The archaeological work in the Wemindji territory is a part of the Paakumshumwaau-Wemindji Protected Area Project, which is working to establish a culturally appropriate protected area around the Old Factory Watershed among others.

The excavations are taking place on Old Factory Lake (52°48'N,77°32'W) at the head of the watershed. The lake is surrounded by a Boreal forest which is recovering from a 1989 forest fire. The region is experiencing relatively high amounts of iso-static rebound (roughly 1.3 m/century) due to it being glaciated up until 8000BP by one of the main Laurentide ice domes. Old Factory Lake was submerged by the Tyrell Sea just after glacial retreat and then temporarily became an isolated marine inlet (more here). Today the lake is 75 km inland, and 100m above, the coast of James Bay.

Several field seasons have been spent on Old Factory Lake. The first season in 2005 uncovered a small site with historic and prehistoric remains, in three or four occupation layers. The second season in 2006 revealed what may be a large, semi-permanent occupation on a large terrace. An interesting and unique stone circle was also found on a point overlooking the lake. The third season in 2007 continued work on the terrace and located our first ceramic finds. This year we also began coring bogs within the Wemindji territory to study the 7000 year trend of environmental change and to create a better uplift curve. The fourth season in 2008 located a quartz quarry used in prehistory, and saw the beginning of bathymetry mapping of Old Factory Lake in preparation for a deep lake core. In the fifth season in 2009 we investigated a series of mounds and located a new site near the lake's mouth. During the 2010 field season we surveyed a number of paleo-shorelines between Old Factory Lake and the modern James Bay coast.

Follow the links to find out more about each year's discoveries and the projects and papers that have come out of the excavation.