th
Last day to submit is June 10
TBA
*Specific details for each assignment will be handed out closer to the due date
*Due dates may be changed because of field conditions.
* All assignments are to be formatted with 1” margins, 12pt TNR font with page numbers
in the bottom right corner unless otherwise specified.
- Introductory Site Report
- This will be a writing assignment which will help to refine observation skills at
an archaeological site. A minimum of 1 page, you will be asked to observe your
surroundings and ‘imagine’ how the site would have looked, and what types of
activities could have taken place there based on the report from the 2006
excavations and assigned readings.
- Mapping Assignment
- The site pre-2010 excavation with 2009 and 2006 units identified
- Field Notes
- Each student is required to keep a detailed notebook with the progress of the
excavation and their daily field activities. The notes are to be submitted each
Friday. The grade for the field notes will be based on your own field notebook as
well as the field recording forms.
- Reading Summaries
- Reading assignments will be due throughout the course. Each article summary
should address the main themes of each article and (if possible) how it relates to
the archaeology of the Nursery Site.
- Reflection Papers
- After the field trip(s), you will be asked to write a short 1pg reflection paper that
will address specific issues pertaining to archaeological research, ranging from
field work, conservation, public perceptions of archaeology, and the future of
Ontario archaeology. These assignments can be submitted anytime after the field
trip. The specific details will be discussed closer to when the field trips are
arranged but you will be able to choose which 2 reflections papers you would like
to write about. Potential topics include:
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- The Princess Point Hike
- Woodland Cultural Resource Centre
- London Museum of Archaeology
- Crawford Lake
- Cayuga Archaeology with a CRM firm
*Note, if scheduling and excavation does not allow for field trips, this 5% will be added
onto your final report.
- Preparation and Participation (Excavation techniques)
- Each student is expected to be at the site on time, in proper attire, and conduct
themselves in a manner fitting to archaeological field research. It is required that
each student has their own complete set of field equipment, and that they
contribute equally to the overall success of the field and lab work.
- Database/Catalogue
- You are required to enter your data into the master database and catalogue the
artifacts recovered from you unit, test pits and auger samples.
- Auger Test Pit Lab
- This assignment is based on the results of your test pitting and auger sampling.
- Field Test
- There will be 1 test administered which will test your knowledge and
understanding of the concepts of conducting and excavation, methodologies used
in the field and the lab as well as interpretive questions pertaining to the Nursery
Site. A study guide will be distributed prior to the test.
- Final Report
- Each student is required to submit a final report which details the results of their
excavations, test pitting, auger sampling, etc. It is a synthesis of field notes,
lab assignment, and research. It also includes an MS Excel database which
will be based on the artifacts from your excavation units, test pits and auger
samples. The report will follow the general requirements for a Stage 3
archaeological assessment report as defined by the Ministry of Culture. The
report will include the following information:
1). Cover Page
2). Introduction and Background Research
3). Assessment Methodology
4). Archaeological Findings
5). Graphics
6). Evaluation of Site Significance
7). Report Recommendations
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Costs and Equipment
Each student is responsible for purchasing and maintaining their own field equipment –
This is usually between $30-$50
Required items for Field Kit
1. Marshalltown 45-5 pointing trowel – This will be available for purchase at a discount
cost at 7$ each – please bring cash to Meghan.
2. Plastic dustpan
3. 3-5m metal retractable measuring tape (with metric scale)
4. Line level
5. Sharpie fine point permanent marker
6. Pens, pencils, eraser, 6” ruler
7. Whisk broom
8. Bag (e.g. canvas shoulder bag or a backpack in which to keep/carry gear)
9. Lunch!
10. 1L or more of water per day (Note: a water fountain and toilets are located at the
RBG Nature Interpretive Centre nearby)
11. Comfortable hiking shoes or work boots (Note: steel toe/steel shank work boots are
typically required for Cultural Resource Management projects, but are not officially
required here – keep in mind, though, that you will be kneeling and standing etc. on
sometimes rough terrain, so ankle support is recommended. NO SANDALS!)
