Archaeological site.

Details of Site Location: A woodlot at Huntingwood Drive, west of McCowan Avenue and north of Sheppard Avenue, 600 m northeast of Agincourt Village on a tributary of Highland Creek.

PDM: Borden # AkGt 2 and 4, easting 639500, northing 4850650.

Boundary History: The site consists of from 3 to 6 acres.

Current Use of Property: Housing development.

Historical Description: This site was identified as a Middle Woodland site of the Uren period and Iroquoian in culture. The Uren period lasted from 1450 to 1300 B.C. Excavations were made by William Donaldson and Dr. C.A. Clarke in 1960. The Indians occupying the site stayed there for the short summer period and did not erect palisades around their encampment. They cultivated corn and tobacco, and made pottery objects for small children. It is not known whether this campsite had repeated use seasonally, or whether it was used in a single season. As demonstrated at other locations, Indians made use of the same campsites, regardless of culture, often over many centuries. This site may be one of those. As development of the subdivision began, the site was excavated, looted, and finally totally destroyed by the developers. Given to the size of the area and potential stratification, there remains a potential for archaeology.

Relative Importance: Konrad in 1971 ranked the site 4/5 in importance, and 5/5 threatened.

Planning Implications: Although excavated and largely destroyed, there is need for a definitive archaeological analysis of the area to determine whether anything remains and whether the site is stratified. A survey should include tracing the route of the tributary and examination of this route for its archaeological potential. Burial sites, other camp-sites, and middens are all possibilities. The area should be flagged. After investigation, the area should be plaqued to reflect the information gathered about the site and its people.

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); Barbara Myrvold, The People of Scarborough – A History (Scarborough Public Library, 1997).

Acknowledgements: Maps Project; Ontario Archaeological Society, Toronto Branch.