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Off the shelf : modeling and management of historical resources

Description

This article summarizes how industry developers determine if and where known and unknown historical resources are located in development areas. Models are useful planning tools to minimize... More ≫

Description

This article summarizes how industry developers determine if and where known and unknown historical resources are located in development areas. Models are useful planning tools to minimize disturbances and manage historical resources in an expedient and economical way.

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Testing debitage typologies with statistical analysis : experimental inferences upon archaeological material from FaPx-1, a sub-alpine hunting camp in the Alberta Rockies

Description

Stone production debris (debitage) is the most common artifact type found at archaeological sites in North America. A significant time investment is required to catalogue debitage from large... More ≫

Description

Stone production debris (debitage) is the most common artifact type found at archaeological sites in North America. A significant time investment is required to catalogue debitage from large assemblages. Conventional thought holds that, because lithic tool manufacture is reductive, the attributes of flake size and cortex amount will decrease throughout production while dorsal flake scars increase. Dorsal scar count is an attribute commonly used to infer trends in an assemblage; however, the statistical significance of dorsal scars as a measure of the stage of lithic tool production has not been addressed adequately. Cortex amount is also used to deduce lithic reduction stages; however, the author argues that this may not represent behavioral patterns as meaningfully as platform morphology.

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New Vertical Series rock art at the Glenwood Erratic, DiPi-42, Alberta

Description

The Vertical Series type of Indigenous rock art is found at only a handful of sites across the northern Great Plains. Discovery of a new site is therefore significant. In 2012 the Glenwood Erratic... More ≫

Description

The Vertical Series type of Indigenous rock art is found at only a handful of sites across the northern Great Plains. Discovery of a new site is therefore significant. In 2012 the Glenwood Erratic in southwestern Alberta was reported as a heavily vandalized rock art site. Inspection, however, revealed no rock art where originally specified. Instead, previously unknown rock art was found on many surfaces of the erratic, all of which is faint and challenging to describe. The age of the artwork is estimated at between 500 to 1,000 years before present. The identity of the cultural group responsible is unknown.

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The swing of things : contributions to archaeological research in Alberta, 2018. Dedication : Milton (Milt) J. Wright

Description

The swing of things: Contributions to archaeological research in Alberta, 2018 is part of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta. This issue is a dedication to Wilt Wright, an Alberta archaeologist... More ≫

Description

The swing of things: Contributions to archaeological research in Alberta, 2018 is part of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta. This issue is a dedication to Wilt Wright, an Alberta archaeologist who recently passed away.

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Identifying Knife River Flint in Alberta : a silicified lignite toolstone from North Dakota

Description

This article is the fourth in a series intended to assist the identification of raw materials used for precontact stone tools in Alberta. Each article focuses on one raw material; the current... More ≫

Description

This article is the fourth in a series intended to assist the identification of raw materials used for precontact stone tools in Alberta. Each article focuses on one raw material; the current article discusses a silicified lignite called Knife River Flint (KRF) that originates in North Dakota and appears in archaeological sites across Alberta. Local materials, including chalcedony, silicified peat/petrified wood, and translucent chert, can be mistaken for KRF: macroscopic and microscope qualities of these materials are described with an accompanying photograph library to assist identification. Several methods were tested to assess their feasibility for distinguishing KRF from local materials. KRF so closely resembles other materials in terms of macroscopics, microscopics, and geochemistry that conclusively demonstrating provenance remains problematic.

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Excavations at EePj-103 (Margaret’s Site) on the Bow River : a stratified protohistoric and historic site in southern Alberta

Description

Excavations in 2015 at EePj-103, Margaret’s Site, revealed a stratified Protohistoric and Historic Period site. A unique feature of this site is that it has two stratigraphically separate... More ≫

Description

Excavations in 2015 at EePj-103, Margaret’s Site, revealed a stratified Protohistoric and Historic Period site. A unique feature of this site is that it has two stratigraphically separate protohistoric occupations, neither of which are mixed with earlier Precontact Period materials nor later Historic Period materials. EePj-103 also has later Historic Period occupations, at least one of which is associated with the Domburg Ranch, established in 1889, and represented today by the remnants of sandstone building foundations. EePj-103 is uniquely positioned to help answer important research questions about the Protohistoric Period in southern Alberta, particularly those related to changing technology with the introduction of European trade goods. The historic ranch remains also represent a very early period in the settlement of Alberta after the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Part of the 37th volume of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper series, which...

