Ontario Archaeological Society

Arch NotesNew Series Volume 12, Issue 2 ISSN 0048-1742 MarchiApril 2007

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Not your typical archaeological find: Jean-Luc Pilon describes his experiences digging at animportant Canadian World War 1 battle site. starting on p. 15. Photo by Jeen-LuG Pilon

OASNews

'1 3 President's message

4 From the GAS office...

I 10 Symposium call for papers

22 GAS chapter listings

Articles6 Introducing the Huronia Chapter, by Marilyn Cornies

11 My recollections of Paul W. Sweetman, Archaeologist, by CharlesGarrad

15 Digging into Vimy Ridge: Challenging our History, by Jean-Luc Pilon

Visit us on the Web at www.ontarioarchaeology.on.ca

Ontario Archaeological Society

Board of DirectorsPresident

Jean-Luc PilonJean-Luc.Pilon@civilisations.ca.

Henry van Lieshout(416) 446-7673henry_vanliesh

Director ofServices

Car(416edit

Vacant

Director ofJohn L. Creesjlcreese@trinity.

Director of PublicAlicia Hawkins(705) 675-1151 ext. 4224ahawkins@laurentian.ca

Executive DirectorLise Ferguson1444 Queen Street East, Suite 102Toronto, ON M4L lEIPhone/fax: (416) 406-5959oasociety@bellnet.ca

Board meetiug dates in 2007January 6April 14July 14September 29

Appointments & CommitteesEditor, Ontario Archaeology

rtInet.ca

Hamson. Susan Jamieson.Eva McDonald, Alicia

C)eorge (TMHC),

of Pikwakanagim),useum of Civilization)

Professional CommitteeChair: Alicia HawkinsCathy Crinnion, Holly Martelle, Jean-Luc Pilon,Paul Racher, Andrew Murray

Symposium 2007 KingstonChair: Alan MacLachlan

Volunteer Recognition Task ForceChair: Jean-Luc Pilon; Members: Carole Stimmell,Cathy Crinnion

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J

President's message

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By Jean.Luc PilonPresident

I was recently at a meeting of theKingston OAS Symposium plan­ning committee and as a result Ican assure you that this fall's eventwill be very worthwhile attending,not only because of the themes thathave been proposed (see the callfor papers in this issue), but alsobecause of the historically steepedsetting in which it will take placeand the activities that are beingplanned. The heritage communityin Kingston has a long history (didyou know that next year theCataraqui Archaeological ResearchFoundation will be 25 years old?Congratulations!) and is proudlyindependent. They have much tobe admired for and emulated, somake plans now to come and dipyour toes into Ontario's long andcomplex past at the mouth of theCataraqui River at the beginning ofNovember, 2007.

What do Archaeology magazineand The Beaver magazine have incommon? Initially, not much, butbear with me. At the end ofFebruary, I picked up a copy ofArchaeology in an airport news­stand. In it I read an interestingarticle by Roger Atwood titled"Publish or Be Punished: Israelcracks down on delinquent dig­gers" (MarchIApril 2007). I wasastonished to read how the IsraelAntiquities Authority has taken atough stand with projects andresearchers, no matter how wellfunded they are, who fail to sharetheir discoveries with a wider audi­ence. While there are many intrica­cies to the tale (pick up a copy and

March / April 2007

see for yourself), the bottom line isthat licensing authorities can nolonger accept the destruction ofsites by archaeologists withoutefforts to actually use the informa­tion beyond the minimal require­ments of license reports. I couldn'thelp but think of the situation herein Canada and in Ontario in par­ticular. Literally hundreds of sitesevery year are discovered, regis­tered, sampled and excavated, yetbeyond compliance reports, theirdestruction serves no obvious pur­pose. At the same time, consultantscan legitimately point out that theydo not have the time or theresources to undertake analysisand publication on their own. Andthe developers, it goes without say­ing, are concerned with getting onwith their work, not necessarilyexpanding our understanding ofthe past. Pivotal in this discussionis the Ontario Ministry of Cultureand the requirements that it placeson the archaeological consultingprocess. There may be legal ques­tions which come into play abouthow much the developers can beasked to pay, but as a profession,archaeology in some respects hasbecome a blind executioner, wherewe should be more like theMedecins sans frontieres of the past.

The second part of the initialquestion was about The Beavermagazine. Actually, Holly Martellebrought my attention to the June­July 2006 issue that featured"Canada's Top 10 ArchaeologicalSites". Wow, what a choice AnnChandler had to make. Lookthrough the list. There are sitesfrom Newfoundland, Labrador,

P.E.I., Nova Scotia, Quebec,Alberta, the Plains, Yukon, BritishColumbia. What do you feel like atthis moment? Neglected andrejected? Here is insult to injury­Chandler added two more storiesat the end of the "Top 10": one onpossible Dorset-Norse contacts inthe Eastern Arctic and a short sec­tion on "Walking with Dinosaurs"!!Ontario did not place in the "Top10" and did not even merit an hon­orable mention. Does this meansthat Ontario's archaeological pastpales in comparison to these andother sites? Not by a long shot inmy opinion! We could sit downand discuss how the list wasarrived at, who was asked to sug­gest sites, how the questions wereasked, what were the criteria forbeing considered a "top" site, etc.,but this would be circular andfutile. At the same time, we mightalso come to the realization thatthe story of Ontario's archaeologi­cal past is just not getting out thereto a wider public; in fact, it is evendifficult for archaeologists to knowwhat is going on just down theroad.

In Ontario, just about all of thearchaeology being done takes placebecause of the needs of develop­ment and impact studies. The con­text of this work is such that thepoint of the exercise has become toclear the archaeological concernon a property and then get on withthe development. Governmentdoes not impose any necessity topublish and so contracts cannotinclude funds for analysis and pub­lication. A consultant earning a liv­ing then goes on to the next project

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and the backlog simply continuesto grow. There are, of course,exceptions to this broad statement,but as a general trend it is unfortu­nately too true. What is the solu­tion? Something drastic like theIsrael Antiquities Authorityimposed? That couldn't last longbecause then developments acrossthe province would grind to a halt.The first step, however, might befor the Ministry to at least recog­nize that it is an issue and bringconcerned players to a table to takestock of the situation and discussoptions and strategies.

On a more positive note, in myfirst President's Message to you, Iforetold of canoe races on theRideau Canal for the NationalCapital's Winterlude instead of theusual skating. Two weeks afterwriting those words, temperatures

plummeted and we no longerspoke of global warming, but ofrecord cold temperatures forFebruary. So go figure.

