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Archaeology in Newfoundland and
Labrador 1997
Edited by K. Nelmes
Claim
Block VA, Kogaluk River: Stage 1 Historic Resources Overview
Assessment
Ian Badgley
A Stage 1 Historic Resources Overview
Assessment was conducted on part of Claim Block VA, on August 6, 1997.
Claim Block VA is located on the Kogaluk
River, central Labrador, approximately 25 km west of the river's mouth
on Voisey's Bay and about 50 km southwest of the community of Nain. The
archaeological field work carried out in this block was centred on the
survey of five areas of interest identified on the basis of geophysical
research. The main goal of this work was to determine whether historic
resources were present in the vicinity of two proposed drill holes in Area
A or at other locations throughout this area. A second objective was to
assess the archaeological potential of the four other areas of interest.
No drill holes are currently proposed in these areas.
AREAS OF INTEREST
Area A is located on a sand-gravel
terrace 1.5 km south of the Kogaluk River. The terrace is bordered to the
north and south by small ponds and, to the east and west, by steep hill
slopes. The altitude of the terrace is estimated at roughly 100 m asl,
or about 60 m above the level of the Kogaluk. A sandy blowout extends almost
continuously across the western, central and northeastern portions of the
terrace, covering the greater part of the formation. Open spruce forest
occurs along the edge of the blowout and the adjacent margins of both ponds.
The southeastern and eastern portions of the terrace are densely forested.
Area A is situated on the southwestern
section of the terrace. The area is delimited to the west by a stream connecting
the two ponds and, to the south, by the second pond. It encompasses the
western extremity of the blowout and the forested terrace slope to the
pond.
Areas B, C and D are located on hill
summits to the southeast and southwest of Area A. These areas, ranging
in altitude from 185 to 245 m asl, are barren uplands in character. Each
consists of extremely uneven terrain composed of bedrock outcrops, excessive
slopes and thin, discontinuous till. Areas B and C are both 100 m in diameter.
Area C measures 200 x 300 m, with the length axis oriented north-south.
Area E is located about 2 km south-southwest
of Area A and 1 km west of Area C. It consists of the crest of a steep
sloped, densely forested ridge situated at an altitude of roughly 140 m asl. Area E is 200 m in length, oriented east-west, and 150 m in width.
FIELD ACTIVITIES
The study area was accessed by helicopter
and surveyed on foot. This work included the surface inspection of all
areas of interest using systematic transects and subsurface sampling in
Area A and its surroundings. Surface inspection extended beyond the limits
of each area and, in the case of Area A, covered the entire terrace. Parts
of the valleys and uplands between the separate areas were also surveyed.
Subsurface sampling was judgmental
and was limited to the forested portions of Area A and the terrace. This
sampling involved the excavation of 44 test pits, varying in dimensions
from 25 x 25 cm to 50 x 50 cm. Nine of these test pits were excavated in
the vicinity of the proposed drill holes.
SURVEY RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
No historic resources were identified
on the surface or recovered from subsurface excavation carried out during
the survey. In addition, with the exception of the Area A terrace, no locations
that can be reasonably expected to contain historic resources were observed
in the remaining four areas of interest or in other localities that were
inspected.
In view of these results, the present
study area is assessed as being of extremely low or no archaeological potential
and no further archaeological research is recommended in any of the areas
of interest or other locations surveyed in Claim Block VA. |