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Near surface magnetic assessment on the FM Ranch Campsite (EfPk-1)

Description

During mitigative and exploratory studies undertaken at the FM Ranch Campsite (EfPk-1) in 2015, near-surface geophysical assessment was implemented to help focus archaeological and... More ≫

Description

During mitigative and exploratory studies undertaken at the FM Ranch Campsite (EfPk-1) in 2015, near-surface geophysical assessment was implemented to help focus archaeological and geoarchaeological studies in a selected area of the site. The purpose of the study was to locate culturally-derived combustion features (such as hearths) using magnetic detection methods prior to excavation, in order to maximize the potential for recovery of cultural data that are usually associated with these types of features. Analysis of the results of this work illustrated some shortcomings of the gradiometer method, and an alternative geophysical magnetic assessment method that would be more suitable for investigating the majority of archaeological features found in North America is suggested. Part of the 37th volume of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper series, which contains 18 articles exploring multiple facets of the impact on archaeological resources of the 2013 flood in...

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Report A Find : three years later

Description

This short paper offers a history of a public engagement initiative of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta called "Report A Find" that stemmed from the need to coordinate accounts of... More ≫

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This short paper offers a history of a public engagement initiative of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta called "Report A Find" that stemmed from the need to coordinate accounts of archaeological discoveries resulting from erosion during and after the 2013 floods in southern Alberta. The program launched in 2014 in an effort to create a portal for members of the public to convey information about potential disturbances to historic resources. In its short existence, Report A Find has hosted over 60 exchanges of information pertaining to artifact or fossil discoveries, site locations, and private collections. Part of the 37th volume of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper series, which contains 18 articles exploring multiple facets of the impact on archaeological resources of the 2013 flood in southern Alberta.

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A summary of radiocarbon dates from the Southern Alberta Flood Investigation Program

Description

During the Southern Alberta Flood Investigation Program, a total of 72 radiocarbon dates were obtained from 23 archaeological sites. Radiocarbon dates submitted too late to be incorporated into... More ≫

Description

During the Southern Alberta Flood Investigation Program, a total of 72 radiocarbon dates were obtained from 23 archaeological sites. Radiocarbon dates submitted too late to be incorporated into final reports account for 65 per cent of the dates and are presented here. This paper provides a summary and evaluation of all radiocarbon dates for the Flood Investigation Program. Part of the 37th volume of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper series, which contains 18 articles exploring multiple facets of the impact on archaeological resources of the 2013 flood in southern Alberta.

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2016 flood mitigation excavations at EfPm-267, EePk-253, and EePj-103 (Margaret’s Site) on the Bow River

Description

Excavations at three archaeological sites located on the Bow River in Calgary or in relatively close proximity to the east were commissioned in 2016 in response to the floods of 2013. These three... More ≫

Description

Excavations at three archaeological sites located on the Bow River in Calgary or in relatively close proximity to the east were commissioned in 2016 in response to the floods of 2013. These three sites were impacted by the floods and are in imminent threat of further erosion and information loss. The three sites produced evidence of site occupations ranging from the Middle Precontact Period through to the Protohistoric and Historic Periods. Most significantly, excavation and radiocarbon dating at EePj-103 and EePk-253 indicate that both sites have evidence of terminal Late Period and/or Protohistoric Period occupations, likely representing portions of the same settlement pattern system on the Bow River at that time. Part of the 37th volume of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper series, which contains 18 articles exploring multiple facets of the impact on archaeological resources of the 2013 flood in southern Alberta.

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