What I find interesting in thesediscussions of global warming andthe greenhouse effect is the lack oftime depth. Serious commentatorswill speak of trends developed overthe past century. Some even goback to the Middle Ages. This is allin the recent past and there reallyhas not been enough time to devel­op significant trends. Much dataexist on global temperature fluctu­ations spanning centuries and mil­lennia since the end of the last iceage, yet we hardly ever hear scien­tists share with us insights fromthese studies. How did people copein the past with climate change?Do archaeologists have somethingto add to the debate? Is there really

something to learn from the pastthat can help us prepare for thefuture? Plus ~a change, plus c'estpareil!

Enfin, je me dois de terminercette note avec quelques mots enfran~ais pour les lecteurs fran­cophones. II y a une traditionparmi les gens de chez nous des'accommoder, de ne pas brasser lasoupe inutilement. En toutedouceur, il y a peut"etre une occa­sion pour prendre un peu de placesur la scene de I'archeologie enOntario. Si vous en avez I'envie,faites-nous des suggestions pouraugmenter I'utilisation du fran~ais

lit ou un besoin reel existe au seinde la societe ontarienned'archeologie. Soyez rassures quetoutes vos idees sont les plus bien­venues!

From the OAS office...Lise Ferguson,

Executive Director

Spring has sprung! OAS Chaptersare getting busy again after mosthad a break during part of our coldOntario winter, and there are lotsof other goings-on, some of whichI will highlight here.

Chapters' Corner(see the websites for the most up­to-date information; you can linkto the Chapters through the OASwebsite atontarioarchaeology.on.ca)

HamiltonApril 5, 7 pm, Dundurn Castle ­White Raven: An Evening WithAuthor & Archaeologist DeborahCannon. Join the Hamilton

March / April 2007

Chapter to celebrate the release ofWhite Raven with the author as shetakes us into the fictional world ofarchaeology, ancient myths, and abitter feud between environmen­talists and loggers! Autographedbooks are for sale ($25) to raisefunds for the Hamilton Chapter.Free admission; RSVPs recom­mended. Advance orders guaranteea signing. Light refreshments willbe served.

Public Events· 2007May - Map, Compass, & SurveyWorkshop

TBA - Basic to advanced mapand compass skills for students ofarchaeology. Topics include trian­gulation, map reading, vectors andradials, calculating distance (tran-

sit), GPS, an others.May (weekends) -Ancient

Pathways Project: PedestrianSurveys within the Dundas ValleyProject. Spokesperson, Dr. BobHenderson (McMaster U.).

Summer -TBA ArchaeologicalSurvey - Reconnaissance of theReimer/Boyd Sites ProjectDirector - James B. Bandow. Opento OAS members only!

LondonApril 12 - The speaker for themeeting will be Dr. Chris Watts,University of Toronto, who willtalk about his work on WesternBasin sites in southwesternOntario in a presentation entitled"Pot/Potter Hybrids and Networksof Agency in Late Woodland

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Southwestern Ontario, ca. AD900-1300':

OttawaMay 10 - The "35 + I" Anniversaryof the Ottawa Chapter with cakeand refreshments. OAS membersand friends are welcome. Checkthe Ottawa Chapter website fordetails as they develop.

TorontoApril 18 - Jim Sherratt, Universityof Toronto at Mississauga, will bespeaking on "19th Century Peel:(As)sorted Tales of PioneeringLife': Over the last five years, D.R.Poulton and Associates have exca­vated a large number of 19th cen­tury farmsteads in Peel County.Each archaeological investigationof a historic site is unique, provid­ing insight into the first century ofpioneer life in Upper Canada. Thestory of the G. Bland, P. McClureand J. Lellar sites are no excep­tions. The G. Bland site representsa wealthy pioneer family while theJ. Lellar site gives us a glimpse of ayoung widow's struggle in thebackwoods of Canada.

Call for papersThe City of Cambridge ArchivesBoard invites you to join them onOctober 20, 2007, for History onthe Grand, a one-day local historysymposium to be held at theUniversity of Waterloo School ofArchitecture in downtownCambridge. The aim of this sym­posium is to provide a forum formembers of the academic com­munity, historical and heritagegroups, historic sites, museumsand archives and the general pub­lic to share research and discussissues arising from the study of

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local history and making historypublic. We invite proposals forpapers on a wide range of themes,including native history andarchaeology, and others. Deadlinefor submissions is April 30, 2007,and presenters will be notified byJune IS, 2007. For further infor­mation please contact: JimQuantrell, City of CambridgeArchives atquantrellj@city.cambridge.on.ca;additional information at:www.city.cambridge.on.ca

New bookWords of the Huron by John L.Steckley (Wilfrid Laurier Press) ­see www.wlupress.wlu.ca/press/Catalog/steckley.shtml

Words of the Huron is aninvestigation into seventeenth­century Huron culture through akind of linguistic archaeology of alanguage that died midwaythrough the twentieth century.John Steckley explores a range oftopics, including: the constructionof longhouses and woodenarmour; the use of words for treesin village names; the socialanthropological standards of kin­ship terms and clans; Huron con­ceptualizing of European-bornedisease; the spirit realm of orenda;Huron nations and kinshipgroups; relationship to the envi­ronment; material culture; and therelationship between the Frenchmissionaries and settlers and theHuron people. Steckley's sourcematerial includes the first diction­ary of any Aboriginal language,Recollect Brother Gabriel Sagard'sHuron phrasebook, published in1632, and the sophisticated Jesuitmissionary study of the languagefrom the 1620s to the 1740s,

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beginning with the work of FatherJean de Brebeuf. The only book ofits kind, Words of the Huron willspark discussion among scholars,students and anyone interested inNorth American archaeology,Native studies, cultural anthropol­ogy, and seventeenth-centuryNorth American history.

John L. Steckley has taught atHumber College since 1983 in theareas ofAboriginal languages, cul­ture, and history. His booksinclude: Beyond Their Years: FiveNative Women's Stories; FullCircle: Canada's First Nations;Aboriginal Voices and the Politicsof Representation in CanadianIntroductory SociologyTextbooks and De Religione:Telling the 17th Century JesuitStory in Huron to the Iroquois. In1999, he was adopted into theWyandot tribe of Kansas. (He isalso a past-President of the OAS!)

