Archaeological
Field trip crowd preparing to explore the Misty Hills Type to enter text
on Sunday May 11, 2014.
Newsletter
Issue No 15: April & May 2015
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ALBERTA
Report A Find
Written by Courtney Lakevold, Archaeological Information Coordinator, Alberta Culture
Reprinted from: https://albertashistoricplaces.wordpress.com/
Have you ever discovered a projec0le point, stone tool, ceramic, bone or other archaeological ar0fact? If so, we want to hear from you! Archaeological ar0facts may be exposed by natural events (ﬂooding, freeze/thaw cycles or tree throws) or human modiﬁca0on to a landscape (agriculture, recrea0on ac0vi0es, or development). As explained in a previous post, Alberta is Rich in Archaeology, archaeologists working in the province discover, or revisit, sites during the course of Historical Resource Impact Assessments. However, there are large stretches of the province that aren’t subject to Historical Resource Impact Assessments such as previously cul0vated areas or areas that do not have development projects on them. This doesn’t mean there are not archaeology sites there. OLen, people will discover archaeological ar0facts and sites when they are out hiking, A variety of arAfacts typically found in Alberta. Photo credit: Todd Kristensen
ﬁshing, geocaching, working, or cul0va0ng their ﬁelds. This can include arrowheads or other stone tools, bones, ceramics, or 0pi rings and other stone features. So, what can people do when they make these discoveries? They can Report A Find! The Archaeological Survey has set up a webpage where people can report their discoveries. You can get an expert opinion on your ﬁnd and, who knows, possibly be credited with recording a new archaeological site! Recording this informa0on is a big step in helping to preserve and protect Alberta’s historical resources. But, please remember that if you observe an ar0fact in your travels, the best prac0ce is to leave it where you found it. Archaeological sites are protected under Alberta’s Historic Resources Act, regardless of where they were found. Removing an ar0fact from its original context disrupts the integrity of the site, and may hinder eﬀorts to further understand the signiﬁcance of the object. You just need to provide us with a photo of your ﬁnd and the loca0on it was found, either by providing geographic coordinates or ploTng the loca0on on a map. Your ﬁnd will be reported to staﬀ at the Archaeological Survey and they will follow up with you to conﬁrm the ﬁnd and possibly ask for addi0onal informa0on. Staﬀ will conﬁrm if the site is already known or if the ﬁnd warrants a new site designa0on! Repor0ng ﬁnds can provide valuable informa0on that helps the staﬀ at the Archaeological Survey manage, protect and preserve archaeological resources in Alberta. We can’t wait to hear about your discoveries!
Bone arAfact from a “Stones and Bones” event in Coaldale. Photo credit: Royal Alberta Museum
RETROac've: Blogging Alberta’s Historic Places
Visit RETROac've: Blogging Alberta’s Historic Places h"ps://albertashistoricplaces.wordpress.com
Check the blog regularly for new releases. Medicine Wheel with outer rings and a central cairn. Photo credit: Royal Alberta 2015 ASA Awards
The ASA has established two awards that may be awarded each year to recognize the work of an individual(s). Winners of these awards are honoured during the ASA annual general mee0ng. Dis/nguished Service Award
The Dis0nguished Service Award is granted to an individual(s) who has provided a dis0nguished, long-‐term record of services to their local centre of the Society, par0cipated in the provincial level of the society, contributed to the discipline of archaeology in the province, increased awareness and/or educa0on on public issues of archaeology, and contributed to the promo0on of the Society.
Johan (John) Dormaar Award
The John Dormaar Award is granted to an individual who, through produc0on of a substan0ve piece of wriYen work, has signiﬁcantly advanced the understanding and apprecia0on of Alberta archaeology and related disciplines. Nomina0on deadline is March 1, 2015.
For more informa0on on either of these awards or to nominate someone, please contact Jim McMurchy at [email protected]
Artifact Illustration Workshop
Written by Christie Grekul, ASA Provincial Coordinator
The Strathcona Archaeological Society organized a successful Ar0fact Illustra0on Workshop on February 21, 2015 from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm at Grant MacEwan University. This hands-‐on tutorial was taught by Shawn Morton, a graduate student from the University of Calgary. Par0cipants learnt basic ar0fact illustra0on techniques and had a chance to draw a variety of ar0factual materials, including lithics, poYery and bone. Shawn Morton shared his knowledge about diﬀerent types of archaeological illustra0ons, why ar0fact illustra0on is important and the steps involved in ar0fact illustra0on. ArAfact illustraAon in progress.
A parAally illustrated obsidian projecAle point.
Approximately 15+ people aYended the event and enjoyed it. Par0cipants paid $15 ($10 for SAS Members) to aYend the workshop and all supplies were included.
The ASA is Celebrating 40 Years in 2015!
