Abstract

Cannel coal is one of the rarest materials in the Canadian pre-contact archaeological record. Delicately incised symbols on the few known artifacts reveal themes that may shed light on ancient spirituality. Conservation of this vulnerable surface detail is necessary to ensure availability of the nuances of symbol design for long term study. At the 2004 CAA conference in Winnipeg Aboriginal leaders and archaeologists from coast to coast examined the Malden Gorget, a cannel coal constricted centre gorget from southern Essex County, Ontario. The presentation in 2005 provides a report on findings about the significance of the artifact based on recommendations from the Winnipeg consultations. The result is a unique case history of the crucial importance of conservation of inscriptions left by ancient ancestors on a cannel coal artifact.