An ancient petroform, or formation of stones from 500BC was uncovered at Constance Bay in 1970.
When you think of Ottawa history, you probably think of the early 1800’s, the days when logging was a booming industry and the Rideau canal was being constructed. While most of Ottawa’s history is relegated to only the last 200 years, there is a relatively unknown history to this region that far surpasses that timeline by thousands of years. A history that includes an ancient civilization that flourished along the shores of the Ottawa River. Remnants of their existence are still out there waiting to be found. Objects used by this civilization represent a fascinating and overlooked part of our area’s rich and unexplored history.
Ancient pots have been found just sitting in the crevices of Luskville cliffs, forged copper weapons from 6,000 years ago have been found on an Ottawa River island near Pembroke. Area artifacts slowly being uncovered show a vast ancient trade network with distant regions that seem weirdly unlikely. Exotic materials in these objects show them originating from as far away as the tip of Labrador and the far reaches of a Lake Superior island where an ancient copper mine produced 99% pure copper to a widespread group of ancient civilizations in the Americas.
A 2,000 year old knife found near Ottawa was was made from a type of stone only found in Ohio, USA. Granted, the Ottawa area provides water access to a variety of areas through the Rideau river, the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes and beyond. Likewise, visitors from those places could have visited the Ottawa area.
One such example of this ancient past is the the accidental discovery of relics from the period of 500BC during the summer of 1969 near Constance Bay. Yes, 500BC…2,500 years ago.
It happened when a cottage was being built on the shores of the Ottawa River, unearthing objects that led to an archeological excavation in 1970. I came across the original archeology report of this ancient find and what it revealed is a unique and compelling history of our area. You can read the entire 1970 archeological report on this extraordinary find here.
The original 1970 archeological sketch of the Constance Bay site.
A sample of the items recovered from the site.
The ensuing dig in 1970 produced ceramics, stone tools, fragments of copper, galena, mica and bone, hearth features, and an apparent red-ochre burial site marked by a possible petroform (arranged stone formation). The radiocarbon dating of charcoal found at the site place the site and its relics around 490 B.C. ± 75 , when Middle Woodland tribes were congregating along the waterways of what is now Ontario and Quebec.
Our ancient site is located at the tip of Constance Bay where it meets a small creek, only about 40km west of Ottawa. This area has been linked to other historical artifacts, such as bayonets and cannons from the 17th century along with other post-contact native artifacts. Located a few metres from the sandy beach area of the bay, archeologists in 1970 surveyed and studied the site, noting hundreds of relics that were found in the vicinity of the camp, including shards of marked pottery that were used to recreate how an archaic vessel, over 2500 years old, would have looked.
Pottery fragments from a 2,500 year old vessel found in 1970.
Of particular interest, a petrofrom, or an arrangement of stones that denote a special use area, was also uncovered. Speculation that is may have been part of a burial ritual was substantiated by the discovery of mica dust and red ochre, sprinkled over the buried dead and the remains of organic material in the area. This mysterious stone formation and the ancient site has since been subject to development and remains once again lost in time.
An ancient petroform, or formation of stones, was uncovered at Constance Bay in 1970.
I drove out to visit the site and was met by cottages and monster homes that cover the area where the 2,500 year old site would have been. Discovered only 45 years ago, the site seems to be lost once again into the depths of time, without any plaque or indication of the fascinating history that once occurred there.
Do more of these ancient sites exist in the area? Perhaps there are more mysterious stone formations and relics waiting to be found in the woods and shorelines of the Ottawa Valley, secrets to an ancient past that may someday be uncovered in our own backyards.
The ancient site area as it looked in 2013.
Sources:
http://www.ontarioarchaeology.on.ca/publications/pdf/oa18-1-watson.pdf
http://www.ottawariver.org/pdf/04-ch2-2.pdf
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OTTAWA REWIND 
If you would like to have a plaque or something erected, I would be happy to assist, since it appears I may now be the owner of a good piece of that site!
I was trying to place the “as it looked in 2013” photo to no avail but I am guessing that this is somewhere near the end of Allbirch Drive…
Please let me know if you are interested, I am!
Mark Lilienthal
243/253 Monty Drive
Constance Bay…
Thanks Mark, you have a historic piece of land.
