Stage 2: Property Assessment

This stage provides an overview of archaeological resources on the property and will determine whether any of the resources might be artifacts and contain archaeological sites with cultural heritage value or interest. After assessment is made, recommendation for Stage 3 can be made.

Property Assessment Results                                                       Recommended Next Step

– Archaeological sites with cultural heritage                        – Stage 3 site-specific assessment for each              value or interest found on property                                            archaeological site

– No archaeological sites with cultural heritage                  –  End of assessment                                               value or interest found on property

Things to know:

Property Survey:
On-site documentation and inventory of all archaeological resources is done through systematic means to appropriate the characteristics of the property.

The survey methods depend on the property characteristics such as the nature and extent of ground cover, the possible depth at which archaeological resources might be located and the degree and characteristics of past disturbances. Survey includes one or both of the following:

1. Pedestrian Survey: Systematic walking the property, mapping, and collecting artifacts found on the ground surface, i.e. recently open ploughed field that must be weathered by one heavy rainfall or several light rains to improve visibility, and in doing this provides total topsoil exposure of 80% visibility (possible inhibitors include crop stubble, weeds, etc.).  Archaeologists will gather enough artifacts to document the archaeological site and leaving enough in place to relocate the site if necessary to conduct further assessment.
2. Test Pit Survey: Systematic walking of the property, excavating small pits by hand at intervals and examining their contents, in areas where ploughing is NOT possible or viable:
   • Wooded areas
   • Pasture with high rock content
   • Abandoned farmland with heavy brush and weed growth
   • Orchards and vineyards that cannot be strip ploughed (planted in rows 5m apart or less), gardens, parkland, lawns, or any which will remain in use several years after the survey
   • Properties that could possibly be damaged, and that present obstacles that must be documented in sufficient detail to demonstrate that ploughing or cultivation is not viable.
   • Narrow linear survey corridors , e.g. water or gas pipelines

Analysis of identifying archaeological sites:
–          Determines the nature of archaeological  resources found
–          Measuring archaeological resources against set criteria to determine whether they are archaeological sites with cultural heritage value or interest requiring further assessment.

Standards for Property Survey:                                                                                                                                            –          Survey the entire property, including lands immediately adjacent to built structures (both intact and in ruins)
–          Survey is NOT required:

Lands are evaluated as having no or low potential based on Stage 2 identification of physical features are not present or have low archaeological potential:

• Permanently wet areas
• Exposed bedrock
• Steep slopes (greater than 20Ÿ) except in locations that contain pictographs or petroglyphs
• Lands evaluated as having no or low potential based on Stage 2 identification of extensive and deep land alteration that has damages the integrity of archaeological resources
• Lands have been recommended to not require Stage 2 assessment by a Stage 1 report, where the y ministry has accepted the Stage 1 report into the Ontario Public Register of Archaeological Reports
• Land has been designated for forest management activity without potential for impacts to archaeological sites, as determines through the Stage 1 forest management plans process
• Lands are formally prohibited from alteration, e.g. prohibitive zoning
• If lands are being transferred to a public land-holding body, e.g. municipality, conservation authority, provincial agency (does NOT apply to lands for future contemplated transfer)

–          Survey of the property when weather and lighting conditions permit good visibility of land features and this will reduce the chance of finding evidence of archaeological resources.
–          Using the Global Positioning System (GPS):

• All diagnostic artifacts
• Sufficient artifacts to provide an estimate of the limits of the archaeological site
• All fixed reference landmarks

–          Map of all field activities, e.g. extent and location of survey methods, survey intervals, in reference to fixed landmarks, survey stakes and development markers. Mapping MUST be accurate to 5m or the best scale available using the best mapping system that achieves this accuracy.
–          Photo-documentation of all field conditions encountered, e.g. ploughed fields, etc.
–          DO NOT USE HEAVY MACHINERY, e.g. gas-powered augers, backhoes, to remove soil, except when removing sterile or recent fill covering areas where it has been determined that there is the potential for deeply buried or sealed archaeological sites

“When determining whether archaeological sites require Stage 3 assessment, bear in mind that Aboriginal communities may have an interest in the identification of all Aboriginal archaeological sites that may be affected. Where a consultant archaeologist assess an Aboriginal archaeological site as meeting the criteria for Stage 3 and as clearly having cultural heritage value or interest, with a high potential to go to Stage 4, informing interested Aboriginal communities at the end of Stage 2 is recommended first step toward preparing for their engagement in Stage 3. Early engagement with relevant Aboriginal communities is strongly recommended. “

Analysis of determining the requirement for Stage 3 assessment:
Archaeological resources must present cultural heritage value or interest to meet the definitions of “artifact” and “archaeological site” under the Ontario Heritage Act:
–          Artifacts, groups of artifacts or archaeological sites that meet the following criteria require Stage 3 assessment:

• Pre-contact diagnostic artifacts or a concentration of artifacts or both:
  • Within a 10x10m pedestrian survey area:
    • At least one diagnostic artifact or fire cracked rock in addition to two or more non-diagnosed artifacts
    • In areas north or east of the Niagara Escarpment, at least five non-diagnostic artifacts
    • In areas on or west of the Niagara Escarpment at least 10 non-diagnostic artifacts
  • Within a 10x10m pedestrian survey area:
  • At least one diagnostic artifact from combined test put and test unit excavations
  • At least five non-diagnostic artifacts from combined  test pit and test unit excavations
• Single examples of artifacts of special interest:
  • Aboriginal ceramics
  • Exotic or period-specific cherts
  • An isolated Paleo-Indian or Early Archaic diagnostic artifact
• Post-contact archaeological sites containing at least 20 artifacts that date to the period of use to before 1900.
• Twentieth century archaeological sites where background documentation or archaeological features indicate possible cultural heritage value or interest.
• Presence of Human Remains.