Archaeological Activity

After the families moved out of the dugout to the village of Oospenie nearby, the dugout was used for other purposes, such as a root cellar.

In the summer of 2004, the Dugout House was the subject of an investigation by the University of Saskatchewan’s Department of Archaeology. The study was preceded by a traditional Doukhobor prayer service.

Under the guidance of graduate student Meagan Brooks, and with a large amount of community help, a baseline of measurement for archaeological units was established, underbrush was cleared, surface artifacts removed, and volunteers were trained to do screening, to scrape the soil, and to study findings.

The outcome of the investigations was Meagan’s Master’s thesis, Public Archaeology With a Doukhobor Descendant Community, which has been successfully defended. We congratulate Meagan on her thesis and Masters Degree.

The archaeological dig was a most memorable experience for the participants, and an excellent example of a group investigating and preserving its own history.

In the summer of 2004, the Dugout House was the subject of an investigation by the University of Saskatchewan’s Department of Archaeology, conducted under the guidance of graduate student Meagan Brooks.

With much community help, a baseline of measurement for archaeological units was established, underbrush was cleared, surface artifacts removed, and volunteers were trained to do screening, to scrape the soil, and to study findings.