Significant heritage landsprotected under NaturalSpaces ProgramOn March IS, there was anannouncement by the OntarioHeritage Trust: The HonourableLincoln M. Alexander, Chairmanof the OHT; David Ramsay,Minister of Natural Resources;and Caroline Di Cocco, Ministerof Culture, announced theapproval of 26 funding applica­tions to acquire significant naturalheritage lands through Ontario'sNatural Spaces Program. Thisprogram provides tools andresources to help landowners vol­untarily contribute to the stew­ardship of Ontario's rich naturalheritage. The MNR granted $6million to the OHT to acquire andsecure significant natural heritage

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properties. The Trust used thefunding to establish the "NaturalSpaces Land Acquisition andStewardship Program':

"This program is helping topreserve and restore a diverse sys­tem of natural areas across south­ern Ontario;' said MinisterRamsay. "We will continue towork with landowners, FirstNations and other partners to fur­ther the protection and steward­ship of natural spaces:'

The 26 approved applicationswere submitted by a range of part-

ners including trail and field natu­ralist organizations, several con­servation authorities and onemunicipality. The proposed landacquisitions include over 750hectares (nearly 1,900 acres) ofprovincially significant naturalheritage lands. The Trust's contri­bution to these proposed landacquisitions is $2.5 million, whichwill be matched by the partners.For more information, go to:http://tinyurl.com/2z6ct9

Ancient Peru UnearthedThe Royal Ontario Museum pres­ents an exhibition of pre- Incaartifacts highlighting the ancientSican culture. See:www.rom.on.ca!peru

Doors Open OntarioFrom March through October anumber of towns and cities will beswinging a lot of"Doors Open" toheritage buildings and other sitesnot normally open to the public.For info:www.doorsopenontario.on.ca

EcoArchaeology Weekend for Adults­Murphys Point Provincial Park

Friday, September 14 toSunday, September 24

A successful archaeology projecthas been going on at MurphysPoint Provincial Park since 2001.The McParian House/Burgess Millsite dates to the early nineteenthcentury and includes remainsfrom a farmstead, a sawmill and ablacksmith shop. Since 2004,elementary students have been

involved in excavation at the sitefor a week each Fall under thesupervision of professionalarchaeologists and members ofthe Ottawa Chapter. The HoggBay Committee of the Friends ofMurphys Point Park is now readyto expand this project to thegeneral adult population and hasdesigned a unique ecoarchaeologyweekend experience that will

include lots of excavation, guidedhikes, canoeing, and greataccommodation and meals. Formore information, a fee scheduleor to register, seewww.friendsofmu~hyspoint.ca.

e-mailfriendsofmu~hyspointpark@yah

oO.ca or call Beth at (613) 267­5340. Space is limited-pleaseregister by July 31.

Introducing the Huronia ChapterBy Marilyn E. Cornies

In the past few years I have had theopportunity to be involved inarchaeological surveys and excava­tions in that part of Ontario widelyknown as Huronia. The presentresidents of Huronia possess animpressive amount of both passionand knowledge of the history ofthe area. What was lacking was aforum in which to share this

March / April 2007

knowledge. A local Chapter of theOntario Archaeological Societyseemed the ideal solution.

The formation of a Huroniachapter rapidly gained support andJohn Raynor, Michael Henry and Iapplied to the Society. We couldnot have accomplished this with­out the assistance of the OASmembers in good standing whosupported our application. Special

thanks to Michelle Bedard, EllenBlaubergs, Dale Elder, AliciaHawkins, Jamie Hunter, MargRaynor, Teresa Wagner and JasonWootton-Radko. We would alsolike to thank those individuals whohave applied to be members of thechapter. Additionally, members ofthe Board of Directors of theprovincial body of the OAS mustbe thanked for their encourage-

Arch Notes 12(2)

ment and support of our newchapter. Our application wasaccepted and we were then facedwith the daunting task of organiz­ing the chapter. An interim execu­tive was elected to deal with themany nuts and bolts. The interimexecutive consists of MarilynCornies, president; Teresa Wagner,vice-president; and Marg Raynor,secretary/treasurer.

First meetingThe first meeting of the HuroniaChapter of the OAS will be heldMay 16,2007, at 7 p.m. in Midland.It will be at the Georgian BayNative Friendship Centre, withsubsequent meetings to be held atthe Georgian Bay Metis Council(addresses below). Anyone wantingto attend can e-mail me atmcornies@amick.ca.

The meeting will be openedwith a smudging ceremony fol­lowed by the signing of the charter.A short meeting will then be heldto inform members of upcomingevents and to solicit member ideasfor chapter activities. We will alsobe actively soliciting member feed­back and suggestions on some ofthe preliminary ideas on the goalsand objectives of the chapter.Refreshments will be offered andtime allotted to allow members tobecome acquainted with eachother.

A number of preliminary ideashave been developed in consulta­tion with our founding members.In the short term the Chapterintends to set up an interactive webpage and a Chapter newsletter. Ithas been suggested that thenewsletter be issued in a digitalformat to reduce costs and the timerequired to produce each issue.

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The name and logo for thenewsletter is to be determined bythe members.

Ideas for long-term goals aremany and ambitious. Public educa­tion and awareness are to be majorcomponents of the HuroniaChapter. The intention is toenhance the linkages between her­itage groups, local municipalitiesand First Nations communities andorganizations with an interest inthe rich heritage of Huronia. Theknowledge of avocational and localinformants in the area is vast. Thechapter intends to collect andrecord this information in an effortto enhance the current historicaland archaeological record.

The Chapter aims to compilethe historical records from existingprimary and secondary works aswell as to map the historical geog­raphy with reference to both eventsand locations. Research will beconducted in an effort to placeknown sites within the chronologyof Huronia. The next step will thenbe the publication of these recordsin an accessible public format. TheChapter will encourage the preser­vation of significant sacred, his­toric and cultural sites.

The Chapter also hopes to assistin the promotion of the area as ahistoric site destination by workingwith the tourism industry, which isof great importance to the area. Allof this, of course, is subject to theinput of the membership and isoffered only to form the basis ofdiscussion.

The interim executive has beenworking diligently in an effort toensure that the Huronia chapterwill be an interactive chapter withinvolvement from its members.

We hope to see many of you at

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our inaugural meeting.

Georgian Bay Native FriendshipCentre175 Yonge StreetMidland, OntarioPhone (705) 526-5589www.gbnfc.com

Georgian Bay Metis CouncilUnit 3019170 County Road 93Midland, OntarioPhone (705) 526-6335(above The Source)

CorrectionIn our last issue, an errorinadvertently crept into thearticle about Ake Hultkrantz inthe Web reference for theShaman journal website. Itshould be:

www.folkscene.hurn

not www.folkscene.hu

We regret any confusion thismay have caused readers.

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Do you want to travel toexotic locations? Whilegetting paid?

Here is your opportunity totravel to glamorousdestinations and to live theadventure ofarchaeology.As an added bonus, weknow where all theTimmies are.

