The Dorchester Site is a 15th century
Iroquoian site, just east of Dorchester, Ont., overlooking the Thames River. Long known to local people
and archaeologists alike, the site was fully excavated by TMHC in 2004.
Professional archaeologists and university students together discovered not one but two exquisitely preserved palisaded villages. Hearths and ash pits in houses and
some enormous garbage features suggested that Aboriginal peoples hunted and fished along the Thames River. Probably they also grew crops in the sandy
soils around their villages. Residential development at the Dorchester Site illustrates that we are all still attracted to the same features of the landscape that drew peoples of the past.
The Thames and its surroundings remain a focus for
habitation after all these years.
Archaeological Assessment
Archaeological assessments are completed in a staged fashion, as required by provincial government regulations. Stage 1 assessment is a detailed background study of the land use and geological history of the property and its topographic, physical and historical setting. The goal of Stage 1 assessment is to determine the potential for the discovery of archaeological sites on the property. Stage 2 assessment (or field survey) consists of a pedestrian "walk over" of ploughed fields and/or shovel testing of grassed or wooded areas. Alternative techniques are employed in the assessment of urban areas. If sites are found, Stage 3 testing may follow, usually involving test excavations to determine the size, nature and significance of the site. If the testing is productive and a site is deemed significant, Stage 4 mitigation work is conducted. This may involve negotiating avoidance measures to preserve all or part of the site in a park-like green space, partial excavation, or complete excavation. All stages of fieldwork are followed by an inventory and analysis of the artifacts recovered and the completion of an assessment report.
All archaeological consulting activities are governed by the Ontario Heritage Act and technical guidelines established by the Ontario Ministry of Culture. In Ontario, all archaeological consulting work must be conducted by a licensed archaeologist.