12. Waterproof outerwear
13. Binder to keep field notes clean and together (field notes will be taken on 3 hole
punched paper)
14. Lab book/note book for field notes
Recommended items for field kit
1. Gardening or work gloves
2. Insect repellent
3. Sunscreen (the site is largely treeless)
4. Wide-brimmed hat
5. Sunglasses
6. Hand-held root clippers
7. Lip balm
8. Thermos of a hot drink (tea, coffee etc.)
9. Knee pads of some sort (Highly recommended)
Field Trips
We will be taking 2-4 field trips during the course (work permitting):
Woodland Cultural Centre
http://www.woodland-centre.on.ca/library.php
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Crawford Lake – $5.50
http://www.conservationhalton.on.ca/ShowCategory.cfm?subCatID=1083
London Museum of Archaeology -$3.25
http://www.uwo.ca/museum/
Cayuga Archaeological Site
Visiting CRM Company New Directions Archaeology
Car pooling
- It is expected that students who participate in a field school will contribute fairly
towards gas for the driver’s car
Work Expectations
- Students will work in groups of 2 to complete 1-2 full 1x1m excavation units, 4-5 test
pits and 4-5 auger samples.
- Students are expected to work in a professional manner at all times, and contribute
equally to the excavation progress.
- Students who do not act in a responsible manner with regards to health and safety
practices and the integrity of the site will be removed from the field school.
- Smoking: Never at the site and only during designated breaks.
- Garbage disposal – we are required to leave the Nursery Site as we found it, and leave
as little impact as possible. Please consider this when preparing your lunch, and if you
have a lot of garbage, do not dispose of it at the Nursery Site.
Health and Safety
- Field Trip Waiver
- Archaeological Site Waiver
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Closed toed shoes (sandals, heels, etc. are not allowed on site)
- Work gloves
- Hat and sun block
- Long pants are recommended especially for surveying
- Proper work attire (sun protection for your upper body, and pants or long shorts
to protect your legs)
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Reading List – Copies will be available on ELM
Note: not all readings are required, but you may find them helpful for completing
projects throughout the course.
Crawford, Gary, and David Smith
1996 Migration in Prehistory: Princess Point and the Northern Iroquoian Case.
American Antiquity. 782-790.
Crawford, Gary, David Smith and Vandy Bowyer
1997 Dating the entry of corn (Zea mays) into the Lower Great Lakes Region.
American Antiquity. 62(1): 112-119.
Dunnell, Robert
1990 Artifact size and lateral displacement under the tillage: Comments on the Odell
and Cowan experiment. American Antiquity. 55:592-594.
Fox, William
1990 The Middle Woodland to Late Woodland Transition. In: The Archaeology of
Southern Ontario to A.D. 1650. C. Ellis and N. Ferris, Eds. Occasional Papers of the
London Chapter, Ontario Archaeology Society, No. 5. London, Ontario: Ontario
Archaeological Society. Pp. 171-188.
Jones, Eric, E.
2010 An analysis of factors influencing sixteenth and seventeenth century
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) settlement locations. Journal of Anthropological
Archaeology. 29:1-14
Konrad, Victor
1981 An Iroquois Frontier: The North Shore of Lake Ontario during the Late
Seventeenth Century. Journal of Historical Geography. 7(2): 129-144.
Knight, Dean
1984 Test Excavations at the Lilac Garden Site. Unpublished report on file, Ontario
Ministry of Culture. Toronto.
Lee, Gyoung-Ah, Anthony Davis, David Smith, and John McAndrews
2004 Identifying fossil wild rice (Zizania) pollen from Cootes Paradise, Ontario: A
new approach using scanning electron microscopy. Journal of Archaeological Science.
31:411-421.
Martin, Scott
2005 The Archaeology of Rat Island (AhGx-7), Cootes Paradise, Hamilton, Ontario.
Kewa: Newsletter of the London Chapter, Ontario Archaeological Society. 5(3):1-19.
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Martin, Scott
2006 The Nursery (AhGx-8) Site: 2006 Stage 4 Archaeological Field School
Excavations in Cootes Paradise, Hamilton, Ontario. Unpublished report on file.
Programs and Services Branch, Ministry of Culture.
Martin, Scott
2008 Languages past and present: archaeological approaches to the appearance of
Northern Iroquoian speakers in the Lower Great Lakes region of North America.
American Antiquity. 73:441-464.
McPherron, Shannon and Harold Dibble
2002 Mapping Equipment. In: Using Computers in Archaeology: A Practical Guide.
McGraw-Hill Mayfield, Boston. Pp: 30-64.
McPherron, Shannon and Harold Dibble
2002 Setting Up a Site. In: Using Computers in Archaeology: A Practical Guide.
McGraw-Hill Mayfield, Boston. Pp: 65-86.