AMICK Consultants Limited is currently looking for 2 FieldDirectors and 10-20 Field Crew Members for the upcoming 2007 field season. Candidatesapplying for the Field Director position must have, or be eligible for, an archaeological licence.Experience in report writing and artifact analysis is an asset. Field Crew Applicants do notrequire field experience although it is an asset. Pay is negotiable and will be dependent uponexperience and skill sets. For qualifying personnel, there is potential for employment to extendthrough the winter months following the end of the field season. Full-time, permanentemployment is a possibility based on qualifications and skill sets. We are looking for people towork out of each of our two offices: in London, and in Port McNicoll (near Midland).

AMICK Consultants Limited has several archaeological site excavations to complete in theupcoming field season, as well as numerous property assessments and test excavations.

Although our fieldwork will likely begin before the end of March and could last until mid­December, we welcome applications for employment from students seeking summer work.

Resumes will be accepted only at the Lakelands District Office. All interviews will be held at theLakelands District Office. If you have a preference for location, please note which district towhich you are applying.

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Cunsulfanu Limited

Lakelands District Office380 Talbot 8t.P.O. Box 29 Port McNicoll, ONLOK IROFax: 705-534-7855Via e-mail: mmilne@amick.ca

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Either Side of Contact-OAS Symposium 2007

Call for Papers and Posters

From 2 to 4 November the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation invites you to the his­toric city of Kingston, an area witnessing thousands of years of Aboriginal occupation, the site of

17th and 18th century French fur trade post Fort Frontenac, and the strategic military and commer­

cial centre of British Upper Canada during the 19th century. Much of this legacy still remains in thetown's architecture and street names.

Reflecting Kingston's diverse heritage, we invite papers and posters exploring the range ofOntario's human past from prehistory to the historic period. Themes we wish to include are:

Defence and Modified LandscapesApproaches to Material Culture ResearchCultures in ContactCultural Resource Management in Ontario: Everyone has a Role

Interested participants please send titles and abstracts to:

Program CommitteeOAS Symposium 2007Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation72 Gilmour AvenueKingston, Ontario K7M 9G6

or bye-mail in Word or Word Perfect format to:

sue@carf.info

Conference sessions will be held at Confederation Place Hotel, on the waterfront and in the heart ofdowntown Kingston. The reception will be in the restored Memorial Hall of Kingston City Hall, aNational Historic Site, while the Officers' Mess of Fort Frontenac will be the site of the banquet.Tours and workshops are currently being planned to take advantage of Kingston's over 20 museumsand historic sites.

Watch for more information at www.ontarioarchaeology.on.ca and www.carf.info as well as forth­coming Arch Notes.

See you in Kingston!

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Paul William Sweetman

From the Toronto Star February 21,2007, 10:36 AMSWEETMAN, Paul William. Peacefully, in his 90thyear, on Saturday, February 17,2007, in Brighton,Ontario. Paul was predeceased by his wife HelenPauline (Polly), son Nicholas Paul and sister EleanorBissell. Beloved father of Jill Osborne (Gordon).Sadly missed by daughter in law Sandra,grandchildren Rebecca and Lauren Sweetman andPadraig Osborne. Uncle of Lynn Gardner and family,Margaret Bissell and Mary Bissell and family. RetiredSupervisor of Music with the Scarborough Board ofEducation. Past President of The OntarioArchaeological Society, 2006 recipient of ThePendergast Award. Composer and Music Director ofhis much loved Gilbert and Sullivan operettaS'. Areception [was] held at the HUMPHREY FUNERALHOME A.w. MILES CHAPEL, 1403 BayviewAvenue (south of Eglinton Avenue East), on Saturday,February 24, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the LeasideRoom. Donations may be made in Paul's memory tothe Canadian Cancer Society, 20 Holly Street, Suite101, Toronto, ON M4S 3Bl.

From Charles GarradPaul Sweetman died in Brighton, Ontario, but aReception was held in Toronto on Saturday February24th, which enabled Mima Kapches, PeterCarruthers, Ella and Charlie Garrad to attend torepresent the OAS and Paul's archaeological interests.We were greatly outnumbered by his former musicand choral students, some of which mostimpressively sang a group presentation of the Lord'sPrayer. Charlie was then invited to read an item hehad written for Arch Notes titled "My Recollections ofPaul W. Sweetman, Archaeologist': Afterward, anumber of those in attendance said they had knownnothing about Paul's archaeological interest and werequite astounded to learn of it, especially his role inthe preservation of the Peterborough Petroglyphs.

My Recollections of Paul W. SweetmanJ

ArchaeologistBy Charles Garrad

I first met Paul back in the 1960s when I wasbefriended by Paul's principal archaeological col­leagues, Ken Kidd and Frank Ridley. After Frank diedin 1985 1 began visiting Paul and Polly periodically. Ilearned they were both retired teachers and had metat OCE. They married in 1942, had a daughter Jill,and a son Nicholas. After Polly and Nick had passedon, and Paul moved to an apartment, their big catnamed Tina adjusted and became Paul's companion,almost to the end. At that time Paul had an archaeo­logical laboratory set up at his house in Don Millsand was busy restoring ceramics pots from severalarchaeological sites which he had helped excavate.Archaeology was only one of Paul's eclectic interests.His principal interest was music-he was a graduateof the Faculty of Music under Sir Ernest

March / April 2007

MacMillan-and a music teacher throughout histeaching career. He was also interested in military his­tory, particularly the career of Napoleon. Paul's lastmajor trip just a few years ago was to Vienna, both forthe music, and to visit Austerlitz. Paul knew everydetail of the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, whenNapoleon defeated a larger Austrian and Russianforce.

Paul told me how he and Polly had met Kennethand Martha Kidd from the ROM at a party in 1947.Ken was writing his book on his work at Ste. MarieAmong the Hurons and was now looking for volun­teers to assist him at the Ossossane ossuary. Paulinsisted the real reason he was invited to join the crewwas that he was the only one who could drive and hada driving licence, but he was being modest. It was atOssossane that Paul met Frank Ridley, who had found

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of Music for the Scarborough School Board andretained that position until he retired in 1977.

I gradually came to learn Paul's memories andopinions of Ontario during the war, of the .state ofeducation at various times, of his musical perform­ances, training choirs, and promoting the music ofGilbert and Sullivan. Also of his sense of humour, wit,and intellectual skills which made him fun to visit. Heproduced two kinds of archaeological reports, formal,for the government and for publication, and humor­ous, for private circulation among his friends, the lat­ter copiously illustrated with clever cartoons and def-

initely not for widerdistribution. Paulinitially wrote of hisfriend Frank Ridleyas the Reverend andRight Honourable,but after Paulinvented a fictitiousUniversity ofKleinberg, whichawarded Ridley theone and only Ph.D.it ever granted, itwas thereafter Dr.Ridley.

