The Oxbow site is located on a low terrace along the north bank of the Little Southwest Miramichi River, 1 km west of its confluence with the Northwest Miramichi, Northumberland County, New Brunswick. The present day Mi'kmaq community of Metepenagiag, formerly Red Bank First Nation, lies opposite the Oxbow along the river's south bank. Strategically situated at the river's head-of-tide, Oxbow is a deeply stratified Maritime Woodland period village site. It was discovered in the early 1970s by the late Joseph M. Augustine.
An avid reader, nationally recognized trapper (by the Hudson's Bay Company), hunter and former Chief, Mr. Augustine had a keen interest both in his Mi'kmaq past and in the future of his community. Joe Augustine's discovery and subsequent reporting of the Oxbow site and of the nearby Augustine Mound led to over a decade of joint archaeological research by provincial archaeologists and Metepenagiag First Nation.
The Oxbow site was first tested in 1977. Its outstanding cultural heritage value was immediately recognized. The site contained over 2.5 m of pre-European cultural deposits. The site follows the river for circa 200 m and ranges between 40 m and 80 m wide. Working cooperatively with Metepanagiag crews extensive Oxbow excavations were conducted throughout the summers of 1978, 1979 and 1984. Although large scale, these excavations examined less than 2% of the site's known area.
Sandwiched between clean bands of river-deposited sands and silts, old village living floors were easily identified and loaded with artifacts from everyday life. Excepting charred vegetable and bone matter, the vast majority of artifacts recovered from the living floors and their associated hearths were remnants of pottery vessels and stone tools such as projectile points, scrapers and axes. Other items such as fragments of stone pipes and gaming discs offered a glimpse of early Mi'kmaq recreation.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/oxbow-archaeological-site/
The Augustine Mound is another Red Bank site that demonstrates early Mi’kmaq links with other regions. The Mound, discovered by the late Joseph Augustine, is a sacred ceremonial area where burials took place nearly 2500 years ago. The earth mound, the types of burials and the artifacts from the same suggest that a complicated trading system existed between the Miramichi Mi’kmaq and other Aboriginal groups from as far away as central Ohio. Sacred spiritual ceremonies and related items including polished stone smoking pipes, large and small copper beads, shell necklaces and beautifully-made flint knives were exchanged. The Mound continues to provide Mi’kmaq and other Native people with a spiritual sanctuary and a place for prayer and ceremonies.
http://www.gnb.ca/0007/heritage/oxbow/archaeology2.html
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