Navazo, Marta and Carlos Diez
2008 Redistribution of archaeological assemblages in plowzones. Geoarchaeology.
23:323-333.
No Author
1993 Archaeological Assessment Technical Guidelines. Stages 1-3 and Reporting
Format. Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. Cultural Programs Branch.
Archaeology and Heritage Planning.
No Author
2006 Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists. Ministry of Culture,
Tourism and Recreation. Cultural Programs Branch. Archaeology and Heritage
Planning.
Odell, George and Frank Cowan
1987 Estimating tillage effects on artifact distributions. American Antiquity. 52:456484.
Smith, David
1997 Recent Investigation of Late Woodland Occupations at Cootes Paradise, Ontario.
Ontario Archaeology. 63:4-16.
Smith, David and Gary Crawford
1997 Recent developments in the archaeology of the Princess Point Complex in
Southern Ontario. Canadian Journal of Archaeology. 21:9-32.
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Smith, David, Trevor Omerod and Andre Berkeman
1997 Small Princess Point Sites in Cootes Paradise. In: Home is Where the Hearth Is:
The Contribution of Small Sites to our Understanding of Ontario’s Past. J-L. Pilon and
R. Perkins, Eds. Ottawa, Ontario: Ottawa Chapter of the Ontario Archaeological
Society. Pp. 87-96
Spence, Michael, Robert Pihl and Carl Murphy
1990 Cultural Complexes of the Early and Middle Woodland Periods. In: The
Archaeology of Southern Ontario to A.D. 1650. C. Ellis and N. Ferris, Eds. Occasional
Papers of the London Chapter, Ontario Archaeology Society, No. 5. London, Ontario:
Ontario Archaeological Society. Pp. 125-269.
Stothers, David
1977 The Princess Point Complex. Archaeological Survey of Canada, Paper No. 58.
Ottawa: National Museum of Man.
Sullivan, Alan and Kenneth Rozen
1985 Debitage Analysis and Archaeological Interpretation. American Antiquity. 50(4):
755-779.
Walker, Ian, Joseph Desloges, Gary Crawford, and David Smith
1997 Floodplain formation processes and archaeological implications at the Grand
Banks Site, Lower Grand River, Southern Ontario. Geoarchaeology. 1997. 12:865-887.
Warrick, Gary
2000 The Precontact Iroquoian occupation of Southern Ontario. Journal of World
Prehistory. 14(4): 415-466.
Late Assignments
Assignments must be handed in to the instructor by the assigned date. A late penalty of
1% of the course grade per day applies to all assignments. Late assignments will not be
accepted after 7 days (including weekends) unless appropriate documentation is
provided. Please notify the instructor of lateness or any circumstances or situations that
may delay submission as soon as they are known or arise.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic Dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by fraudulent means
and can result in serious consequences (e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, the loss
of credit with a notation on the transcript - such notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for
academic dishonesty” - and/or suspension or expulsion from the university). It is your
responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on
the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy,
specifically Appendix 3, located at:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/policy/AcademicIntegrity.pdf
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The following examples illustrate only three forms of academic dishonesty:
1.Plagiarism (e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other
credit has been obtained).
2. Improper collaboration in group work.
3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the
course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines
for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of
modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with
the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment
on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check his/her
McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any
changes.
Tentative Schedule of Events
- This is conditional upon weather and how the excavation proceeds
* denotes a potential activity
Monday
Office Hours:
Meghan
KTH B128
9-11AM
Shoot-in
excavation Units
Tuesday
1st Day
Meet in lab for
introductory lecture
Early dismissal for
equipment purchase
Wednesday
Meet in KTH B122
Thursday
Meet at RBG
Friday
Mapping Exercise
Intro to mapping and
survey
Survey and Mapping
Exercise
Survey
*Experimental
Archaeology
Go to Site and drop
off equipment
Excavate
Excavate
Excavate
Test Pit
Test Pit
Test Pit
Establish Test-pit
Auger Lines
Lab Day
*Cayuga CRM
Excavate
Excavate
Test Pit
Excavate
Test Pit
Excavate
Test Pit
Test Pit
Excavate
Excavate
Test Pit
Test Pit
Finish up Excavation
and Test Pits
Close Site
*Woodland Cultural
Centre
*London Museum of
Archaeology
Excavate
Lab Day
Test Pit
Excavate
Lab Day
Test Pit
*Crawford Lake
Excavate
Lab Day
Test Pit
Close site/Lab day
Lab work
Research Day
Lab work
Research Day
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