These reportshad best remainprivate, but I willcite Paul's Recipefor Northern Coffeewritten in 1953:Take three handfulsof coffee, add one

soiled sock, five ants,four black flies, one

gallon of water. Boil for two hours, filter and serve.In the 1950s and '60s Paul conducted archaeologi­

cal work with and for Ken Kidd at the ROM, ThomasMcIlwraith and Norman Emerson at the UoIT, for theHistoric Sites Board, and with Frank Ridley privately.Paul's reports for the Historic Sites Board are now inthe Ontario Archives. In 1954 Paul was asked to bepart of an expedition to investigate the newly discov­ered Peterborough Petroglyphs. The country throughwhich the crew hiked was then absolutely primitive.To cross one stream they undressed and carried their

Paul Swaetman, at the Ault Park site sometime in 1957.Emerson Archaeological Photographic Archives. Department of Anthropology,

University of Toronto; catalogue # BgFr-1-17

the ossuary, persuaded the owner to deed it to theROM, and arranged for the ROM to excavate it, andlater even made and built the sign which marks theossuary site today.

This was not Paul's first exposure to things archae­ological. As a schoolboy, Paul's best friend was ClaudeBissell, later President of the University of Toronto.Together they used to pick up arrowpoints and arti­facts when houses were being built at Baby Point.They even became related when Paul's sister marriedLester Bissell.

At the time Paul became involved in music as acareer, the musicalsuperintendent forthe Toronto PublicSchool Board wasAlexander T.Cringan, who wasthe expert onIroquois Indianmusic and had pub­lished several arti­cles in the OntarioArchaeologicalReports series forDavid Boyle (Boyle1898:144-156;Cringan 1900, 1903,1906).

In 1957 Paul wasteaching atLawrence ParkCollegiate and therehe introduced anarchaeological pro­gramme. He was, atthe time (1957,1958), president of The Ontario ArchaeologicalSociety. Paul and his students excavated the BrimleyRoad site and at Woodbridge. Beginning in 1962 heoperated Saturday morning classes for gifted studentsand they excavated a site in Victoria County. Two ofthe gifted students went into archaeology: RobertaO'Brien and Peter Hamalainen. Frank Ridley tookover Paul's teaching in 1964-65 when the Sweetmanfamily took a sabbatical to u.K. Paul spent a year inthe British Museum reading music manuscripts. Notlong after they returned (1967) Paul became Director

March / Aprif 2007 Arch Nates 12(2)

clothes on their heads. One result of the expeditionwas Paul's first publication in Ontario History(Sweetman 1955). Another result was the preserva­tion of the Petroglyphs on Paul's recommendation(Vastokas & Vastokas 1973:10,143n8). The next year,1955, was the joint Ridley/Sweetman expedition toMoose Factory and Moose River. In all Paul pub­lished archaeological reports in five outlets, and pri­vately, and there are unpublished reports in theOntario Archives.

In 1959 Paul and his friend Frank Ridley wereinvited to be part of a Canadian delegation to China.Paul represented the City of Toronto and the TorontoSchool Board; Paul and Frank together representedOntario archaeology. In China, Paul visited variousschools, studied their curricula, met teachers, princi­pals and officials, and was astounded to find that insupposedly insular China, embargoed by theAmericans, largely abandoned by Russia, they wereteaching 52 languages in preparation for the day thatChina would again be a member of the world com­munity. Paul told me that at the time the best place inthe world to learn Swahili, or Zulu, or Finish, was inPeking. Paul and Frank were taken to the majorarchaeological sites in both China and Russia, wherethey stayed several weeks on their way home. Paulparticularly remembered the archaeological sectionof the Museum of Russia on the Red Square inMoscow, opposite his hotel. Paul's report to theToronto Board of Education would be interestingreading if it could be retrieved from the Board'sarchives.

Both Paul and Frank returned to Canada with alove for China and the wish to reciprocate the hospi­tality they had received. The Sweetmans and Ridleyskept open houses for Chinese officials, delegations,the Peking Opera, ballets and the like when they vis­ited Toronto.

Paul took a deep satisfaction over the outcome ofwhat seemed a minor event. At the Ault Park site in1957, Paul, ever the teacher, lectured the student exca­vators around the evening campfire about Ontarioarchaeology. One of the University of Toronto stu­dents was 18-year-old Bruce Trigger. Bruce later wentto Harvard, and returned to Canada to becomeCanada's foremost anthropologist. In Paul's lateryears, Bruce wrote to him to say that, looking back onhis career, he learned more from Paul at the evening

March / April 2007

13

campfire at Ault Park than he had at any University.Other recognition in Paul's later years included anHonorary Life Membership, and a Fifty YearMembership recognition, from The OntarioArchaeological Society (2004 Arch Notes).

In his last publication, Bruce Trigger named manypeople who had influenced his life, including "PaulSweetman, a member of the Ontario ArchaeologicalSociety, encouraged my archaeological interests"(Trigger 2006:231). Paul encouraged many, and hisinfluence will live on, both directly and indirectlythrough those he inspired. Those of us who knewhim enjoyed being with him. I am fortunate to havebeen one of them.

ReferencesBoyle, David

1898 ''Archaeological Report 1898': Part of Reportof the Minister ofEducation Ontario, Toronto:Legislative Assembly

Cringan, Alexander T.1900 "Pagan Dance Songs of the Iroquois': In

Archaeological Report 1899, pp.168-189, partof Report of the Minister ofEducationOntario, Toronto: Legislative Assembly

1903 "Iro'quois Folk Songs': In AnnualArchaeological Report 1902, pp.B7-152, partof Report of the Minister ofEducationOntario, Toronto: Legislative Assembly

1906 "Indian Music': In Annual ArchaeologicalReport 1905, pp.158-161, part of Report of theMinister ofEducation Ontario, Toronto:Legislative Assembly

Garrad, Charles1990 "Paul W. Sweetman 1957, 1958': In The

Presidents Remember: Forty Years of theOntario Archaeological Society, SpecialPublication No.9, p.15. Compiled and editedby Charles Garrad. Toronto: The OntarioArchaeological Society

2004 "Interviews with Paul Sweetman, OntarioArchaeologist". Conducted by Charles Garrad,January 2003, Department of Anthropology,Montreal: McGill University

2004 "Paul Sweetman 50 Year OAS Member!" ArchNotes, NS 9(4):8

Arch Notes 12(2)

14

Sweetman, Paul W.1955 "A Preliminary Report on the Peterborough

Petroglyphs'~Ontario History 47(3):101-121

1957 "Ontario Archaeological Society Activities'~ InNew Pages in History 1957, pp.20-21. Editedby J. Norman Emerson, Toronto: The OntarioHistorical Society

