Category: Field Life
By Corey Cookson
April 24, 2018
Tree Time’s 2017 Top Five Sites
Now that all the reporting is done, we thought it was a good time to look back on some of the exciting sites we worked on from the past year. We usually find over 100 sites every year but these sites stand out either because we found interesting artifacts or the site is unique compared
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By Brian Leslie
April 17, 2018
Field School in Southern Italy: Vulture Project
While working on my Master’s in Anthropology at the University of Alberta, I had the privilege of being a member of the Vulture Archaeological Project. During the summers of 2009 to 2012, in the town of Rionero, Italy, I was part of an international team of academics and students attempting to gain a better understanding
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By Reid Graham
April 4, 2018
We Know How Old Stone Points Are, Right?
Back in September of 2017, I found what would probably be one of the coolest artifacts that I will ever find in my field survey career. My coworker Vince and I got up one fateful morning and set out on our four hour quad ride into one of the most beautiful areas in Northern Alberta:
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By Madeline Coleman
March 20, 2018
Bridges
Water crossings are something we come across on a daily basis in the boreal forest. Sometimes we are fortunate to work in areas with active hunters or forestry layout crews, and can use the bridges they have already constructed. These brides can be cut logs laid across a deep, but narrow water channel, while others
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By Brian Leslie
March 13, 2018
Lightning Trees
Last year, while conducting survey with Brittany in a remote region of northern Alberta, I noticed some unusual scarring on a large spruce tree. Upon closer examination I realized the tree had been struck by lightning. Usually when lightning hits a tree, one of three things may happen: If the tree is wet on the
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By Corey Cookson
January 30, 2018
Peace River Chert Biface
In the summer of 2016, this tool was identified while inspecting the exposures along an in-block road for Boucher Bros Lumber. It is likely the bottom portion of a biface that broke during manufacture or use. It is made from Peace River Chert, a material common to the Peace River region.
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By Corey Cookson
December 11, 2017
Find the Flake (Part 2!)
While we always prefer to survey areas prior to any impacts, the identification of artifacts in post-impact contexts can be easier because of large areas of exposed sediments. Instead of targeted shovel tests that excavate a very small percentage of a high potential area, we can potentially see everything that is under the ground. However,
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By Teresa Tremblay
November 27, 2017
The View From Out Here
We took this photo in the fall of 2016 while completing fieldwork for Sundre Forest Products’. It’s of the Clearwater River valley as seen from a site we found that year. The site was easily identified because artifacts were eroding out of the steep valley wall and the ATV trails that cross the landscape. From
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By Kurtis Blaikie-Birkigt
November 20, 2017
Working in the Winter
Specializing in forestry archaeology in Alberta, I haven’t had much opportunity to work in winter conditions. One of the nice things about forestry is its relatively long planning horizon and the flexibility to schedule our work. Unfortunately, in fall 2012, a variety of factors conspired to push some of our fieldwork into late October, and
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By Madeline Coleman
September 27, 2017
Moose on the Loose!
As Brian and I headed back to Swan Hills, we turned the corner and saw this fella chilling on the trail! The forest to either side of the trail, having been harvested in the last decade or so, had young trees growing tightly together, making it difficult for the moose to make his escape. We
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