The first archaeological ‘dig’ in Saskatchewan was undertaken in 1954 in the Besant Valley, 5 kilometres east of Mortlach, by provincial archaeologist Boyd Wettlaufer. The Mortlach site, as it became known, was a stratified site with distinct layers which would play an important role in establishing a framework for archaeology not only in Saskatchewan, but across the Great Plains.
 The site is located on the south side of Sandy Creek, a small spring-fed stream which has its origins near the base of high bluffs south of Mortlach. It meanders through the Besant Valley, on its way to join Thunder Creek near Caron. It eventually empties into the Moose Jaw River.
 After M. McLean of Mortlach found arrowheads on a cow path at Besant, enthusiastic amateur diggers and artifact collectors moved in, destroying much of the valuable archaeological evidence. When the provincial archaeologist and his crew arrived on the scene they were hard pressed to find a piece of undisturbed ground.
 Wettlaufer found eight clearly defined levels of occupation which he called ‘cultures’. He wrote: ‘Culture would be defined as a complex of tools (stone and bone artifacts) sufficiently different from the cultural complex above and beneath it to be considered the work of a different people.’ He named these cultural levels after nearby place-names e.g. the Mortlach Culture, the Moose Jaw Culture, etc.
 The top or latest layer, called the Mortlach Culture, dated from 1780 to the time when the last buffalo inhabited the area. It was located near a bison kill-site where great quantities of bones and masses of bison hair, preserved for a century in the sandy soil, had been dug out by the amateurs.
 Below the Mortlach Culture, Wettlaufer found another layer of occupation which he called the Moose Jaw Culture because he was certain, from observing materials in private collections and from his own explorations along the Moose Jaw River, that the centre of this culture was in the vicinity of Moose Jaw.
 The excavation revealed fire hearths and among fragments of pottery was a pot rim clearly showing thumb and finger impressions that resembled the finished edges of our current pie crusts. One blue trade bead and a metal scraper made by flattening a small piece of a gun barrel indicate that the Moose Jaw Culture, dating from 1700, had contact with Europeans.
 The next layer of occupation belonged to the Caron Culture dating from 1600. These prehistoric hunters fashioned their points and blades from brown chalcedony or Knife River flint from a quarry in North Dakota. This indicates that they had access to the resources of other areas.
 The Besant Culture, whose periodic occupancy spanned nearly a thousand years from around 34 A. D., was one of the main cultures of the Mortlach site. These people, with their darts and corral-building knowledge, were masters of the pound hunting technique. At Besant they left behind evidence of a post-in-ground dwelling, the first ‘house’ of this kind to be found in Saskatchewan.
 There were more cultures: The Sandy Creek people around 445 B. C. and the Pelican Lake Culture at 800 B. C., before archaeologists reached the earliest cultural level at the site, i.e. the Thunder Creek Culture, which rests upon the clay of the valley floor. Carbon dating gave an age of about 3400 years, which places the finds in the 14th century B. C. A historian pointed out: ‘In the east the Phoenician alphabet had just been invented; Agamemnon was beginning the siege of Troy: and sometime later Moses would lead the Israelites out of Egypt.’

(A)

Stewart Copeland: Following the dissolution of the group Curved Air, Copeland founded The Police with singer/bassist Sting and guitarist Henri Padovani (the latter soon replaced by Andy Summers). Beginning with their first hit, 1979’s Roxanne, the trio emerged as one of the most popular and innovative bands of the post-punk era, drawing upon reggae, funk, and world music to create a uniquely infectious yet cerebral brand of pop which generated a series of smash singles including Every Breath You Take. While with The Police, Copeland who in 1980 issued a solo record not only earned wide critical acclaim for his intricate, textured drumwork, but he contributed many of the group’s songs as well. At the peak of their commercial success, The Police disbanded after touring in support of the 1983 blockbuster Synchronicity; by that time Copeland had already been established as a film composer, however, earning a Golden Globe nomination for his score to Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish. In 1985 he released The Rhythmatist, the product of his musical pilgrimage to Africa, followed by an ever-increasing number of film scores including a pair of Oliver Stone features, Wall Street and Talk Radio.

(B)

Keith Moon: Keith John Moon was an English drummer who played with the English rock band The Who. Moon joined The Who in 1964 before they recorded their first single. He remained with the band during their rise to fame, and was quickly recognised for his drumming style, which emphasised tom-toms, cymbal crashes, and drum fills. He occasionally collaborated with other musicians and later appeared in films, but considered playing in The Who his primary occupation and remained a member of the band until his death. In addition to his talent as a drummer, however, Moon developed a reputation for smashing his kit on stage and destroying hotel rooms on tour. Moon enjoyed touring and socialising, and was bored and restless when The Who were inactive. Moon suffered a number of setbacks during the 1970s, most notably the accidental death of chauffeur Neil Boland and the breakdown of his marriage. He became addicted to alcohol, particularly brandy and champagne, and acquired a reputation for decadence and dark humour; his nickname was ‘Moon the Loon’. After moving to Los Angeles, Moon recorded his only solo album, the poorly received Two Sides of the Moon.

(C)

Cozy Powell: Cozy Powell was one of the most prolific drummers in the business. His CV ran like a Who’s Who of rock, with stints as a fully paid-up member of Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Whitesnake, M.S.G. and the ELP spin-off Emerson, Lake, & Powell. Then there were those legendary guest appearances with everyone from Donovan to Roger Daltrey, Jack Bruce to Jeff Beck and Gary Moore to Brian May. His career not only spanned three decades, it was also one of the most diverse in rock. In the 1960’s, Cozy was a member of the Ace Kefford Stand; in the 70’s he was a session drummer for Mickie Most’s RAK label, which made Cozy a household name with the Dance With the Devil single; and in 1991, he turned up on Comic Relief’s No 1 single The Stonk with comedians Hale & Pace. Since then Cozy joined Brian May on a Jimi Hendrix tribute album, and supported the legendary Peter Green on his comeback. In the 1990’s, sessions with Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest), Brian May (new album) and Yngwie Malmsteen, saw Cozy Powell back to his busiest and perhaps, his best.

(D)

Carmine Appice: One of the premier showmen in rock, Carmine Appice became known worldwide for his astonishing live performances, in addition to becoming a highly sought-after session drummer, recording with countless artists throughout the seventies. In 1976, his friend Rod Stewart invited Carmine to join his band, after auditioning more than forty other drummers. As a member of The Rod Stewart Band, Carmine exhibited yet another talent: writing hit songs Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? and Young Turks were two of his biggest singles. As an educator, Carmine was the first to legitimize rock drumming with his landmark book, Realistic Rock. This revolutionary drum method book, which has sold more than 300,000 copies, is now available as a video. It was the first book about rock drumming that was actually written by a rock drummer. Realistic Rock was voted among the top 25 drum books of all time by Modern Drummer magazine and has been studied by such drum luminaries as Greg Bissonette and Dave Weckl. The book has been updated with a new section on linear techniques, and an accompanying CD.