The county of Haliburton covers a vast area of 4025 square kilometres of mixed forests, lakes, rivers and swamps. The topography is equally mixed, with the highlands and valleys giving way to more flat landscapes. There has been documented settlement as far back as the Archaic Period of Ontario's prehistory.  Such sites are small and ephemeral in nature, although at least one site, at Maple Lake, has revealed a large number of expedient quartz lithic tools and chipping detritus.

Our goal in the survey is to identify more of these early post-glacial sites, or any sites,  within the county.  We have completed a preliminary background survey of known sites using both the Ontario Ministry of Culture's database as well as other published and unpublished reports.

Our survey was initiated on September 25-27 2009. The survey targeted a number of lakes and portage sites throughout Haliburton County.  Two possible sites were discovered, one being a quartz mine and the other a possible campsite. One definite site was identified on a large lake within the county, revealing a number of quartz and chert flakes on an eroding beach deposit.  Further fieldwork is scheduled for next year.

We have decided, after conversations with Tom Ballantine, archaeologist and director of the Haliburton Museum, to focus our survey in the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve. to a number of larger lakes and their portage sites. We have completed another round of test pitting (July 2010) between McDonald and Clear Lake, with negative results. Further fieldwork is scheduled for August 2010. Our thanks are given to Peter Schleifenbaum, owner of the Haliburton Forest, for granting us permission to survey his unique property.