Old campsite on Round Lake.

In July 2004, on behalf of Tyhee NWT Corp., Points West Heritage Consulting Ltd. completed archaeological assessments relative to proposed mining developments.  This project is near the old Discovery Mine, abandoned in 1969, and located approximately 85 km north of Yellowknife.  The original Discovery Mine is situated on Giauque Lake, but the two current proposed developments are on Winter Lake, known as the Discovery property (a short distance west of Giauque Lake) and on Nicholas Lake to the northeast, approximately 12 km apart.  Both properties have previously excavated exploratory shafts, which are to be reopened and developed.

Archaeological assessments were conducted of proposed development areas identified on a conceptual plan received from EBA Engineering in June 2004.  Planned facility locations are fairly preliminary, therefore, archaeological field work was aimed at providing a combination of impact assessments of those more firmly defined developments as well as overview assessments of possible development areas.  The latter were meant to provide indications of archaeological potential and to identify specific locations where fieldwork may be required.  Impact assessments consisted of pedestrian surveys together with shovel testing where necessary.  Overview assessments were completed using low and slow aerial over flights as well as pedestrian surveys of selected portions. 

Shovel testing on an esker.

Ground reconnaissance was conducted in the vicinity surrounding the proposed mine on the Discovery property, the entire perimeter of Round Lake (the proposed tailings pond), a possible waste rock storage area west of the mine site, as well as selected portions of the terrain surrounding the Nicholas mine site.  Several transects were also walked over a large, broad, rocky ridge extending west from the old Discovery Mine town site, past the current camp location to the north end of Narrow Lake.  Old mining debris and various structural remains associated with the past mining activities were found scattered over this ridge.   An esker identified as a possible gravel source southwest of Giauque Lake was also walked.  A broad exposed area at the south end was shovel tested, and an old gravel borrow at the north end contained extensive exposures that were closely inspected.

Low-level helicopter over flights were completed of the general route for a road between Discovery and Nicholas Lake properties as well as the northern two-thirds of the old winter road between Discovery property and Yellowknife.  This provided a good indication of terrain suggestive of archaeological potential where ground reconnaissance will be necessary when routes are finalized.  These landforms generally consist of elevated terrain near the larger water bodies.

Heritage resources found this season were all associated with past mining activities, with one possible exception.  Some camp remains found on the south side of Round Lake may relate to Aboriginal hunting activities, but this site did not appear to contain any evidence suggestive of a date older than 50 years.  Additional archaeological assessments will be required when locations of all ancillary developments have been finalized.