Publications

Porcellanite in Alberta : a pyrometamorphic pre-contact toolstone

Description

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 ≫

Description

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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A personal perspective on microblade and microblade core variability in northeast Asia and northwest North America

Description

Contrary to the prevailing belief that microblade production was a complicated process that involved indirect percussion or assisted pressure and holding devices, a simple free-hand pressure... More ≫

Description

Contrary to the prevailing belief that microblade production was a complicated process that involved indirect percussion or assisted pressure and holding devices, a simple free-hand pressure technique can easily replicate examples comparable to those recovered from pre-contact sites. This paper argues that such a technique prevailed in the past, and that many of the variations in formal and metric attributes of archaeological microblade cores and microblades are the result of a wide range of environmental, behavioural, and functional variables rather than of completely different methods of manufacture.

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The rock art of the Williams Coulee site, EcPl-16, southwestern Alberta

Description

Description Provide a brief description of the contents of the resource (1 to 5 sentences recommended). The Williams Coulee site (EcPl-16), in southwestern Alberta, is an important and strikingly... More ≫

Description

Description Provide a brief description of the contents of the resource (1 to 5 sentences recommended). The Williams Coulee site (EcPl-16), in southwestern Alberta, is an important and strikingly visual rock art site. This article describes the rock art and offers interpretations of narrative scenes. Outside of the Writing-on-Stone region, Williams Coulee offers some of the most complete and most complex narrative scenes that are typical of Plains Biographical tradition art, but also features scenes with static anthropomorphs that bespeak of the Plains Ceremonial tradition.

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The atlatl weights of Saskatchewan

Description

This article describes and classifies seventy-two atlatl weights found in Saskatchewan, almost all from fields under cultivation in the grassland and aspen parkland. The article presents metric... More ≫

Description

This article describes and classifies seventy-two atlatl weights found in Saskatchewan, almost all from fields under cultivation in the grassland and aspen parkland. The article presents metric attributes and illustrations of the weights in each class in order to further the understanding of this little documented group of artifacts by making available representative specimens from known locations within a defined geographical boundary.

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Advancing archaeology : industry and practice in Alberta, 2019

Description

The Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper series was established in 1976 as a means of disseminating information to archaeologists, historians, and members of the public in Alberta.... More ≫

Description

The Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper series was established in 1976 as a means of disseminating information to archaeologists, historians, and members of the public in Alberta. The series is comprised mainly of annual review volumes that detail select projects carried out within the province and across Western Canada. This issue (No. 39) is devoted to advancing archaeological practice in cultural resource management and research.

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Glacier Pass Concretions : a pre-contact toolstone from an alpine quarry complex in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains

Description

This article summarizes geochemical and mineralogical analyses of the material called Glacier Pass Concretions including portable X-ray fluorescence, thin sections, and hyperspectral imaging.... More ≫

Description

This article summarizes geochemical and mineralogical analyses of the material called Glacier Pass Concretions including portable X-ray fluorescence, thin sections, and hyperspectral imaging. Results indicate that pre-contact toolmakers were aware of internal inconsistencies in concretions and targeted specific high silica bands that produced a better quality, predictable substrate for tools. The article presents photographic libraries to aid identification and summarize an archaeometry-based reconstruction of pre-contact cognitive approaches to a raw material seasonally exploited in an alpine area for several thousand years.

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Deeply buried intact sediments yielding cultural deposits within the North Saskatchewan River valley in the city of Edmonton, Alberta

Description

This article examines the impact of urban development on archaeological deposits within, and adjacent to, the North Saskatchewan River valley in the city of Edmonton in central Alberta. Recent... More ≫

Description

This article examines the impact of urban development on archaeological deposits within, and adjacent to, the North Saskatchewan River valley in the city of Edmonton in central Alberta. Recent archaeological studies indicate that undisturbed sediments are present and can yield significant archaeological deposits of both precontact and fur trade age, despite decades of extensive urban development.

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Dating stone circle sites : targeted investigations using magnetometry in south-central Saskatchewan

Description

Investigating stone circle sites can be notoriously difficult. This paper discusses some of the difficulties inherent with current stone circle research approaches and presents an alternative... More ≫

Description

Investigating stone circle sites can be notoriously difficult. This paper discusses some of the difficulties inherent with current stone circle research approaches and presents an alternative approach through the use of magnetometry and palaeobotanical analysis at three sites in south-central Saskatchewan. The paper highlights the successful use of magnetometry, the value of exploring this method for future research, and challenges to consider when using this approach.

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Lessons learned : the Bodo public archaeology program, Alberta

Description

This article summarizes a community-based public archaeology program in Bodo, Alberta. The lessons learned at the Bodo public archaeology program have wider implications regarding the benefits... More ≫

Description

This article summarizes a community-based public archaeology program in Bodo, Alberta. The lessons learned at the Bodo public archaeology program have wider implications regarding the benefits that locally-led, experience-based heritage outreach initiatives bring to the communities in which they are situated, and provide suggestions for how to plan for program success when resources are relatively limited.

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