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Canada / SK / EcNl-1 (Mortlach) / S-22
- Lab number
- S-22
- Material dated
- charred bison bone; os de bison carbonisé
- Taxa dated
- Bison sp.
- Locality
- on the south bank of Sandy Creek in the Besant Valley near Mortlach, Qu'Appelle drainage, Saskatchewan
- Map sheet
- 72 I/05
- Submitter
- B. Wettlaufer
- Date submitted
- July 11, 0096
- Measured Age
- 1580 ± 159
- Normalized Age
- 1660 ± 159
- δ13C (per mil)
- -20.0
- Significance
- Woodland, Besant; Sylvicole
- Stratigraphic component
- Zone 4B
- Context
- Zone 4B, buried A horizon, dark grey-brown fine sandy loam, 27-33" (70-82 cm)
- Associated taxa
- Mammalia: Bison sp
- Additional information
- Solid carbon method; pre-treatment by hydrolyzation, a difficult method with poor yield. Normalized age is a minimum age.
- Comments
- EcNl-1, Mortlach: This site played a seminal role in establishing a stratigraphic framework for Saskatchewan archaeology. Eight occupation levels, some with subdivisions, were described by Wettlaufer (1955), and three radiocarbon samples were processed by the solid carbon method in a screen-wall counter. Both the counting method and the technique used for bone pretreatment are now believed to render ages somewhat too young. In Project 4, Level 1 contained the "Mortlach" culture; both Plains and Prairie side-notched points are described, but both illustrated specimens appear to represent the Plains side-notched variety (Wettlaufer 1955: Plate 1). In Projects 1, 2 and 3, Levels 1 and 2 contained the "Moose Jaw" culture characterized mainly by Plains triangular and Prairie side-notched points but also including one "eared" (Sandy Creek?), one corner-notched (Pelican Lake?), and one large side-notched point (like a giant Prairie side-notched point). In Level 3 at Project 1 the "Caron" culture was represented by one "eared" and one straight-based side-notched point, the latter ascribed to Besant by Reeves (1983: 237). Level 4 has five subdivisions. Level 4A yielded mainly Besant points plus one Pelican Lake specimen. Level 4B also yielded mainly Besant points as well as one triangular (Besant preform?) specimen and a radiocarbon date (S-22) on bison bone [Wettlaufer (1955: 71) quotes this date as 1580 +/- 325 BP]. Level 4C contained one corner-notched (Pelican Lake?) point, while Level 4D produced a Pelican Lake-like fragment and an "eared" point, the latter referred to Sandy Creek by Dyck (1983: 109). Sandy Creek points in Level 4E were associated with a radiocarbon date on humus with fragments of charcoal (S-28) [quoted as 2400 +/- 290 BP by Wettlaufer (1955: 71)]. Level 5A contained Pelican Lake points, and Wettlaufer (1955: 55) suggested that this level may be the source of Pelican Lake points that seem intrusive into Levels 4A and 4C. Levels 5B and 6 yielded one point fragment presumed to represent Pelican Lake on the basis of its diagonal flaking, and a similar fragment was found in Level 7. Level 8, assigned to the "Thunder Creek" culture, contained stemmed points referred to the Duncan type by Dyck (1983: 89), and it yielded a radiocarbon date on bison bone (S-2).