Written by the ASA 40th Anniversary Committee with information from ASA members
In 2015 the ASA is celebra0ng 40 years and to celebrate we are sharing a bit of ASA history with the membership and the public every week for the en0re year! We are using social media and email to reminisce about, share, and con0nue to p r o m o t e A l b e r t a A r c h a e o l o g y a n d t h e contribu0ons made by the ASA in the last 40 years! If you missed the posts between February 12 and April 2, 2015 online, here they are again for your enjoyment.
February 12, 2015: Red Deer Centre
In the spring of 2002 Dr. Shawn Haley, who was a professor at Red Deer College, was asked if there was an interest in crea0ng a chapter of the Archaeological Society of Alberta in Red Deer. The ﬁrst mee0ng was held in April of that year at the Red Deer and District Museum. The 30+ people in aYendance were eager to see an ASA chapter in Red Deer. Forty-‐four memberships were sold the ﬁrst year. The ASA -‐ Red Deer Centre was oﬃcially registered on October 28, 2003. Between 2003 and 2006 the center hosted many events including Forensic Crime Scene workshops. However, by the end of the 2006 season, the Red Deer Centre took a hiatus due to lack of membership. In 2010, through the dedica0on of Provincial President Joanne Braaten, Vandy Bower, Jean Kaufmann, Doug Shaw and the current Red Deer Centre President Larry S0enbrenner, the center became ac0ve again. Regular mee0ngs are currently held at Red Deer College the second Wednesday of the month.
February 19, 2015: Bodo Archaeological Society
The Bodo Archaeological Site, located 35 km south of Provost, Alberta, was ﬁrst discovered in 1995 during a pipeline development project. The l o c a l c o m m u n i t y t o o k i n t e r e s t i n t h e archaeological site immediately and began stewardship over the area in December of 2003 when the Bodo Archaeological Society (BAS) was incorporated. From 2002 to 2008, the University of Alberta also conducted a ﬁeld school at the site to train aspiring undergraduate archaeologists. Since 2003, the BAS has oﬀered tours and educa0onal programs (including school tours, kids camps, and Adult Dig-‐It Camps) to the public.
Some of the original members who helped create the Bodo Archaeological Society including Iris Larson, Roxanna Wotschell, Leila & Clarence Grobel, and Terry Gibson were all founding members of the BAS who are s0ll ac0ve board members today! February 26, 2015: The ASA as a Provincial Body
In September 1960 a group of interested i n d i v i d u a l s i n E d m o n t o n f o r m e d t h e Archaeological Society of Alberta (ASA) (unincorporated). Subsequently in 1966 Edmonton applied for a charter under the Archaeological Society of Alberta, Edmonton Centre due to fact that other Centres were established in the mean0me. The Calgary Centre received their charter in 1964 and the Lethbridge Centre in 1968. Finally in September of 1973, a mee0ng of the three centres was held in Calgary to discuss the forma0on of a provincial society. An agreement was reached and a decision was made to meet again in April 1974 to discuss the maYer further. In February 1974 a representa0ve from each Centre met in Edmonton and drew up a draL cons0tu0on. At the mee0ng in April 1974, the draL of the cons0tu0on was presented and accepted in principle. Subsequently the draL was sent to Lethbridge Centre where a commiYee went to work and 0died up the draL. The ﬁnal cons0tu0on was then signed by oﬃcers of Lethbridge Centre and forwarded to Calgary Centre for their approval and signatures. Once this had been done, the package was forwarded to Edmonton Centre for their ﬁnal approval and signing. The package was then delivered to Department of Corporate Aﬀairs and the charter for the Archaeological Society of Alberta was issued on February 7, 1975.
The ﬁrst execu0ve mee0ng of the newly formed Archaeological Society of Alberta was held in Calgary in October 1975 and Dr. John Dormaar of Lethbridge was elected as the ﬁrst president of the ASA.
March 5, 2015: Dr. Johan Dormaar
As men0oned in last week’s post the ASA’s ﬁrst president was Dr. John Dormaar of the Lethbridge C e n t r e . J o h n w a s a n a v i d a v o c a 0 o n a l archaeologist and an invaluable member of the Alberta archaeological community. His own area of exper0se was soils and organic chemistry but his keen interest in archaeology resulted in the publica0on of many scien0ﬁc papers relevant to the discipline. John was a very ac0ve member of the society (and many other interest groups) who regularly presented talks at the various centres and led “legendary” ﬁeldtrips! John had a long history of service to archaeology in Alberta and we were honoured to have him be a part of our family! The ASA created the Johan (John) Dormaar Award in 2012, aLer his passing, to honour his memory. The John Dormaar Award is granted to an individual who, through produc0on of a substan0ve piece of wriYen work, has signiﬁcantly advanced the understanding and apprecia0on of Alberta archaeology and related disciplines.
