FAQS: Aboriginal History Unit
How deep do you dig?
The short answer is: it depends on the site, specifically, where the site is located and how often it was used.
The depth of a site is determined in part by how much soil is deposited. In some areas, such as exposed areas on the plains or in the boreal forest of northern Saskatchewan, very little soil builds up over the years. It can also be easily removed by wind erosion in the south and by forest fires in the north. For example, tipi ring sites can be found right on the surface; whenever they are excavated, the units are usually no more than 15-20 cm deep.
However, in other areas, such as the valleys of rivers that flood frequently, sites can be very deep because each flood deposits some sediment over the remains of each occupation. The Long Creek site on the Souris River was almost 5 m deep because of the numerous floods.
Sites that have been used only once are usually very shallow, but sites that have been used repeatedly can be very deep. Bison kill sites are an example of that latter kind of site. The Gull Lake site was used repeatedly over a 2000 year period, and was almost 7 m deep.
Because archaeologists never know how deep a site is when they first start excavating, they always dig a few test units before beginning the full scale excavation.
For further information contact the Curator of Aboriginal History
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