1957 "Journal of a Voyage'~ (Report to Frank Ridleyof expedition to Michipicoten)

1958 "Ontario Archaeological Society Activities".Ontario History 50:58-59

1958 "The Boyd Site': Publication No.4 (OntarioArchaeology no. 4):1-3

1958 "The Pennycook Site - Lot 30, Concession 6,Haliburton County': PennsylvaniaArchaeologist 28(2):94-96

1963 [Lecture summary] "The Bristow Site, ThorahIsland'~Arch Notes, May 1963

1967 [Lecture summary] '1\rchaeological Work inthe Timmins Area, 1966'~ Arch Notes, May1967:1-2

1967 "The Bristow Site': Pennsylvania Archaeologist371-2:2-21

1967-1968 '1\rchaeological Survey of VictoriaCounty': Unpublished MS, Ontario Archives

1990 "The Corin Site, Thorah Island, Lake Simcoe,1970-1989'~ Arch Notes 90(2):18-22

1990 letter to the editor concerning the conditionof the Peterborough Petroglyphs andrequesting honorary doctorates for KennethE. and Martha Kidd. Arch Notes 90(5):18-19

n.d. (1990 ?) '1\n Album of Aboriginal PotteryTypes': From Sites recorded by G. Laidlaw inVictoria County and Sites on Thorah Island,Lake Simcoe, Brock Township, DurhamRegion. Toronto (Don Mills): Paul W.Sweetman,

1992 [Obituary oj] "G. Ruth (Marshall) Tovell".Arch Notes 92(2):38

1994 [Review oj] "On Leaving Bai Di Cheng" byCaroline Walker et al. Arch Notes 1994(2):34

March / April 2007

Trigger, Bruce G.2006 "Retrospection", Chapter 16. In The

Archaeology ofBruce Trigger: TheoreticalEmpiricism edited by Ronald F. Williamsonand Michael S. Bisson, pp.225-257. Montreal& Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press

Vastokas, Joan M. & Romas K.1973 "Sacred Art of the Algonkians". A Study of the

Peterborough Petroglyphs. Peterborough:Mansard Press

Paul Sweetman Publications by outletNew Pages in History

1957 "Ontario Archaeological Society Activities"New Pages in History 1957:20-21

Arch Notes1963 "The Bristow Site, Thorah Island" [Summary

of talk given May 1963], 1963(May)

1967 '1\rchaeological Work in the Timmins Area,1966" [Summary of talk given April 1967],May 1967: 1-2

1990 "The Corin Site, Thorah Island, Lake Simcoe,1970-1989'; 90(2):18-22

1990 letter to the Editor about the condition of thePeterborough Petroglyphs, and HonoraryDoctorates for Ken and Martha Kidd,90(5):18-19

1992" G. Ruth (Marshall) Tovell" [obituary], 92-2

1994 "Walker, Caroline et al., On Leaving Bai DiCheng" [book reviewJ, 1994:34

Ontario Archaeology1958 "The Boyd Site" The Ontario Archaeological

Society Publication No. 4:1-3

Ontario History1955 '1\ Preliminary Report on the Peterborough

Petroglyphs'; 47:101-121

1958 "Ontario Archaeological Society Activities(1957)': 50:58-59

Pennsylvania Archaeologist1958 "The Pennycook Site - Lot 30, Concession 6;

Haliburton County'; 28(2):94-96

Arch Notes 12(2)

1967 "The Bristow Site" PennsylvaniaArchaeologist 37(1-2):2-21

Ontario Archives1967-1968 Archaeological Survey of Victoria

County

Privatelyn.d. An Album ofAboriginal Pottery Types

Unpublished1957 "Journal of a Voyage" (Report to Frank Ridley

of expedition to Michipicoten).

Reports to Historical Board (now in OntarioArchives)

Report to Toronto Board of Education

15

Major references toGarrad, Charles

1990 "The Presidents Remember: Forty Years ofThe Ontario Archaeological Society'; SpecialPublication No. 9:14-15, Toronto: TheOntario Archaeological Society

2004 "Interview with Paul Sweetman, OntarioArchaeologist". McGili University

2004 "Paul Sweetman: 50 Year OAS Member!"ArchNotes NS 9(4):8

Vastokas, Joan M. and Romas K.1973 "Sacred Art of the Algonkians". (pp.9-10,143),

Peterborough: Mansard Press

Digging Into Vimy Ridge:Challenging our History

Corroded "CANADA" shoulder title found beside the duckboards atthe very bottom of a test unit straddling the fighting trench fromwhich the Royal Canadian Regiment sprung forward on the morningof the 9th of April. 191 7. never needing to return there. having wonthe day. Photo by Jean-Luc Pilon

By Jean-Luc PilonCurator of Ontario ArchaeologyCanadian Museum of CivilizationGatineau, QC

For several years now, there has been a veryfruitful collaboration between YAP Films, aToronto-based documentary filmmaker,and No Man's Land, a U.K.-based archaeo­logicallhistorical battlefield investigationgroup. Together, archaeological and histor­ical investigations have featured promi­nently in a number of documentaries and atelevision series in the u,K. that deal withscientific investigations into the trenches ofthe First World War.

The award-winning filmmaker, headedby Elliott Halpern and Pauline Duffy, has acommendable record of contributing to thedevelopment of awareness, on the part ofCanadians, of the military history ofCanada. It was their efforts, for example, which large­ly resulted in locating, recording and quite literallysaving priceless colour film footage taken during the

March / April 2007

Second World War when they made "Canada's War inColour';

The No Man's Land group is an association of indi-

Arch Notes 12(2)

A grim reminder of the reality of war: articulated foot bones with theremains of a British-issue boot. This foot appeered to have beenshovelled into a sandbag used in protecting the entrance to a tunnelwhich brought troops forward during the battle of Vimy Ridge.

Photo by Jean-Luc Pilon

16

viduals who share a passion for archaeology-andbattlefield archaeology in particular. Among them areamateur archaeologists, historians, archivists andconsulting archaeologists. To date, their field activi­ties have been carried out in northern France and inadjacent Belgium. Their work has added rich, con­crete details to our understanding of well-knownevents such as the battle at Beaumont-Hamel, wherethe Newfoundland Regiment was decimated on the

first day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1, 1916.The nature of warfare in 1914-1918 was such that

in the course of the excavations carried out by the NoMan's Land group, human remains are frequentlyencountered. Tens of thousands of Commonwealthsoldiers went missing and were never recovered fromthose fields of mud and glory. Often these grislyremains are quite literally stray bones-evidence thatbombs, shells and grenades were very lethal and quiteeffective. These scattered remains can also attest toin-field burials that became forgotten and were laterdisturbed.

