A 200,000-Item Anomaly in a Saskatchewan Valley
In 2024, slope-remediation work in Moose Jaw’s Wakamow Valley exposed an unusually dense archaeological deposit at the Garratt Site (EcNj-7). Salvage excavation produced nearly 200,000 catalogued specimens from a compact floodplain zone.
Most of the count is fragmented bone and industrial debris — consistent with intensive bison processing and grease rendering. But several signals stand out: bison scapula hoes, maize starch residue preserved in carbonized food crusts on pottery, and extensive use of Knife River Flint sourced from North Dakota.
The central question is whether corn was simply traded north — or whether people here were conducting small-scale horticultural experiments at the northern edge of what was thought possible.
Key Findings from the Salvage
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Nearly 200,000 specimens High-density salvage excavations at the Garratt Site recovered close to 200,000 catalogued items from roughly 72 m² of excavation plus 117 shovel tests.
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Bison scapula hoes Modified bison shoulder blades show polish and striations consistent with tilling — not just scraping hides — matching Plains agricultural tools used hundreds of kilometers to the south.
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Maize starch in pottery Starch grain analysis detected maize (corn) residue in carbonized food crusts on Avoncela-period ceramics from the site, indicating corn was cooked here around 1,500 years ago.
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Knife River Flint Lithic sourcing points to Knife River Flint from North Dakota, tying Moose Jaw into wider Plains trade networks.
The Wakamow Valley Microclimate
The Garratt Site sits on a sheltered floodplain in the Wakamow Valley, a noticeable contrast to the exposed, wind-scoured uplands around Moose Jaw. Valley walls act as a windbreak, trapping slightly warmer air in winter and concentrating moisture and vegetation along the river corridor.
Floodplain alluviation repeatedly buried occupation surfaces under fine silt, creating the layer cake stratigraphy that lets archaeologists stack cultural change from Besant through Avoncela and into later phases. Each buried occupation layer is separated by relatively sterile flood deposits, giving the site an unusually clean vertical timeline.
What the Excavation Actually Found
Most of the ~200,000 specimens are not intact artifacts but heavily fragmented bone and lithic debris — exactly what you would expect from an intensive grease-rendering and butchering floor where bison carcasses were systematically broken down into pemmican, marrow, and exportable products.
Within that industrial noise, several signal pieces stood out:
- Bison scapula tools with polish and striations consistent with hoe use
- Ceramic sherds with carbonized food crusts containing maize starch
- A stratified sequence of Besant and Avoncela ceramics and projectile points
- Knife River Flint indicating distant or active trade links
Trade Goods or Local Experiment?
One of the key questions is whether Garratt represents imported farming products or local horticultural experimentation.
Trading south for dried corn is plausible. But heavy bone hoes are tools of production, not a typical trade good if corn was only being imported. Combined with sheltered floodplain soils, the probability shifts toward small-scale gardening experiments — not industrial agriculture, but test plots near camp.
Garratt vs. Wanuskewin: Two Very Different “200,000s”
The Garratt Site is often compared to Wanuskewin because both are associated with a “200,000 artifact” figure, but the similarity ends at the number.
- Wanuskewin accumulated roughly 200,000 artifacts over decades across many localities.
- Garratt reached ~200,000 specimens through concentrated salvage at a compact, stratified location.
Open Questions and Ongoing Work
Several lines of evidence remain under analysis:
- Seeds recovered may clarify whether crops were cultivated locally or processed as imports.
- Further residue work on ceramics may indicate how often maize appeared in meals.
- Additional excavation could clarify whether the 200,000 count reflects short intense episodes or slower accumulation.