Archaeological site, stratified.
Details of Site Location: On Lot 24, Concession 3 of Scarborough, east of Brimley Road, north of Sheppard, north of the railway tracks on the north bank of Highland Creek.
PDM: Borden # AkGt 13, easting 639,200, northing 4,850,200.
Boundary History: The site consisted of approximately 10 acres bounded as given above.
Current Use of Property: Housing, with some open space to the south.
Historical Description: This is an aboriginal village site of great importance. It was identified as Archaic Laurentian in the period that dates from 10,000 B.C. to 7,000 B.C. This was the period when aboriginal hunters stopped roaming the entire continent chasing big game such as mammoths and started to use the broad range of game within individual environments. In addition, the site has been associated with the Tabor Hill Ossuary and was inhabited again around 1250 A.D. As a post–Ice Age site of very early date, and a site of great dimensions, its importance is noted by all archaeologists. Development in the area proceeded without adequate investigation and a large part of the site has been destroyed, but there remains some archaeological potential to be investigated.
Relative Importance: Victor Konrad identified the site in 1971 and ranked it 5/5 in importance and 5/5 threatened. It is astonishing that no action was taken to fully investigate the site before permitting development of the area.
Planning Implications: In planning for the future, it is imperative that the fullest possible archaeological investigation be made of this site in order to recover and under-stand the aboriginal peoples who inhabited it over many centuries. It may be that little remains to be recovered, but that only heightens the importance of a recovery operation. Investigation should explore the full ten acres. Until such exploration has been made, it would be inappropriate to plaque the site, as there is currently insufficient evidence to present insights into aboriginal life. It should also be noted that, given the size of the site and its long use, burial sites and ossuaries that have not yet been discovered probably exist elsewhere in the region. This points to the need for archaeologists to be present at all sites being developed for the first time and sites being redeveloped after some partial disturbance.
Reference Sources: Victor A. Konrad, The Archaeological Resources of the Metropolitan Toronto Planning Area: Inventory and Prospect (Department of Geography, York University, Discussion Paper Series #10, 1973); Robert R. Bonis, A History of Scarborough (1968); Roberta O’Brien, The Prehistory of South Central Ontario (Ministry of Culture and Recreation, 1980).
Acknowledgements: Ontario Archaeological Society, Toronto Branch; Maps Project; Province of Ontario Archaeological Database.