Taber Hill
|
Taber Hill | |
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Established | Post Woodland period |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
| Country | Canada |
| Type | Iroquois burial mound (ossuary) |
| Style | burial mound |
| Number of graves | 472 |
Taber Hill also spelled Tabor Hill is an Iroquois burial mound in Toronto, Ontario. It is located near Lawrence Avenue and Bellamy Road in Scarborough. The cemetery was discovered on August 17, 1956 when a steam shovel was in the process of demolishing the 60 foot high hill. The soil was being transported for use in construction an overpass for Highway 401 and the cleared site was then intended to be turned into a suburban subdivision.[1] The Ossuary/Cemetery covers an area of 0.342 ha (0.845 acre) and is shaped as a mound.[2]
After digging some one hundred feet into the hill the workers found a large collection of human bones. The ossuary was eventually found to be about fifty feet long, seven feet wide, and one foot deep. An estimated 472 individuals are believed to have been buried there in a ritual manner consistent with the Wendat Feast of Souls.[3]
The Government of Ontario expropriated the site, exchanging it for land elsewhere in the area. It was proclaimed a cemetery and has since been administered by the City of Toronto. At the top of the mound is a memorial with a historical plaque on one side and a prayer written by an Iroquois leader on the other. While designated a cemetery, there have been concerns that the area is often used as a park. Tobogganing is an especially popular activity on the steep hill.[4]
References
- ↑ "Scarboro Pit of Bones." Toronto Star. August 18, 1956.
- ↑ Recognition of Native Cemetery Ward 15 - Scarborough City Centre City of Toronto
- ↑ Freeman, Victoria (2011). 'Toronto has no History!' Indigeneity, Settler Colonialism and Historical Memory in Canada's Largest City. University of Toronto. p. 292.
- ↑ "Respect Indian graves, group asks." Jack Lakey. Toronto Star. May 27, 1998. pg. 1
Coordinates: 43°45′32″N 79°14′06″W / 43.759°N 79.235°W