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

Description

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 ≫

Description

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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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 ≫

Description

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

Description

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 ≫

Description

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 ≫

Description

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

Description

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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The archaeological remains from a surface collection, Fort Vermilion, Alberta

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This paper describes a surface collection from the Gull Lake site near Fort Vermilion in northern Alberta. The site yielded an assortment of tools, including a complete microblade core, several... More ≫

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This paper describes a surface collection from the Gull Lake site near Fort Vermilion in northern Alberta. The site yielded an assortment of tools, including a complete microblade core, several diagnostic projectile points made from a variety of lithic raw materials (including one specimen resembling Angostura Paleoindian points). We hypothesize that the Gull Lake site represents one of several areas in the northern Alberta Boreal Borest that were prairies purposely maintained by First Nations peoples to attract large game animals such as woodland bison. Once these and other large animals were depleted after contact, First Nations peoples no longer used the site in favor of other still productive game animal areas in northern Alberta.

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Porcellanite in Alberta : a pyrometamorphic pre-contact toolstone

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Porcellanite is a pyrometamorphic rock that forms when naturally ignited coal seams fuse fine-grained sedimentary rocks. This can produce a uniform material suitable for making stone tools. This... More ≫

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Porcellanite is a pyrometamorphic rock that forms when naturally ignited coal seams fuse fine-grained sedimentary rocks. This can produce a uniform material suitable for making stone tools. This paper presents photographs and geochemical analyses of Montana and North Dakota porcellanites in comparison to high quality pyrometamorphic rocks, and Alberta materials of similar origin or appearance. Results of portable X-ray fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, and thin section analyses are combined with micro/macroscopic traits to aid identification.

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Anthropomorphic Napi effigies on the northwestern plains : a petroform record of Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot) belief

Description

Anthropomorphic Napi effigies are petroforms (boulder outlines) of a static, frontal, male figure with a simple head, rectangular body, upraised arms, heart-line (lifeline), simple-extension legs... More ≫

Description

Anthropomorphic Napi effigies are petroforms (boulder outlines) of a static, frontal, male figure with a simple head, rectangular body, upraised arms, heart-line (lifeline), simple-extension legs with out-turned feet and male genitalia. These petroforms have been called ‘Napi’ effigies owing to evidence linking them to the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot) entity. This paper presents a larger sample of distinct anthropomorphic effigies (n=22) to further assess their style and distribution. A stronger case is made for linking the distinct anthropomorphic effigies to the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot).

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