This section will briefly highlight key archaeological sites found primarily in the region of Scarborough and the surrounding area. The following sites have contributed to our knowledge of the pre-settlement history of Scarborough. Archeologists Walter Kenyon and David Boyle led the charge in contributing to our understanding of these sites. Despite the abundance of sites found in Scarborough, we have focused our research on eight key sites;
- Tabor Hill (Dated to 14th century), Excavated 1956
- Draper Site (Dated to 15th Century), Excavated 1978
- Parson Site (Dated to late 15th century), Excavated 1990
- Alexandria Site (Dated to 15th Century), Excavated 2000
- Elliot Site
- Robb Site
- Millroy Site
- Rouge Hill Stables Site
Parson Site
Location: Finch Avenue and Keele Street intersection overlooking the Black Creek
Date Excavated: August 17, 1956
Document: John Morrison, Parsons Site (Refer to B008 in Archival Guide)
The Parson Site remains a landmark discovery that highlights the history of one the largest prehistoric site of a Huron Village. Archeologists have been able to date the site to 1350 AD. The location of this village was strategically placed in a mid-point of North-South trade routes. The artifacts discovered at this site contain various delicate artifacts such as smoking pipes, agricultural tools, and pottery. Archeologists were also able to identify the dietary composition of the inhabitants. Some of these items include corn, sweet potatoes, and baked beans. Large items such as snowshoes, moccasins and platinum alloy have also been discovered at this site. The abundance of archaeological material found at the Parson site can be attributed to the excellent preservation of such a large village.
In comparison to other sites discovered during this time period, the Parson site was relatively undisturbed. The figure below shows items like clay cooking vessel and flint arrow points discovered at the Parson site. For more information, please refer to John R. Morrison’s Pre-Historic Settlements in North York.
(Morrison 1982, p. 21)( Refer to B008 in Archival Guide). Artifacts found in Parsons
Alexandria Site
Location: Near Present Day Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School
Date Excavated: 2000
Document: Professor Emerson, Early Indian Inhabitants of Scarborough Township (Refer to B010 in Archival Guide)
Located in North Scarborough, the Alexandria Site is the former home of a Huron-Wendat village. Archeologists were able to identify evidence of longhouses, sweat lodges and garbage pits. The discovery of the longhouses allowed researchers to unearth nearly twenty-thousand artifacts being uncovered. Some of these items included bone awls, bone beads, ground stone axes and pottery fragments. The site also contained remnants of seashells beads, which were significant to the trade networks of the Indigenous people of the region. These trade networks allowed for different Indigenous and European groups to participate in material exchange. The picture below shows the configuration of longhouses found at the Alexandria Site. More information pertaining to Alexandria Site is available at the Scarborough Archives.
(Plummer 2008, p. 3) (Refer to B012 of Archival Guide) Recreation of Alexandria Site
Draper Site
Location: Near Dufferin West
Date of Excavation:1978
Document: William S. Donaldson, Archeological Research in the Rouge (Refer to B001 of Archival Guide)
Located near Dufferin West, the Draper site was a pre-settlement Indigenous site with both Eastern Iroquoian and Huron influences. The artifacts discovered at this site shows the culture from a hunting and gathering lifestyle to the transition to a farming community. This could be seen based on evidence non-artifactual items found at the site. This shows a clear transition by indigenous people from a hunting society to a more farm based economy. The Draper site slowly grew from a small village into a larger community which at its peak housed over 2000 people.
Tabor Hill
Location: Lawrence Avenue East and Bellamy Road
Date of Excavation: August 17 1956
Document: Professor Emerson, Early Indian Inhabitants of Scarborough Township (Refer to B006 of Archival Guide)
The Tabor Hill site is well-known for the discovery of an ossuaries and a mass graves associated with Huron traditions of the “Feast of the Dead”. The Feast of the Dead is both a ritual for the dead, and a celebration for the deceased. Tabor Hill site was located on the Northern edge of the Highland Creek nearly 400 years ago. This site highlights the period of early contact between the Indigenous peoples and the European settlers. Early traders and Jesuit missionaries left markings and evidence of their existence at the Tabor Hill. Jesuits frequently kept logs and diaries which they had sent back home to their leaders for review. The remnants of these writings were found near Tabor Hill which showed early hospitality towards the Jesuits as seen in the below image.
Professor Emerson, 1896 (B006). Diaries of Jesuits which spoke about Tabor Hill.
Elliot Site
Location: Clay Loam Hills
Date of Excavation: Unknown
Document: William S. Donaldson, Archeological Research in the Rouge (Refer to B001 of Archival Guide)
The Elliot site is located near the Clay Loam Hills, borders the small streams of the Highland Creek. Remarkably, the discovery of this site allowed for the collection of intact material culture to be recovered. A variety of clay pots and vases were found on the site. Among them, two of the rims were built with two bluntly pointed castels, which were the only type present on the site. Judging by the material unearthed at the Elliot Site, it seems that their main diet contained mostly of fish. Other than fish bones, a variety of mammal bones and charred corn were also unearthed. This site highlights the different aspects of hunting and how the proximity of the village to the Highland Creek streams influenced the inclusion of fish as a primary food source of the locals dietary composition.
Robb Site
Location: Rouge Area
Date of Excavation: Unknown
Document: William S. Donaldson, Archeological Research in the Rouge (Refer to B001 of Archival Guide)
Bordering the Rouge Valley, the Robb site is relatively unknown despite the excavation of 2000 sq ft by archaeologists. Shallow fire pits, along with three large boulders, were found at the base of the camp which were used to grind down corn. Tools like axes and chisels were unearthed providing insight into the hunting and gathering practices of the residents of the site. Archaeologists at the Farity Ossuary, which was discovered east of the Robb site, have also found the mass burial of 300 individuals. These individuals were buried with remnants of fish vertebrae and flint scrapers as grave goods. The remains of the skeletons have been placed at the University of Toronto for study. Some grave goods seemed to be missing, and there is clear evidence of looting of the upper levels which could explain the missing items.
Millroy Site
Location: Steeles Avenue
Date of Excavation: Unknown
Document: William S. Donaldson, Archeological Research in the Rouge (Refer to B001 of Archival Guide)
The Millroy site lies between the two creeks of Little Rouge and Petticoat. It is around 300 yards away from present-day Steeles Avenue. This site is known for its vast number of artifacts such as 30 rimsherds, 9 Huron incised, and variety of clay pipes. The clay pipes were formed with twisted grass as well as body parts of a lizard.
Rouge Hill Stables Site
Located: Sheppard Avenue
Date of Excavation: Unknown
Document: Dana R. Pulton, Report: Rural Route 1 (Refer to B005 of Archival Guide)
The Rouge Hill Stables Site is situated near Sheppard Avenue. Plans to build a hotel near the site were halted during the initial construction stages upon the discovery of human remains. The Rouge Hill Stables was originally a cemetery and burial site belonging to the Seneca people. This cemetery is one of the few remaining burial sites left in Ontario belonging to the Seneca people. Other sites in the vicinity have all been destroyed as a result of urban expansion. Sadly, the Rouge Hill Stable site is one of the last remaining Seneca cemeteries thus emphasizing the need for increased protection against the destruction of this site.