Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 5

Excavations at Lower Fort Garry, 1965-1967; A General Description of Excavations and Preliminary Discussions

by James V. Chism

Abstract

In 1965, 1966 and 1967 the National Historic Sites Service contracted the University of Manitoba to excavate at the site of Lower Fort Garry National Historic Park, Manitoba. This Hudson's Bay Company post was occupied by the Company from 1830 to 1911 after which it was used as a country club until the federal government opened it to the public in 1961. Twenty-two major excavations, four minor excavations and numerous tests were conducted during the three-year period. This report is a summary of that field work with correlation where possible with the documentary data bearing on each excavation. The site demonstrated the inaccuracy of the commonly accepted theory that cut nails had replaced wrought nails for general construction purposes by 1800 and a new but as yet vague chronology for this section of the continent has been suggested.