Independent Archaeological Consultant and M.A. Candidate
My main research interests involve the settlement patterning of housepit villages in the Mid-Fraser region of B.C., Canada. Specifically I am examining the differences in housepit and settlement sizes, what social/political/environmental factors drive their growth and what is the cause for the discrepancies in their sizes. Supervisors: Bob Muir
Above: (Figure 5) Excavations at ST 109 (Photo by Jon Sheppard). With the primary goal of trainin... more Above: (Figure 5) Excavations at ST 109 (Photo by Jon Sheppard). With the primary goal of training students in archaeological field techniques, we had four primary projects 1) mapping the McKay Creek site, 2) digitally mapping the Keatley Creek site 3) exploring some of the cultural depressions on Terrace I, and 4) excavating structure 109 (hereafter ST I 09). Each of these projects is discussed below.
The 2006 SFU archaeology field school at Keatley Creek established our base camp in the gully at ... more The 2006 SFU archaeology field school at Keatley Creek established our base camp in the gully at Keatley Creek in the Fraser Canyon north of Lillooet on June 12. Our extended family of approximately 18 settled into our shade-less gully for a summer of excavation and surveying in the hottest region in the country. With the Primary goal of training students in archaeological field techniques, we had four primary projects 1) mapping the McKay Creek site, 2) digitally mapping the Keatley Creek site, 3) testing some of the cultural depressions on Terrace 1, and 4) excavating structure 109 (HP109). Each of these projects is discussed within.
The following is an analysis of the distribution of the faunal remains and bone artifacts from th... more The following is an analysis of the distribution of the faunal remains and bone artifacts from the Kamloops Horizon occupational floor of Housepit (HP) 109, a structure located on the periphery of the Keatley Creek (EeRl-7) site on the Canadian Plateau’s mid-Fraser region. During the summer of 2006, Simon Fraser University’s archaeological field school conducted excavations of the housepit, in an attempt to determine the function of this structure.
Combining the faunal data collected from these excavations, with data from the 1989 and 1998 excavations of this housepit, and comparing this to samples of domestic and non-domestic structures within the Keatley Creek site, it appears likely that HP109 functioned as a non-domestic structure, probably used for secret society ceremonies. This was determined through the spatial distribution of the structure, the separation of HP109 from the core of the site, high densities of fish and artiodactyl elements, the emphasis of canid remains, as well as the presence of unique and rare features, fauna, and artifacts. All of these characteristics are comparable to other ritual structures at the site of Keatley Creek.
The majority of the excavations conducted at Keatley Creek have focused on the Late Shuswap Horiz... more The majority of the excavations conducted at Keatley Creek have focused on the Late Shuswap Horizon through Early Kamloops Horizion occupations of the site, a period referred to by Hayden as ‘Classic Lillooet’ (ca. 2400 BP to 1100 BP). More recently, researchers have begun to focus on the later occupations of the site, those dating to the ‘Late Kamloops’ and ‘Protohistoric’ period (ca. 400 to 200 BP), which appear to be best represented by features located around the periphery of the village. This report presents details of investigations conducted of one such structure, ‘ST109’, and adjacent features. The excavations took place during the summer of 2006 as part of SFU’s annual archaeological field school. The primary research goal of the 2006 excavations was to further our understanding of the age, nature and function of the cultural depression (CD) features situated on ‘Terrace I’ at the northern periphery of the Keatley Creek village site. This area was subjected to limited excavation in 1988, 1989, and 1998 during investigations directed by Brian Hayden as part of the Fraser River Investigations into Corporate Group Archaeology Project and subsequent projects. Based on these investigations Hayden has proposed that ST109 and the surrounding area acted as a specialized communal ritual activity area, exhibiting evidence of a ‘prepared floor’, ‘ritual items’, dog remains, and ‘unusual storage facilities’; however, the small sample of artifacts recovered from ST109 and limited extent of excavations previously conducted in this area limited confidence in these interpretations. We hoped that additional excavation would provide data that would strengthen our understanding of the function of ST109 and the surrounding features.
Above: (Figure 5) Excavations at ST 109 (Photo by Jon Sheppard). With the primary goal of trainin... more Above: (Figure 5) Excavations at ST 109 (Photo by Jon Sheppard). With the primary goal of training students in archaeological field techniques, we had four primary projects 1) mapping the McKay Creek site, 2) digitally mapping the Keatley Creek site 3) exploring some of the cultural depressions on Terrace I, and 4) excavating structure 109 (hereafter ST I 09). Each of these projects is discussed below.
The 2006 SFU archaeology field school at Keatley Creek established our base camp in the gully at ... more The 2006 SFU archaeology field school at Keatley Creek established our base camp in the gully at Keatley Creek in the Fraser Canyon north of Lillooet on June 12. Our extended family of approximately 18 settled into our shade-less gully for a summer of excavation and surveying in the hottest region in the country. With the Primary goal of training students in archaeological field techniques, we had four primary projects 1) mapping the McKay Creek site, 2) digitally mapping the Keatley Creek site, 3) testing some of the cultural depressions on Terrace 1, and 4) excavating structure 109 (HP109). Each of these projects is discussed within.
