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An unusual Avonlea pit at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Description

At the instigation of Jack Brink, a large pit feature situated in the processing area of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (DkPj-1) was excavated in 1992. Apparently made by enlarging an animal burrow,... More ≫

Description

At the instigation of Jack Brink, a large pit feature situated in the processing area of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (DkPj-1) was excavated in 1992. Apparently made by enlarging an animal burrow, the irregularly shaped feature contained ochre-painted bison bones, bison mandible digging implements, large portions of a pottery vessel, projectile points, 17 sets of articulated bison bones, portions of 15 bison skulls, and almost 1000 identifiable faunal specimens, the vast majority being bison. Artifacts and radiocarbon dates between 1300 and 1050 cal BP indicate the feature is associated with Avonlea. In the absence of a functional interpretation relating to the processing of bison, a ceremonial/ritual purpose appears to be the best explanation for this unusual pit feature.

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The 2021 excavations at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, UNESCO World Heritage Site : taking Jack Brink’s excavations to a new level

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Throughout the 1980s, Jack Brink conducted excavations on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and developed an extensive understanding of how bison that... More ≫

Description

Throughout the 1980s, Jack Brink conducted excavations on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and developed an extensive understanding of how bison that were hunted at the jump were transformed into food and supplies. A joint team from the University of Lethbridge and the Royal Alberta Museum returned to the site in 2021 with the express goal of digging beneath where Jack had stopped and unearthing the earliest stages of use. While the materials we discovered were minimal, the results were stunning, revealing that activities have been occurring at the site for more than 8500 years. The results of the 2021 excavations are presented as a tribute to Jack’s contributions to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.

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Microbotanical remains, residues, and usewear : other views of Head- Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

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Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is one of the best-known archaeological sites in Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This paper examines examples of phytoliths, charcoal, lithic tool residues,... More ≫

Description

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is one of the best-known archaeological sites in Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This paper examines examples of phytoliths, charcoal, lithic tool residues, and usewear to cast new cultural and palaeoenvironmental light on the site. Phytoliths and charcoal corroborate that the past environment was a foothills fescue mixed grassland, as it is today. Tools unexpected at a bison kill, such as hide scrapers and drills, document probable use of the site as an occasional campsite outside the times when it was used for bison hunting. In particular, the residues and usewear demonstrate processing of plants

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Fifty years of fur trade archaeology in northern Alberta forests : what have we accomplished?

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This study examines the status of fifty years of archaeological research of the Historic Period (c. 1787-1920) in northern Alberta, Canada. More specifically, it reviews research conducted for... More ≫

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This study examines the status of fifty years of archaeological research of the Historic Period (c. 1787-1920) in northern Alberta, Canada. More specifically, it reviews research conducted for both fur trade archaeology and historic Indigenous archaeology by provincial and federal sectors. The study focuses on one of the most fundamental components of archaeological inquiry: the Alberta archaeological site inventory. Using the historic documentary record, the paper determines the potential fur trade and historic Indigenous sites present in northern Alberta and examines archaeological records compiled in northern Alberta to assess their suitability to investigate historic peoples of that region.

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Archaeology in western Canada’s boreal forest, 2021

Description

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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