March 12, 2015: Dis/nguished Service Award
The ASA has had many outstanding members and volunteers over the last 40 years. The Dis0nguished Service Award was established to recognize these individuals. Recipients of the Dis0nguished Service Award must be an ASA member in good standing; have a dis0nguished, long term record of service to their local centre; have made contribu0ons, or par0cipated in, the provincial level of the society; have made contribu0ons to archaeology in Alberta; contributed to an increased awareness and/or educa0on of the public on issues of archaeology in Alberta and; contributed to public awareness and promo0on of the Society, both at the local and provincial level. If you know a member of the ASA worthy of this pres0gious award, please contact us for a nomina0on form!
March 19, 2015: Alberta Archaeology Review
One of the ASA’s publica0ons is the Alberta Archaeological Review. The Review’s purpose is two-‐fold: to convey news of ac0vi0es throughout the province, and to provide a forum for the dissemina0on of archaeological research in Alberta. The ﬁrst Review was published in March of 1977 and featured an ar0cle by Richard G. Forbis called “The Past, Present and Future of Alberta Archaeology.” Dr. Forbis oﬀered some interes0ng and accurate insights, and reading the ar0cle today sheds light on how much the discipline of archaeology has changed over the years. On a side note -‐ the price listed on the ﬁrst issue was $20...imagine how much it's worth now! Many interes0ng ar0cles have been published since, and the 57th issue of the Review has just been released! To see a full lis0ng of past reviews, visit our webpage:
hYp://www.arkyalberta.com/
publica0ons_theReview.html.
March 26, 2015: Occasional Papers
The Occasional Papers Series is another important publica0on produced by the society. Twelve issues have been published and each feature interes0ng archaeological sites and research, not only in Alberta, but from across the Plains. This series’ ﬁrst publica0on was in 2003 and featured excava0ons at the Saahkomaapina (Boy Chief) site in south-‐central Alberta. To see a full lis0ng of the Occasional Papers visit our webpage: hYp://www.arkyalberta.com/
publica0ons_papers.html
April 2, 2015: Richard G. Forbis
Richard Forbis really began the previously neglected study of Alberta Archaeology when he was hired by the Glenbow founda0on in 1954 to establish an Archaeology Department speciﬁcally to carry out research into the archaeology of the Province. In coopera0on with the Glenbow and the then young University of Alberta in Calgary he taught the ﬁrst course on Plains Archaeology in the early 1960’s and helped play a key role in establishing the Department of Archaeology at the University in 1964. As Chairman of the Public Hearings into the Conserva0on of Historical and Archaeological Resources in Alberta in 1972, he played a cri0cal role in the development of the Alberta Historical Resources Act. In 1961 Dr. Forbis and a group of interested public sketched out the cons0tu0on and direc0on of the Calgary Centre of the Archaeological Society of Alberta. Through his work with the Glenbow Founda0on, the University of Calgary, the Calgary Centre of the Archaeological Society and his many publica0ons on sites all over Alberta, Dr. Richard Forbis made a hugely signiﬁcant contribu0on to our knowledge and understanding of Alberta Archaeology.
Help us celebrate by con0nuing to submiY your photos, facts or stories about the ASA’s last 40 years to [email protected].
The ASA Lethbridge Centre award Bob Shore with a Honourary Lifetime
Membership
Submitted by ASA - Lethbridge Centre & Photos by John Easton
Robert (Bob) Shore has been a very ac0ve member in The Archaeological Society of Alberta, Lethbridge Centre since he joined the Society in the early 1980s.
Bob, over the years has held the posi0on of President, Vice-‐President, Treasurer, and Director and when no one else stepped forward, he volunteered to act as Secretary un0l a replacement could be found. In addi0on to taking an ac0ve role on the execu0ve, Bob has worked on various commiYees over the years as well as ac0vely par0cipa0ng in ﬁeldtrips, mapping projects and other ac0vi0es of the Society. When we have informa0on tables set up at one of our events, Bob has generously volunteered his 0me to help man the display and has provide some material (photo albums) for the display tables.
As President, Bob represented Lethbridge Centre on the Provincial Execu0ve for several years. When able to commit the 0me, Bob volunteered with several archaeological consul0ng ﬁrms to assist in excava0ng archaeological sites along the Oldman River prior to the construc0on of the Oldman River Dam. For several years aLer the construc0on of the dam was completed, Bob monitored a sec0on of sites along the Oldman Reservoir on behalf of the Archaeological Survey.
Bob also volunteered on other site excava0ons over the years including the monitoring of Wally’s Beach. Bob has freely oﬀered his exper0se on various archaeological maYers or sites to not only our long 0me members and to new members but the general public as well.
In addi0on to his volunteering on behalf of the ASA Lethbridge Centre, Bob is an ac0ve member of the Lethbridge Historical Society. Bob has also given talks and slide presenta0ons on archaeology and his world travels at the Lethbridge Senior Ci0zens Organisa0on (LSCO) once a month for the past several years. Bob also received an award for his volunteer work with the LSCO.