Page 2
third square to be dug in the Charlie Site talus slope and the fifth
to be excavated at the site. It was placed eight meters westwards from
the previous pits dug on the talus slope. The other two 1 x 1s were excavated
in 1994 directly under the 2 meter high ridge which runs along the top
of the site. Eskimo and Indian visitors to the Charlie Site hammered chunks
of rhyolite from this ridge and subsequently chipped it into smaller,
more portable sized fragments for export to other sites. The long term
usage of the Charlie site has produced 2500 square meter talus slope which,
based on BHF archaeological excavations, contains approximately 2000 cubic
meters of byproducts of the preliminary stages of stone tool manufacture.
Analysis of the 1997 Charlie Site data is ongoing and cataloguing of artifacts
will be completed during the summer of 1998, meaning that the total number
of items should reach well over 2400. Preliminary results corroborates
previous conclusions about Charlie Site activities, suggesting that raw
material removed from the bedrock ridge was subsequently carried a few
meters into the open air of the slope where it was chipped into desired
shapes. This conclusion is based on bifaces from talus slope squares compared
to the two unites from under the bedrock ridge.
Bashed flakes, variably-sized pieces of rhyolite concentrated chipping
caused by extensive hammering, were the most common artifacts from N4
W8. Once again, this is similar to other excavated parts of the Charlie
Site and is attributable to the initial removal of bedrock fragments and
their immediate reduction into smaller pieces.
Other Bloody Bay Cove Data From 1997
Construction of wooden steps, a boardwalk and a bridge along the Bloody
Bay Cove hiking trail in 1997 required constant archaeological monitoring
to insure that archaeological resources were not damaged. Excavation of
a number of post holes to help stabilize the bridge and steep steps at
the Howard Site produced a few rhyolite artifacts similar to others from
the Bloody Bay Cove quarry. These artifacts showed that the Howard site
was much bigger than previously had been considered and raised interesting
new questions pertaining to this site's function. It is well-removed from
the quarry's bedrock sources and is also 200 meters inland from the coastline
where workshops associated with the quarry have been found. One possible
explanation for the Howard Site suggests that it is a very old occupation
whose nature is now masked by changes in topography, including a dense
boreal forest cover.
Bloody Bay Cove - 1 is another site on the shoreline of Bloody Bay Cove
away from the rhyolite bedrock. It was the first site discovered in 1970
when Burnside resident Wayne Oldford showed archaeologist Paul Carignan
where he had seen stone artifacts eroding from a low bank in Bloody Bay
Cove. The site is still eroding and BHF archaeological teams regularly
stop there to collect interesting objects that will otherwise be lost
to natural forces or amateur collectors. 37 artifacts were collected in
1997.
Eight other archaeological sites were visited by BHF workers over the summer and fall. Artifacts were collected at eroding sites and the condition of all of the former occupations were recorded and subsequently reported to the province's Cultural Heritage Division. No new archaeological sites were found in 1997. Intriguing rock formations in Clay Cove and Salvage were examined and were found to be culturally insignificant despite their apparent man-made quality.