Abstract

In November 2004, Stantec archaeologists conducted an as-found recording of the Leonard homestead (EaNu-21) near Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Initial observations indicated the homestead had perhaps been abandoned in the early 1940s, its owners departed, leaving personal items behind. Our detailed return visit, including extensive mapping and photography along with a thorough examination of the artefacts, revealed another story. The later life of an elderly bachelor and his association with the former owners is told through the material culture dating from the 1930s through to the early 1960s.Through the use of technologies such as electronic 3-point provenience mapping and geographical information systems (GIS), we were able to reconstruct the physical dimensions of the house. Dendrochronological analyses provided us with building repair and addition construction information. A digital photographic artefact catalogue was created to represent artifacts not collected (n=242).The reconstruction of the physical structures and the study of the artefactual remains enables us to more fully understand family and farming life on the Saskatchewan prairies.