I remember watching Mr. Watson conducting this dig. He was actually in the process of preparation for an out building at his existing cottage when he first came upon the first artifacts. Thinking back further, I remember an old man, 6 or 7 years earlier, who used to comb the beach for arrowheads, quite successfully.
Wow! Very cool….that is a great piece of history you witnessed. Keep your eyes peeled for anything else that may be hidden under the sands of time.
I found I belive and old pirate blade. It was found in my flower garden. I live in constance bay.
Where do I find out about it
Hi Kim, I sent you an email and await your reply. Thanks.
The explanation of these historical finds are found in ‘The Book of Mormon’ you can download “LDS scriptures” for free and read for yourself. With the dating of those artifacts… the civilisation in question is called the “Jaredites” read in the Book of Mormon in the heading “Ether” to learn about those people. Read the rest of the book to find out the real history of the North American Continent that has been covered up by government and Smithsonian and everyone in between.
There are many of these sites in the Laurentains north of St.Jovite, a group from Mc Gill of which my husband I were part of studied these circle of stones, & stone arrangements. There is also large caves with smoke holes exactly like the caves found in Ireland & Wales! I also like to know why the archeologists are so ready to cover all this up and declare the Indians the first people here!
Hello Ms. Davidson, thanks for your note and your interest in the blog…what a fascinating mention of stone structures in St. Jovite….could you elaborate on these? I’d be interested to know more…please email me: thetimewinders@gmail.com
After talking with various archaeologists, I’ve learned that Canada has some of the worst laws protecting archaeological sites in the world. Only governments have a duty to conduct archaeological review of sites before development. By allowing the destruction of archaeological sites, we are erasing the history of our land.
If found a few pieces of terracotta painted wall tiles in the river they look greek any help on dating them?
Thanks Liz! Please send photos to the email address for this site and I’d be happy to take a look! Cheers!
Hi Andrew:I just replied back to the email I received in my inbox. I hope that is ok.
https://ottawarewind.com/ Fantastic Website – Thank You ! Must state the obvious, such a terrible tradegy the site was bulldozed for housing. Happens every day in Canada. The blame belongs to developers, domestic and foreign, as recently exposed by the Ontario Green Belt Scandal. Despite claims to the contrary, nothing in Canada is protected from Developers. Archaeology Servies Ontario once posted an article that says put a foot on any millimeter of surface ground in Ontario and one is walking on the bones of the dead dating back all the way to pre-pre-history, and chock full of mysteries contradicting official historical propaganda that they are forbidden to talk about by Non-disclosure Agreements and “Proprietary “Protection”” of developers. They were eventually made to remove the article from their website. While there are laws, rules, and regulations that clearly state Archaeological Assements must be done, and huge fines can be served on anyone who finds even one artifact and fails to report it to the ‘authorities’, nothing in the rules/regs/laws stipulates that the findings must be revealed to the rest of us. Developers have infiltrated every governnment level in Canada re-written and perpetrate these crimes with impunity. One time they found a bar of European iron the size of an axe-head buried in the centre of a 1st Nations village north-east of Toronto that they pre-dated to before official European contact. They made a 2 hour documentary about it that was broadcast by CBC. How many Canadians even know about that ? Or the box of old muskets found in Toronto Harbour, the contents of which soon decorated the fireplaces of prominent Politicians and Developers. Or thousands of other such artifacts found there that wound up at artifact flea markets or on Ebay. Speaking of mysteries, Canadian Michael Bradley wrote quite a few books about some. Knights Templar, Mormons, and Africans. Others, like Farley Mowat, expounded on Chinese being here too long ago. All the fascinating mysteries of Eurpean artifacts being unearthed these past 10 years on Oak Island, some dating back 2,000 years. Then there’s the documented 15,000 year old footprints of a family walking thru a wet area, encased under concrete by the dredging contractor – in Toronto Harbour. Also, claims by a Canadian archaelogist of finding proof of humans in the Yukon about 45,000 years ago. In recent years human hunting evidence on the bottom of Lake Huron from when it was dry land, which of course pre-dates the last Ice Age. And even possible DNA evidence suggesting the possibility of Europeans crossing the Atlantic from Spain during the Ice-Age. Just how much have we and will we yet never hear about, or stumble on. Atlantians ? Pyramids in Canada ? Intelligent species of Dinosaurs ? Dare I say it – Aliens ? LOL
Thanks very much! I appreciate your interest in this special place. -AK