CARD

Locality: Dunfermline Sand Hills, about 23 km west and 10 km north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Map sheet: 73 B/03

Significance: Archaic, Oxbow; Archaïque
Context: cultural layer in paleosol in dune depression, unit 5s/42e
Associated taxa: Mammalia: Bison bison 1152, Cervidae 1, Alces alces 1, Canis sp 49, Canis lupus 6, Canis familiaris 2, Canis latrans 1, Vulpes vulpes 4, Vulpes velox 1, Taxidea taxus 1, Martes pennanti 1, Lepus americanus 2; Aves 1 (intrusive?)

Comments: FbNs-1, Harder: This is a single component Oxbow site that yielded 25 complete and 48 broken Oxbow points and two radiocarbon dates as a result of Dyck's excavation. The radiocarbon samples were selected from excavation units that contained the greatest concentration of points as well as evidence of a dwelling floor and two hearth disposal areas (Dyck 1977: Figs. 13, 27). The bones were prepared by insoluble collagen extractions and yielded an average age of 3395 +/- 80 BP. These dates played a key role in the perception that the Oxbow complex persisted longer on the northern Plains than elsewhere (Gibson 1981). A re-analysis of the Harder site fauna led to three more dates on bison bone. Two of them are significantly older than the age found by Dyck (average 4250 +/- 75 BP), but the third can be averaged with Dyck's original dates (3400 +/- 70 BP). Dyck (1970, 1977) presents good evidence that the Harder site contains a single Oxbow component for which only one of the averages should represent the correct age. A full discussion of this problem is presented elsewhere (Morlan, 1994). Harder is one of seven sites included in Leyden's (2004) study of southern Saskatchewan bison palaeoecology, and he acquired an AMS date that agrees closely with the older of the two averages calculated previously.

Canada / SK / FbNs-1 (Harder) / S-3453