In some rare instances, in-field burials were recov­ered intact by No Man's Land excavators and theapplication of forensic methods allowed some of thedeceased individuals to actually be identified. As aresult of this work, some First World War soldiers

March / April 2007

have recently been accorded burials in military ceme­teries with markers bearing their names, alongsidetheir former comrades in arms. While this may onlybe symbolic, it has had very significant impacts ondescendants of these soldiers whose fates were neverknown. It also serves as a reminder to us that wars killindividuals who had names and life histories, notonly faceless, generic soldiers wearing grey uniformscaptured in fading black and white photographs.

Battlefield ArchaeologyBattlefield archaeology is a relatively newarea of archaeological inquiry, which tookon a much more scientific orientation fol­lowing the widely publicized work ofDouglas Scott and his colleagues. They sys­tematically plotted artifacts on the site ofthe Battle of the Little Bighorn, where Lt.Col. George A. Custer made his last mis­take, to the detriment not only of himself,but of 210 men of the US 7th Cavalry andunknown numbers of Native warriors onJune 25, 1876. Thus, our understanding ofthese events, which had only been trans­mitted through incomplete oral accounts,was greatly enhanced and a markedly dif­ferent view of this battle has emerged.

Since then, an ever-widening range ofscientific techniques have been applied tobattlefields, both ancient and recent, andhave thus led to a better understanding of

the actions which actually transpired there, relativelyfreer from the biases that can so easily enter into offi­cial and even unofficial records of the times. In manyinstances, archaeology is the only source of informa­tion about some battles that, save for the knowledgeof their occurrence, went essentially undocumented.

The Battle ofVimy Ridge - History,Documentaries and ArchaeologyApril 9, 2007, marked the 90th anniversary of a FirstWorld War battle that has particular resonance forCanadians: the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This battle hastaken on near mythical proportions, being hailed byBrigadier-General Alexander E. Ross as the momentwhen the young Dominion rose to an important chal­lenge, and "It was Canada from the Atlantic to thePacific on parade. I thought then that in those few

Arch Notes 12(2)

17

The headstone of Montreal native Lieutenant Marvin Jay Workmanof the 75th Battalion. Canadian Expeditionary Force. who died duringthe assault on Vimy Ridge, April 9th, 1917. Photo by Jaan-Lua Pilon

minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation:'To mark this anniversary and also to present new

information and perspectives on that Easter Mondaybattle, YAP Films undertook to produce a documen­tary of the battle and battlefield-Vimy: FromHeaven to Hell. In fact, their approach was to exam­ine the aerial component, the ground level perspec­tive, and the subterranean element, as all three areascontributed to the overall success of those four days.

In support of that documentary, YAPonce again enlisted the collaboration of theNo 'Man's Land group to carry out excava­tions within the Vimy battlefield. It hasbeen a tradition with the No Man's Landgroup to include in their activities personswith particular connections to the battle­field. For example, in the case of theirBeaumont-Hamel excavations, currentlyserving members of the NewfoundlandRegiment were brought to the site toretrace some of the footsteps of their pred­ecessors. At Vimy, I and my son Thomas(currently working at the Canadian WarMuseum as a guide) were invited to takepart in the week-long excavations. It goeswithout saying that we gladly accepted.

Excavations took place between the 1stand 6th of October, 2006. While this wouldnormally be a bit late in the season for out­door work, the weather for most ofOctober in France, like here in Canada,proved to be very atypical and was actuallyvery pleasant. A seventh day of work at thesite was added that had not been plannedand which consisted of aerial photographyand last minute cleaning up. Thomas and Iunfortunately had already made plans to beelsewhere.

Canada was granted by France, in perpe­tuity, a significant portion ofVimy Ridge toserve as a memorial to its fallen soldiers,and today the site is administered byVeterans Affairs Canada. In the past, they haveallowed-and indeed welcomed-a group of histori­cally-minded military engineers into the labyrinth oftunnels and subways which criss-cross Vimy Ridge.Unfortunately VAC did not grant permission to theNo Man's Land group to undertake surface archaeo-

March / April 2007

logical investigations for this documentary project.We therefore found ourselves less than three metresfrom the fence which marks the edge of Canadianland in France, while, ironically, setting up a smallbase of operations within the footprint of Canadianmemorial lands.

Previous historical research by No Man's Land his­torians indicated that the area of interest included theentrance to a tunnel as well as portions of the fighting

trench from which the Royal Canadian Regimentdashed forward in the early morning hours of EasterMonday, 1917. Excavations were oriented mainlytoward obtaining details pertaining to these two fea­tures. Additionally, two secondary excavation areaswere also opened up. One was a short section through

Arch Notes 12(2)

18

Rifle ammunition was issued in bandoleers to facilitate theirtransportation in the field. Twin clips of five British .303 bullets wouldbe placed into each pocket of the bandoleer. While the leather ormore likely cenvas bandoleer has long since rotted away, the bulletsremain in the same position as when they were dropped. Moreover,the bullets remain quite live and experiments showed that the corditethey still contain is still highly flammable. Photo by Jaan-LUG Pilon

a possible communications trench, and the other wasin an area which proved to be very complex, with anearlier French trench that was filled in and laterimpacted by at least two artillery shells whose deepcraters served as a dump at the end of the war.

While these goals seem straight-forward, a fewwords of qualification are in order. A first element topoint out is that while the RCR may have used thefighting trench in this sector on April 9, 1917, thetrench itself aud the area in general had been contin­uously fought over since basically the beginning ofthe war by both French and German troops. This his­tory greatly increased the anticipated level of archae­ological complexity.

This situation was further exacerbated followingthe war when Chinese Labour Battalions werebrought in to smooth over the landscape in order toreturn it to its original use as farmland. They under­took to fill in the trenches and earthworks, and gen­erally clean up the refuse of war. In doing so, severalhundred of these workmen died since the landscapestill had plenty of deadly, unexploded ammunitionlaying about or lying just below the surface. In fact, itstill does. The local regional archaeologist, MonsieurAlain Jacques, informed me that on average one per-

March / April 2007

son dies in the Picardie region every year as a resultof contact with live explosives. The First World War isa conflict that continues to take lives 90 years later.

Some Personal ExperiencesAs I was only an excavator on this project, I will notattempt to summarize the findings of that week'sworth of work. Rather, I will review several otherwiseinnocuous facts that emerged as the week wore on.