The following is an analysis of the distribution of the faunal remains and bone artifacts from th... more The following is an analysis of the distribution of the faunal remains and bone artifacts from the Kamloops Horizon occupational floor of Housepit (HP) 109, a structure located on the periphery of the Keatley Creek (EeRl-7) site on the Canadian Plateau’s mid-Fraser region. During the summer of 2006, Simon Fraser University’s archaeological field school conducted excavations of the housepit, in an attempt to determine the function of this structure.
Combining the faunal data collected from these excavations, with data from the 1989 and 1998 excavations of this housepit, and comparing this to samples of domestic and non-domestic structures within the Keatley Creek site, it appears likely that HP109 functioned as a non-domestic structure, probably used for secret society ceremonies. This was determined through the spatial distribution of the structure, the separation of HP109 from the core of the site, high densities of fish and artiodactyl elements, the emphasis of canid remains, as well as the presence of unique and rare features, fauna, and artifacts. All of these characteristics are comparable to other ritual structures at the site of Keatley Creek.
The majority of the excavations conducted at Keatley Creek have focused on the Late Shuswap Horiz... more The majority of the excavations conducted at Keatley Creek have focused on the Late Shuswap Horizon through Early Kamloops Horizion occupations of the site, a period referred to by Hayden as ‘Classic Lillooet’ (ca. 2400 BP to 1100 BP). More recently, researchers have begun to focus on the later occupations of the site, those dating to the ‘Late Kamloops’ and ‘Protohistoric’ period (ca. 400 to 200 BP), which appear to be best represented by features located around the periphery of the village. This report presents details of investigations conducted of one such structure, ‘ST109’, and adjacent features. The excavations took place during the summer of 2006 as part of SFU’s annual archaeological field school. The primary research goal of the 2006 excavations was to further our understanding of the age, nature and function of the cultural depression (CD) features situated on ‘Terrace I’ at the northern periphery of the Keatley Creek village site. This area was subjected to limited excavation in 1988, 1989, and 1998 during investigations directed by Brian Hayden as part of the Fraser River Investigations into Corporate Group Archaeology Project and subsequent projects. Based on these investigations Hayden has proposed that ST109 and the surrounding area acted as a specialized communal ritual activity area, exhibiting evidence of a ‘prepared floor’, ‘ritual items’, dog remains, and ‘unusual storage facilities’; however, the small sample of artifacts recovered from ST109 and limited extent of excavations previously conducted in this area limited confidence in these interpretations. We hoped that additional excavation would provide data that would strengthen our understanding of the function of ST109 and the surrounding features.
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Papers by Jon E Sheppard
Combining the faunal data collected from these excavations, with data from the 1989 and 1998 excavations of this housepit, and comparing this to samples of domestic and non-domestic structures within the Keatley Creek site, it appears likely that HP109 functioned as a non-domestic structure, probably used for secret society ceremonies. This was determined through the spatial distribution of the structure, the separation of HP109 from the core of the site, high densities of fish and artiodactyl elements, the emphasis of canid remains, as well as the presence of unique and rare features, fauna, and artifacts. All of these characteristics are comparable to other ritual structures at the site of Keatley Creek.
Books by Jon E Sheppard
The primary research goal of the 2006 excavations was to further our understanding of the age, nature and function of the cultural depression (CD) features situated on ‘Terrace I’ at the northern periphery of the Keatley Creek village site. This area was subjected to limited excavation in 1988, 1989, and 1998 during investigations directed by Brian Hayden as part of the Fraser River Investigations into Corporate Group Archaeology Project and subsequent projects. Based on these investigations Hayden has proposed that ST109 and the surrounding area acted as a specialized communal ritual activity area, exhibiting evidence of a ‘prepared floor’, ‘ritual items’, dog remains, and ‘unusual storage facilities’; however, the small sample of artifacts recovered from ST109 and limited extent of excavations previously conducted in this area limited confidence in these interpretations. We hoped that additional excavation would provide data that would strengthen our understanding of the function of ST109 and the surrounding features.
Combining the faunal data collected from these excavations, with data from the 1989 and 1998 excavations of this housepit, and comparing this to samples of domestic and non-domestic structures within the Keatley Creek site, it appears likely that HP109 functioned as a non-domestic structure, probably used for secret society ceremonies. This was determined through the spatial distribution of the structure, the separation of HP109 from the core of the site, high densities of fish and artiodactyl elements, the emphasis of canid remains, as well as the presence of unique and rare features, fauna, and artifacts. All of these characteristics are comparable to other ritual structures at the site of Keatley Creek.
The primary research goal of the 2006 excavations was to further our understanding of the age, nature and function of the cultural depression (CD) features situated on ‘Terrace I’ at the northern periphery of the Keatley Creek village site. This area was subjected to limited excavation in 1988, 1989, and 1998 during investigations directed by Brian Hayden as part of the Fraser River Investigations into Corporate Group Archaeology Project and subsequent projects. Based on these investigations Hayden has proposed that ST109 and the surrounding area acted as a specialized communal ritual activity area, exhibiting evidence of a ‘prepared floor’, ‘ritual items’, dog remains, and ‘unusual storage facilities’; however, the small sample of artifacts recovered from ST109 and limited extent of excavations previously conducted in this area limited confidence in these interpretations. We hoped that additional excavation would provide data that would strengthen our understanding of the function of ST109 and the surrounding features.