Local archaeologist donates collections to Canadian Museum of CivilizationHull, Quebec, April 9, 1998 — The Canadian Museum of Civilization's collection of archaeological artifacts from the national capital region is unequalled in quality and quantity, thanks to a recent donation from local amateur archaeologist Gordon Watson.
Mr. Watson, a resident of Ottawa and longtime avocational archaeologist, has donated to the Museum his collection of archaelogical material excavated over the past 25 years. It consists of over 20,000 artifacts from 38 archaeological sites, documenting more than 8,000 years of Native history in the Rideau Lakes - Constance Bay area of Eastern Ontario.
When asked why he chose to give his collection to the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC), Mr. Watson explained that "the Museum has the best facilities to store and maintain the collection and to provide public access."
He continues to study the collections as a research associate at the CMC. Mr. Watson took up the study of archaeology after retiring from the Department of National Defence in 1975, and has since earned a Masters degree in the subject from Trent University.
With the previous acquisition of collections from the upper Ottawa Valley excavated by Clyde Kennedy, another devoted amateur archaeologist, the Museum now has unparalleled archaeological collections from the national capital region.
Dr. David Morrison, Chief Curator of the Archaeology Division at CMC, praised Watson's work as he expressed the Museum's thanks for the donation. "The value of this collection is a direct result of the professional quality of Gordon Watson's excavation practices and meticulous record taking," said Morrison. "The work of devoted avocational archaeologists such as Gordon Watson advances us immeasurably in our study of early Canadian history."
The most significant items in the Watson collection were found during major excavations at six archaeological sites, the most fruitful being the Wyght site in the Rideau Lakes area. For thousands of years, these sites were used as seasonal camps by the Native people who lived in the region and travelled along its waterways.
The collection includes chipped and ground stone tools — such as knives, scrapers, weapon tips, and adze blades — as well as enormous numbers of broken ceramic cooking pots. The most visually impressive item in the Watson collection is probably a large reconstructed ceramic vessel from the Constance Bay site, dating to about 2,500 years ago. Tools and artifacts made of wood, skin, bark, and bone rarely survive because of the antiquity of the sites and the acidic nature of local soils.
Participating in two major archaeological surveys, Mr. Watson and colleagues identified 60 other sites in the vicinity showing signs of prehistoric occupation.
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