A first point, which may appear laughable to many,is the soil. Under the sod, the undisturbed soil con­sists of a very fine limon (silt). The soil is clearly highin iron oxides and has a distinct buff to orange colour.While it only rained on one day, the soil never reallydried out and the evening dampness or mist wouldproduce a surface which had a very definite greasi­ness to it, such that before long, boots, gloves, kneesand bottoms were coloured with the buff limon.From now on, when I view black and white photo­graphs taken at Vimy Ridge, or elsewhere for thatmatter in northwestern France or in Belgium duringthe First World War, I can add the colour of the dirt tothe grey tones and thus begin to colorize thatdecades-old, monochromatic conflict.

When even slightly wet, the surface of the limonrapidly transformed itself into a thick andheavy layer tenaciously adhering to thebottoms of our boots. It is a remarkablematerial, as if in some way, the iron oxidesthere now include iron compounds derivedfrom human haemoglobin that has becomelocked into this soil but which seeks theearliest opportunity to leave, even if on thebottom of a boot. Again, fading photo­graphs of soldiers returning from thetrench often afford a glimpse of this unctu­ous material whose weight I can now esti­mate and actually feel.

While the scars of war on the Frenchlandscape have faded, the scabs are stillquite thin. Live artillery shells, grenadesand mortar bombs continue to exact a tollon the local farmers who still plough up theresidues of war. While most of this materi­al is harmless ferraille (iron bits), as theycall it, some are deadly. In our excavations,we encountered 16 Stokes mortar bombs,numerous mortar firing mechanisms,

Arch Notes 12(2)

•

innumerable live bullets and at least twounexploded, live hand grenades.Thankfully, there were two professionalbomb disposal experts on the No Man'sLand crew, who defused or otherwiseremoved to a safe place these dangerousartifacts for later disposal by the Frenchmilitary.

On one occasion, everyone quicklyscrambled upwind from one of the excava­tion areas as a distinct smell was perceived(somewhat akin to garlic?) in the bottom ofone of the deep pits. While it could not bedetermined where the smell had originat­ed, nor its actual nature, there is a very realpossibility of coming across various deadlygas canisters used by both sides during theGreat War. As such, the site was bedeckedwith ribbons indicating at all times to exca­vators the current wind directions.

Excavation methods were not those I amaccustomed to employing. While trowelswere very much part of the inventory ofimplements used, the greatest part of theexcavated soil was removed with shovels,having first been loosened with pick axes.Considering the mere possibility of slam­ming the pick onto a live grenade or mor­tar bomb, it is quite amazing that this wasthe preferred excavation tool. Lookingback, however, it is easy to see that only afraction of the area that we eventually didexcavate would have been opened up iftrowels had been the main earth-movers.There were practical considerations. Thearchaeological crew was made up of volun­teers using up holiday time, and the logis­tics were being paid for by a film companywho was intent on obtaining film footage,perhaps not at the expense of safety orethics, but they were not principally inter­ested in the minutia which could have beensalvaged through the application of moredelicate techniques.

At the same time, the complexity I allud­ed to earlier meant that the only time wecould be relatively certain of dealing withdeposits relating to April 9, 1917, was when

March / April 2007

19

A hand grenade being handled after being rendered harmless by abomb disposal expert. Photo by Jean-Luc Pilon

Unused Stokes mortar bombs placed in a restricted area. awaitingdisposal by the French military. Artifacts such as these remain deadlyand continue to hurt and kill. Photo by Jean-LUG Pilon

Arch Notes 12(2)

20

The ploughzone over a section of the RCR fighting trench wasmechanically removed to expedite excavations. The outline of thetrench is clearly visible as the trench fill contained various artifactsand especially fragments of chalk, and stands out in contrast to thehomogeneous. limon of the surrounding undisturbed surface.

Photo by Jean-LUG Pilon

we found ourselves on the very bottom of the trench­es. Even then, that was no guarantee that this was thecase since mixing of artifacts from earlier uses of thetrench could easily occur there up to the moment of"going over the top'~ Yet, the refuse dragged into thetrenches after the war and the fill gathered from thesurrounding battlefield still has a story to tell. Afterall, archaeology is mostly about finding refuse, docu­menting its contexts and interpreting its significance.The imperatives of a documentary film impose diffi­cult choices, much like the excavation of a multi­component, stratified site does. If we are interestedonly in the earlier component, do we plough throughthe later layers without regard for the story they haveto tell? If there is a limited budget andespecially a finite amount of time allocatedfor the excavation, can we limit the filmfootage to good examples of fine excava­tion techniques but few discoveries andresults relating to the theme of the docu­mentary?

Over the course of the week of excava­tions, a remarkable quantity of artifacts wasrecovered. In addition to live ammunition,bullets and casings, live grenades and mor­tar bombs, a wide range of military arti­facts were recovered including shrapnelartillery shell casing fragments, artilleryshell fuses, bottles and bottle glass, rumjars, tobacco and cigarette tins, barbed wirefragments, French uniform buttons, aFrench helmet, wheels from a cart used ona wooden track in the Commons Tunnel, areinforced air hose common up from thetunnel, innumerable corned beef andpetrol tins, strands of communication wire,mortar detonation devices, grenade andmortar pins, a human femur, a human footin the remains of a boot and other uniden­tified items.

Especially in the lower reaches of thetrenches, most of the artifacts are believedto relate to the last group of soldiers to haveused these trenches, the Canadians, yetincredibly there was only one artifactwhich clearly indicated there had beenCanadians among there: a single, curving,corroded brass shoulder title, with letters

March / April 2007

spelling out the word CANADA raised from theobverse face. Otherwise, the items found were mostlyof British manufacture.

This is not surprising as the CanadianExpeditionary Force received most of its supplies andequipment from British sources if not directly fromthe British army. We must also remember that whileCanadians note with justifiable pride the concertedefforts of its four divisions at Vimy Ridge, there werealso British soldiers advancing on the ridge that day.Moreover, the artillery support was heavily Britishand the creeping barrage they provided was crucial tothe success of the day.

Occasionally, some German and French bullet cas-

Arch Notes 12(2)

,

21

ings were recovered as well, reminding us of the ear­lier contest to control this strategic ridge. Of course,some of the more ubiquitous items such as shell frag­ments and barbed wire could also relate to theseother soldiers.

A Question of PerspectiveThe Battle of Vimy Ridge is many things to manypeople. For Canadians, it is a critical moment in ourevolving sense of nationhood. For the British, thiswas part of a larger offensive, the Battle of Arras,which began on Easter Monday 1917 and continuedon until the middle of May. From their perspective,no strategic breakthrough was achieved overall. Forthe Germans, the loss of Vimy Ridge was a majorblow and the beginning of the end. Thus, perspectiveplays such an important role in interpreting the verysame 'set of events and facts. No single interpretationis any more valid than the next, a lesson we do well toremember.

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