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Recognizing macrofossils : a pictorial guide to some common seeds and shells from alluvial deposits in southern Alberta

Description

Macrofossils such as seeds and shells are excellent resources for reconstructing past environments. This paper reviews diagnostic characteristics and presents microphotographs of fossil and modern... More ≫

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Macrofossils such as seeds and shells are excellent resources for reconstructing past environments. This paper reviews diagnostic characteristics and presents microphotographs of fossil and modern specimens of taxa commonly encountered in near-stream sediment samples from a southern Alberta flood investigation program. The goal of this paper is to provide critical identification information about the target taxa to non-specialists. We hope that this will promote the further collection of macroremain-rich samples and provide a foundational approach for describing seeds and shells. 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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Reconstructing the Highwood River’s Holocene palaeoecology : assessment of organic-rich alluvial samples collected following the 2013 flood event

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Periodic flood events are normal for rivers. These events sometimes deposit sediments that trap biological remains that can be used to reconstruct the local environment. Following the 2013... More ≫

Description

Periodic flood events are normal for rivers. These events sometimes deposit sediments that trap biological remains that can be used to reconstruct the local environment. Following the 2013 flooding of the Highwood River, southwestern Alberta, 24 organic-rich palaeoenvironmental samples were collected from the river’s banks at 14 localities. Data synthesis generated a detectable signal of climatic change throughout the Holocene. The general trend shows a progression from drier conditions in the early Holocene towards relatively moist conditions today. This study is the first detailed examination of near-river palaeoenvironmental conditions in southern Alberta.

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Geochemical characterization of tephra deposits at archaeological and palaeoenvironmental sites across south-central Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan

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The Mazama Ash is one of the mostly widely distributed tephra units in North America, present as a visible ash in sediments of early Holocene age. It is considered one of the most important... More ≫

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The Mazama Ash is one of the mostly widely distributed tephra units in North America, present as a visible ash in sediments of early Holocene age. It is considered one of the most important stratigraphic markers across this region and is commonly used to ascribe age control to sites. Here we present new major-element geochemical analyses from archaeological and sedimentary sites across south-central Alberta and Saskatchewan. We confirm Mazama at most sites, but the presence of Bridge River (and potentially Mount St. Helens) indicates that major-element geochemical data is an important, if not necessary, component to identifying tephra in this region.

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Late Quaternary studies in Beringia and beyond, 1950-1993 : an annotated bibliography

Description

This annotated bibliography is designed as a research tool for Quaternarists interested in Beringia and adjacent areas. Beringia comprises the northern hemisphere region centred on Siberia and... More ≫

Description

This annotated bibliography is designed as a research tool for Quaternarists interested in Beringia and adjacent areas. Beringia comprises the northern hemisphere region centred on Siberia and Alaska-Yukon and bounded by the Lena River to the west and the Mackenzie River to the east. Other areas covered in this volume include western Siberia, northeasten China, northern Korea, and Japan. The bibliography includes references to research papers, books, monographs, short notes, theses, conference abstracts, conference reports, popular articles, and commentaries published between 1950 and 1993. The citations deal with surficial geology, glacial history, climate history, palaeontology, archaeology, and palaeoenvironments in Beringia between about 50,000 and 10,000 years before the present.

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