Public excavation event a success
Jun 24, 2009 - 12:15 PM
By Kristen Calis
PICKERING -- Plates, cutlery, toys, dolls, buckles and buttons were just some of the articles dug up at the Claremont Field Centre recently.
The First Claremont Archaeology Festival held by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority allowed the public to join in an excavation of an 1870s-era homestead in the area at Westney Road and Concession 7. About 300 people were on site in total for the rare opportunity this month, said the authority's lead archeologist Cathy Crinnion.
"The project was a great experience and we love to do public archaeology and raise public awareness," she said.
The property was first discovered last summer when students of the conservation authority's Boyd Archaeological Field School uncovered some fieldstone at the centre. The summer course allows students to earn a Grade 12 university prep credit in interdisciplinary studies. It's been offered for 33 years, but has run out of the actual field centre for the past five.
"It was a nice surprise," she said, of finding the site right at the centre.
While rural residents enjoyed the dig at the public event, they weren't too surprised with the items found because they've probably seen similar things on their farms, Ms. Crinnion said. But it was quite different for urban residents.
"I think the more urban people were very surprised," she said.
Digging up such items tells an incomplete story, she said, because essentially, they're things the family left behind. For example, whether the china was imported tells if the family was well off financially.
But after some digging in archives as well, the pieces started to come together at the old homestead. It turns out the owner of the home, George Graham, was a blacksmith. He had six children with his first wife; he remarried after his first wife died young and had 10 more children.
"In total, he had 16 children that grew up there," Ms. Crinnion said.
In fact, two of Mr. Graham's great-grandchildren contacted Boyd School after seeing the information online.
"It's really interesting because the family actually comes to life," she said.
The next public event will hopefully take place this fall, Ms. Crinnion said.
For highlights of the festival, visit
www.boydfieldschool.org/festival. For information on upcoming events, call the TRCA at 416-661-6600.
There are still a few spaces available in this summer's archaeology course, which runs from Sunday, July 26 to Saturday, Aug. 15.
To register or for information:
Website:
www.boydfieldschool.orgPhone: 416-661-6600, ext. 5323
E-mail:
extccrinnion@trca.on.ca.
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