Publications

An examination of cultural sequences in the Boreal Forest of northeastern British Columbia

Description

This paper analyses several assemblages recovered during previous archaeological work in the Boreal Forest region of northeastern British Columbia to identify groups of projectile points with... More ≫

Description

This paper analyses several assemblages recovered during previous archaeological work in the Boreal Forest region of northeastern British Columbia to identify groups of projectile points with enough internal similarity to constitute a "type." Following this, the available dates were used to place these artifacts into temporal context, add detail to existing sequences, and create a framework that can be built on as more artifacts linked to dates become available.

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Ethnographic insight and archaeological expectations for functional decision-making and intrasite spatial organization on the northwestern Great Plains

Description

This paper analyses Plains ethnographic accounts alongside archaeological evidence to reveal expected features in a temporary hunter-gatherer camp, forming a generalized model of typical spatial... More ≫

Description

This paper analyses Plains ethnographic accounts alongside archaeological evidence to reveal expected features in a temporary hunter-gatherer camp, forming a generalized model of typical spatial organization and decisions regarding the physical use of space. The paper then compares ethnographic information and archaeological evidence within a framework of functional space and presents a model of how people interact with their surroundings via avoidance, engagement, co-location, independence, and destruction.

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Use of phytoliths to reconstruct a pre-contact ceremonial bison skull feature from the northern Great Plains

Description

Although numerous ethnographic accounts link plant use to the creation of bison skull features across much of the Great Plains, pre-contact examples of plant beddings can be difficult to identify.... More ≫

Description

Although numerous ethnographic accounts link plant use to the creation of bison skull features across much of the Great Plains, pre-contact examples of plant beddings can be difficult to identify. In 2004, Brandon University archaeologists uncovered an inverted bison skull (621 to 554 cal BP) at the Crepeele site (DiMe-29) that held clay fragments that were partially fired and buried. Differences in the phytolith types found beneath the bison skull feature compared to the surrounding soil profile indicate the intentional placement of plant materials during the feature's creation, a practice noted in many ethnographic studies within the northern Great Plains. Identification of maize cob-phytoliths from the interior of the skull indicates that maize was a key plant imbued with spiritual meaning and may have been deliberately added as a sacred offering.

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Projectile point morphological variation in the Terminal Middle Period on the Canadian Plains

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The Terminal Middle Period (3000 B.P. to 1500 B.P.) contains several diverse projectile point typologies belonging to proposed cultural complexes including: Pelican Lake, Outlook, Sandy Creek,... More ≫

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The Terminal Middle Period (3000 B.P. to 1500 B.P.) contains several diverse projectile point typologies belonging to proposed cultural complexes including: Pelican Lake, Outlook, Sandy Creek, Bratton, Bracken, Besant, and Sonota. This paper uses geometric morphometric and discriminate function analysis to assess variation among twelve projectile point assemblages from nine previously excavated sites on the Saskatchewan and Albertan Plains. Metric attributes and arrow vs dart testing were used to determine variation in projectile size between two site types (i.e., kill and habitation/camp sites). Results suggest a reduction in the point typologies as well as an interaction between projectile size, game size, and hunting methods.

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Emerging archaeology in Western Canada, 2025

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The papers in this volume present syntheses or components of recent theses and dissertations on a variety of archaeological topics in Western Canada.

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At the foot and across the Cypress Hills : Métis history at the Chimney Coulee site (DjOe-6)

Description

The Cypress Hills were home to several Métis wintering communities during the final days of the once vast bison herds of the Northern Plains in the 1870s. Along its eastern fringe is the Chimney... More ≫

Description

The Cypress Hills were home to several Métis wintering communities during the final days of the once vast bison herds of the Northern Plains in the 1870s. Along its eastern fringe is the Chimney Coulee site (DjOe-6) where a cabin feature was partially excavated in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023 as part of ongoing research at the University of Alberta into historic Métis identity. Detailed historical analysis, a timeline of Métis occupation of Cypress Hills in the 1870s to 1880s, and an examination of cabin belongings provide important context for future studies at hivernant sites in Cypress Hills and Western Canada. This paper is an adaptation of a graduate thesis focused on the 2017 and 2018 results.

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Social spaces and remote places - Space syntax in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Description

This study explores the interplay between spatial structure, optimal behaviour, and social-cultural practices in relation to the movement and land use patterns of precontact peoples within Jasper... More ≫

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This study explores the interplay between spatial structure, optimal behaviour, and social-cultural practices in relation to the movement and land use patterns of precontact peoples within Jasper National Park. Using space syntax theory, natural movement characteristics of the landscape are modeled to understand possible objectives and motivations behind human activity in the region. Archaeological site distribution provides empirical evidence of past movement patterns, which are further analysed in relation to the ecological movement parameters and resource availability. Findings indicate that precontact activity concentrated in highly connected, regionally integrated, and intelligible areas, suggesting a generalised risk-reduction strategy by outside populations accessing Jasper.

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Moving through the lodge : understanding traffic and activity areas at EgPn-375

Description

This paper examines how GIS can serve as a basis for detecting traffic patterns and activity areas within stone circles using digitized artifact data from the Middle Precontact occupation at... More ≫

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This paper examines how GIS can serve as a basis for detecting traffic patterns and activity areas within stone circles using digitized artifact data from the Middle Precontact occupation at EgPn-375, an artifact-rich stone circle site in Calgary, Alberta. Primary and secondary refuse were classified based on size class and their locations assessed through cluster and visual analyses. This confirmed that the stone circle was orientated with a south facing doorway, identified activity areas for manipulative tasks, as well as indicated the flow of traffic through the lodge. This method of analysis presents a way to further explore space-use and maintenance by past Plains inhabitants at artifact-rich stone circle sites.

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Lithic assemblages, distance-decay relationships, and the Late Precontact seasonal round on the Northern Plains

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This paper explores how Late Precontact lithic assemblages can be used to understand group mobility and potential seasonal rounds using distance-decay relationships. This model is based on the... More ≫

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This paper explores how Late Precontact lithic assemblages can be used to understand group mobility and potential seasonal rounds using distance-decay relationships. This model is based on the premise that as residentially mobile groups move across a landscape, they deplete and replenish their supply of raw tool stone in a patterned manner, which leads to the deposition of artifacts of different types, sizes, and raw materials. A case study is presented using three Old Women’s Phase sites from the Northern Plains in Alberta, Canada.

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Investigating mandible detachment and tongue removal at the Fincastle site (DlOx-5) in southern Alberta

Description

Specific element frequency patterns identified in the Fincastle bison assemblage in southern Alberta have created many avenues for further research. Specifically, the process of cranial... More ≫

Description

Specific element frequency patterns identified in the Fincastle bison assemblage in southern Alberta have created many avenues for further research. Specifically, the process of cranial separation, mandible detachment, and tongue removal were investigated. This paper derives from a thesis that presents evidence for intentional cranial separation by way of mandible detachment, using the frequency of the petrous portion fragment from the temporal bone in the Fincastle assemblage.

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