Previous Archaeology :

In 1979 D.E. Bunyan observed a number of black shinny obsidian like rocks while hiking through the park. This site was recorded and it was given the Borden number of DkRr 1. The site is comprised is entirely comprised of Garibaldi glassy rhyodacite and is interpreted as a lithic workshop located at an elevation of 1460 meters a.s.l.

In 1992 ARCAS Archaeological Consulting revisited the site for the Squamish Nation. The aerial extent of the site is 105 m north to south and 80m east to west. This area was defined on the basis of variation of lithic concentrations. Two clusters of lithic material were visible. A dense cluster to the northern end of the site and a less dense cluster to the southern end of the site (ARCAS 1999:2). Based on the surface density of these lithic clusters a total of three 1.0m x 1.0m test units were excavated to determine the aerial extent and depth of the site. Two units were placed at the northern end of the site and one at the southern end. Cultural strata extended through four natural layers to a depth of 20 cm. Cultural deposits of these three test units yielded a total of 4218 artifacts with the southerly placed unit yielding the majority of subsurface deposits. The majority (4208) of these artifacts are "Garibaldi Obsidian" or "Glassy Rhyodacite", while quartz (1), porphyry (1), and fine grained basalt or dacite (6) artifacts were also recovered (ARCAS 1999:5).

While surveying areas along side the Columnar Peaks trail, a rock cairn feature and two near by lithic scatters were discovered. This site was assigned the Borden number DkRr2. The cairn feature was test excavated and found to be of natural origin. The two small possibly associated lithic scatter clusters near the feature were found to be of cultural origin (ARCAS 1999:3).