MISSISSAUGA – A standard archaeological assessment in advance of major work to be done on the QEW, Credit River bridge, has unearth a 2,400-year-old indigenous village.
“It predates the Roman Empire. That’s extraordinary,” said Ward 7 Councillor Nando Iannicca at the Nov. 8 council meeting.
The work was slated to be completed this fall, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen now.
“The Ministry of Transportation is currently involved in an ongoing discussion with our stakeholders regarding the archeological work near the Credit River,” said Valentina Stankovic, senior issues advisor for the MTO. “To maintain a respectful relationship with our key stakeholders, the ministry is unable to share additional information at this time.”
Matthew Wilkinson is the recognized historian at Heritage Mississauga and he predicts the findings date back to the Early Woodland period, which spanned from 1,000 B.C. to roughly 500 A.D.
“During this period, the area that is currently the city of Mississauga was located in Iroquoian territory,” he says.
It is clear that a Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation village remains are in close proximity to where the new finds were unearthed, but until the site is fully studied and excavated, it may or may not have been the Mississaugas who built a settlement in that location.
But it would appear Mississauga city council and Heritage Mississauga have claimed the artifacts and remains as their own and intend to keep them.
“This is of extraordinary significance,” said Iannicca. “It belongs in a museum in Mississauga or something that recognizes how incredibly significant this is.”
It has been reported in Mississauga.com that Iannicca plans to work with Heritage Mississauga to ensure the archeological findings remain in the city.
