Long Creek Archaeology Excavation

Before Boundary Dam Reservoir was created,
An Archaeology Excavation took place at the “Long Creek Site”, in the Long Creek Valley, in 1956/57.

Postcard view of Long Creek Valley, with Estevan in the distance
Photographer E. R. Davis
This area is all under water today
Postcard courtesy Grant Walker in CA

Archaeological Excavation Work was under Dr. William J. Mayer-Oakes, (see Bio below) from the University of Toronto,
Dr. Zenon Stephen Pohorecky, (see Bio below) from the University of Toronto, Dr. Robert Nero, Assistant Director, SK Provincial Museum, (see Bio below)
Boyd Nicholas David Wettlaufer, (see Bio below) from the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History. Supported by the National Museum at Ottawa also.
3 field Assistants also involved: John Rick, David Humphries, and Morgan Tamplin.

They looked at 27 pre-historic sites in the valley, and picked 3 of them, for deeper study.

9 layers of Occupational Layers were found, Back as far as 5,000 years ago. My history pages cover a period from mid 1800's to today,
I can see I have lots of work ahead of me!!

“Excavations have shown this site to be occupied starting with Oxbow (5,000 BP), followed by McKean (4,500 BP), then Pelican Lake appears 3,000 BP, and ends about 2,000 BP. Besant and Avonlea levels are also found here” quote from a document no longer at the link I found it on

Royal Saskatchewan Museum
http://www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/index.shtml

I do know native artefacts were found in the farmer fields on the plain surrounding Long Creek.

Arrowheads found here are older than the Egyptian Pyramids

On one of these pages you can see pictures of the Long Creek area, before the reservoir.
I would love to find where this site was. I'm wondering if it was down where Woodend Depot was?

One article says it was on south side of Long Creek, 13 km south, and 1.5 km west of Estevan.

Long Creek starts near Radville SK., runs SE thru Neptune, Maxim, south of Tribune, south of Bromhead, south of Torquay, almost directly south of Outram, and north of Crosby, it enters the United States, for just a brief few miles, then turns north, entering Canada at the south end of the Boundary Dam Reservoir.
From here it enters the Souris River.
The Souris River starts north of Yellow Grass SK.

Bios and Genealogy

Professor Dr. William J. “Bill” Mayer-Oakes
b- Oct 15, 1923 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, USA
d- Feb 4, 2005, Grace House, Lubbock, Lubbock, Texas
Professor of Anthropology, worked at 3 Universities in his career.
University of Toronto (1956-59), the University of Manitoba (1962-1971), and Texas Tech University (1971-1985)
retired in 1985
Served in WWII as a US Air Force Pilot.
father- Frederick Thomas Mayer-Oakes
b- 1881, in England
mother- Margaret Care Mayer-Oakes, nee James
b- 1879, in Newfoundland
married Nita Mae Allison, June 1947
b- Dec 23, 1925
d- Apr 20, 1991 in Lubbock, Lubbock, Texas
they had 3 children

Boyd Nicholas David Wettlaufer, C.M, B.A.
b- May 2, 1914 in Asquith SK
d- Nov 27, 2009 in Victoria BC, age 95
Served in WWII, Canadian Air Force as a Photographic Officer in Regina.
“The Father of Saskatchewan Archaeology”
Considered the Foundation of our knowledge of the Northern Plains First Nations people.
He conducted the first Professional Archaeological Survey in Saskatchewan, in 1951.
graduated with a degree in Anthropology from University of New Mexico
He was one of the first archaeologists in Canada to use the radiocarbon dating method, to establish the ages of various layers of settlements.
He was at one time, Instructor in the Arts and Sciences Division at California State Polytechnic College, in LA,
He was co-author of a book “The Long Creek Site”
Awarded Order of Canada, Oct 30, 2003.
Invested May 14, 2004
His wife died in 1998
they had 2 sons, Brian and Barry.
I believe his father was the janitor of the Asquith School

Dr. Zenon Stephen Pohorecky
b- 1928 in Western Ukraine
d- 1998
http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/pohorecky_zenon_s_1928-98.html
father- Michael Stephen Pohorecky
b- Dec 21, 1899 at Hadynkivtsi, Western Ukraine
d- July 26, 1964 at Winnipeg, MB

Dr. Robert W. “Bob” Nero
b- Wisconsin USA
alive in Winnipeg Manitoba in 2011
served in WWII
worked for Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History
Univ. of SK at Regina, Manitoba Museum of Man and nature, Manitoba Conservation
did pioneering research on the Great Gray Owl
Ornitholigist, Naturalist, Poet, Avocational Archaelogist, Scientist.
received Champion of Owls Award, Owl Hall of Fame, 2006

Great Map of the Souris River Water Basin note- this is not my map, nor do I control the link, it may or may not work in the future
http://www.ijc.org/rel/pdf/souris_river_basin.pdf

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