The Excavation of a Stone Cairn Cache in Southern Saskatchewan

Abstract

In 2018, a stone cairn was discovered on a prominent hilltop in the Missouri Coteau in southern Saskatchewan, not an uncommon discovery. Due to potential impacts from development, a salvage excavation commenced which included the excavation of the entire stone cairn structure and additional subsurface testing in the immediate area. A preliminary interpretation for the stone cairn was its functional use as a navigational marker; however, the initial interpretation was retracted upon the discovery of a cache cavity within the unexpectedly large structure of the stone cairn. Had the excavation not occurred, the stone cairn may have been misinterpreted; this is a common issue at stone cairn sites across the northern Plains.