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Archaeology in western Canada’s boreal forest, 2021

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This volume is dedicated to archaeology in western Canada’s boreal forest and includes papers that contribute to understandings of pre-contact and historic adaptations. The papers also shed light... More ≫

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This volume is dedicated to archaeology in western Canada’s boreal forest and includes papers that contribute to understandings of pre-contact and historic adaptations. The papers also shed light on how past people and archaeological studies in this region can inform work across the country. Paper topics include cultural resources management archaeology, ground stone artifacts, Early Pre-Contact Period sites, GIS and remote sensing, archaeological methods of site detection, fur trade archaeology, and radiocarbon dating in the boreal forest.

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Radiocarbon dates in Alberta’s northern forests and potential for inferring changes in ancient Indigenous populations

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Assemblages of radiocarbon dates have been used for inferring population changes, fine-tuning the chronology of specific events, and used in association with diagnostic stone tools to establish... More ≫

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Assemblages of radiocarbon dates have been used for inferring population changes, fine-tuning the chronology of specific events, and used in association with diagnostic stone tools to establish chronological markers. However, boreal forest ecosystems of northern Alberta have presented many challenges to using dates for these purposes, including academic neglect, acidic soils that decompose datable material, and the over-extension of typologies from neighboring regions. This study outlines recommendations for successful dating methods in the boreal forest, synthesizes Alberta’s boreal radiocarbon record, and infers changes in Indigenous populations throughout the Pre-contact Period. A total of 220 dated occupations from 135 pre-contact sites in Alberta’s Boreal Forest suggest that populations were very sporadic from about 10,000 cal BP until approximately 6,500 cal BP, then began to rise dramatically around 3,000 cal BP. Populations remained stable from approximately 1,500 cal BP...

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Using GIS and remote sensing to monitor industrial impacts to archaeological sites in the Athabasca Oil Sands of Alberta

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The Athabasca Oil Sands region of Alberta has one of the densest accumulations of known archaeological sites in the country. Until recently, there has been little quantitative evidence to assess... More ≫

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The Athabasca Oil Sands region of Alberta has one of the densest accumulations of known archaeological sites in the country. Until recently, there has been little quantitative evidence to assess human impact on archaeological resources in the region. The goal of this paper is to raise awareness of the critical need to incorporate new archaeological remote sensing strategies to improve site monitoring approaches. We present methods and results from our GIS-based analysis that seeks to locate and partially characterize impacted sites.

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The flood mountain research project : investigations at FlQs-35, an early prehistoric period site in the postglacial environment of the Upper Peace Region, Alberta

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The Flood Mountain Site (FlQs-35) was identified in 2016 during an Historic Resources Impact Assessment (HRIA) of a proposed forestry cut block. A projectile point was recovered with typological... More ≫

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The Flood Mountain Site (FlQs-35) was identified in 2016 during an Historic Resources Impact Assessment (HRIA) of a proposed forestry cut block. A projectile point was recovered with typological similarities to Early Prehistoric Period points referred to as “stubbies”. Buried in situ sites of this period are quite rare and consequently the Flood Mountain Research Project was proposed as a follow-up investigation of the site in 2017. This paper discusses the results of the research program as well as the palaeoenvironmental constraints during the Early Prehistoric Period in Alberta that would have influenced exploitation of the postglacial landscape. FlQs-35 reflects a short-term campsite occupied by people who exploited the highly dynamic postglacial environment of Alberta’s uplands during the Early Holocene.

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Topographic setting of archaeological survey in the Boreal Forest of Alberta

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The archaeological record of the Canadian Boreal Forest is dominated by shallowly buried sites with little to no datable artifacts or stratigraphy. However, the factors that underlie this skew to... More ≫

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The archaeological record of the Canadian Boreal Forest is dominated by shallowly buried sites with little to no datable artifacts or stratigraphy. However, the factors that underlie this skew to shallow sites are rarely formally examined. Here we use a geomorphon-based terrain classification to assess the role of topographic setting in the placement of archaeological survey points. Our results show that there is considerable bias in current archaeological survey methods towards landforms that disperse sediment. This reduces the likelihood of finding deeply buried or stratified sites and calls into question the assertion that datable sites are largely absent from the region.

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The Wapiti Site (GfQu-30) : an Alberta clovis site in the bottleneck region of the ice-free corridor

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A cultural resource management survey conducted along the Wapiti River southwest of Grande Prairie, Alberta led to the identification of the Wapiti site (GfQu-30). Mitigative excavation of the... More ≫

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A cultural resource management survey conducted along the Wapiti River southwest of Grande Prairie, Alberta led to the identification of the Wapiti site (GfQu-30). Mitigative excavation of the site resulted in the recovery of a complete Clovis projectile point. This article describes the Wapiti Site, its context, and the corresponding implications for the inhabitability and peopling of the bottleneck region of the ice-free corridor during the Clovis complex.

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Findings and interpretations at GbQn-13, an Early Prehistoric Period site in Alberta’s west central Foothills

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In 2021, GbQn-13 was identified during a forestry assessment in Alberta’s west-central Foothills. The site contains both a projectile point base and obsidian flakes and can be placed within the... More ≫

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In 2021, GbQn-13 was identified during a forestry assessment in Alberta’s west-central Foothills. The site contains both a projectile point base and obsidian flakes and can be placed within the Cody Complex at the end of the Early Prehistoric Period based on morphological traits of the point base. This paper presents findings and interpretations from GbQn-13.

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Dated ground stone artifacts from Tse’K’wa (HbRf-39), Peace River region, British Columbia

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Artifacts made from ground sandstone were recovered from Tse’K’wa (HbRf-39) in the Peace River region of northeastern British Columbia. Two formal types are described: handstones and beveled-edge... More ≫

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Artifacts made from ground sandstone were recovered from Tse’K’wa (HbRf-39) in the Peace River region of northeastern British Columbia. Two formal types are described: handstones and beveled-edge artifacts. The specimens are dated by stratigraphic position and radiocarbon from 6000 cal BP to recent times. Scans with an optical profilometer of possibly worked surfaces show that they are significantly smoother than unworked sandstone from the local bedrock formation. The shape of the artifacts also supports their identification as deliberately formed artifacts. This paper suggests that these are tools related to preparation of hides.

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Forestry and archaeology in Alberta : a history and synthesis

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This paper presents the origins of cultural resource management in Alberta’s forestry sector and synthesizes key statistics since implementation in 2003. Over 4,600 archaeological sites have been... More ≫

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This paper presents the origins of cultural resource management in Alberta’s forestry sector and synthesizes key statistics since implementation in 2003. Over 4,600 archaeological sites have been recorded in the province during historic resources impact assessments of harvest blocks and forestry roads with an average of 246 new sites per year. The paper summarizes annual records of sites detected, the number and percentage of forestry developments subjected to fieldwork, site size, and shovel test intensity. The goals are to document trends and explain the value of forestry compliance for heritage protection in Alberta.

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Archaeological discoveries and syntheses in Western Canada, 2020

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This volume presents a series of archaeological papers that summarize diverse topics including rock art in southern Alberta, atlatl weights in Saskatchewan, microblade technology in northwest... More ≫

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This volume presents a series of archaeological papers that summarize diverse topics including rock art in southern Alberta, atlatl weights in Saskatchewan, microblade technology in northwest North America, Napi effigies on the Northern Plains, a material called porcellanite used to make stone tools in Alberta, and a surface collection of artifacts from northern Alberta (the Gull Lake site).

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