Newspaper Article on Artifacts Discovered by Terrace Bay Residents

Terrace Bay-Schreiber News

Wednesday, June 12, 1985

L.H. Archaeology

Artifacts discovered

by Irene Folz

Earlier this week, local residents, Mark Gerlach and Dion Bozec, while on a hike through the woods north of Terrace Bay, came upon some very unusual shaped stones. They immediately brought them back to town and took them to Marilyn Turcotte who has studied archeology to see if she could give them any information about these stones. Upon examination, Marilyn declared that these were definately artifacts, but that the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture should be called in for further information and examination.

Field Archeologist, David Arthurs arrived from Thunder Bay, and began an investigation at the site. Some small tests were performed and according to Mr. Arthurs, on the basis of shape and size, they date back approximately 3000 to 5000 B.C.

They are of an archaic culture, much more sophisticated than Cave Man, probably belonging to the ancestors of the Algonquin Indians; living a lifestyle that was based on hunting and fishing. They were usually small bands of people, families of 20 to 30, all occupying the same camps of the area using the portage system - moving to where the food was more plentiful.

These stone tools were all found together in one spot in what was like a pit or container in the ground. They are glass-like in structure, waxy, basically made from a flint-like substance known as Chert.

This material was to be found in the bedrock below Hudson's Bay and was pushed to the north of Lake Superior during the Iceage.

Mr. Arthurs told the "News" that the only surveys that have been in this area, have been done along the shores of Lake Superior and that no archeologist has done work in the Interior.

"This is very definitely a most important discovery, as it is another piece of the puzzle that lets us examine our heritage." The site is being registered as an archeological site and will be protected by law.

27.5 cm (h) x 21.5 cm (w)