Tag: Alberta

By Tim Allan

May 1, 2023

Finding Tertiary hills clinker in alberta

Needle in a haystack Tertiary Hills Clinker is a natural rock that is formed when coal seams burn underground and melt the surrounding sediments. Lightening and forest fires can ignite exposed seams of coal, which burn hot enough to turn clay and sand into a near-glass like material that is suitable to make stone knives,

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By Angela Younie

April 3, 2023

How are archaeological sites buried?

So much dirt! One of the most common questions we are asked is: “how are archaeological sites buried?” and “Where does all the dirt come from?” It doesn’t make sense for layers of dirt to be covering the world deeper and deeper over time, right? Well, that’s because it’s only part of the story. Did

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By Andreas Korsos

March 6, 2023

Voyageurs in the mist

a voyageurs adventure David Thompson was one of the most prolific 19th century surveyors and an integral piece of Canadian history who voyaged tens of thousands of kilometers on foot and by canoe! Although never having received credit in his lifetime, Thompson is recognized as one of the most influential surveyors of the fur trade.

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By Fallon Hardie

February 3, 2023

Lanceolate Bifaces of The Interior Plateau, BC

Spear Points in the Forest In the summer of 2022, archaeologists Braedy Chapman and Fallon Hardie conducted archaeological impact assessments (AIA’s) on emergency wildfire rehabilitation developments. These developments were constructed to manage the spread and impact of wildfire throughout the Interior Plateau of British Columbia. Long stretches of forest have been scraped or bladed to

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By Brian Leslie

June 22, 2022

PRESS RELEASE – CPDFN / Ember Joint Venture

Today, Ember Archaeology announces its joint venture partnership with Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation (CPDFN), as an important step to helping CPDFN regain stewardship of their ancestral cultural and material remains. This partnership is structured around an approach for Indigenous engagement that is proactive and long-term. The new joint venture business area includes the Regional

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By Angela Younie

April 21, 2022

Glossary Series – Beaver River Sandstone

Beaver River Sandstone is a stone used for flintknapping that was found in two major quarries near Fort McKay in northern Alberta. It can appear in all shades of grey and brownish grey, with small embedded crystals of medium to dark grey quartz (called “inclusions”). Depending on where it was quarried, it can range from

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By Alyssa Hamza

February 7, 2022

Glossary Series – Fire Cracked Rock

Fire Cracked, or Broken, Rock (FCR or FBR) is a type of artifact found at many archaeological sites in Alberta. It is created by heat cycling a stone (eg. heating it up and then cooling it off). If the stone is cooled very quickly, it can fracture, or even explode! Repeatedly heat cycling a rock

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By Tim Allan

January 24, 2022

Animal Track – Bears

Stories of bear encounters captivate me. I’m not alone in this. Most people just love hearing about bears! Members of Ember’s field staff have had many bear encounters throughout the years and several of us have had run-ins with both species of bear in Alberta: Black Bear (Ursus americanus) and Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos). We

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By Madeline Coleman

December 8, 2021

Hazards of the Job – Deep Trenches

Archaeology may not be as dangerous as portrayed in popular shows like Indiana Jones but we often overlook a very common fatal hazard.

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By Andreas Korsos

November 18, 2021

You Are Never Truly Alone

The hair stands up on the back of your neck and nearby a twig snaps... Are you being watched?

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