archaeology virtual field trips

What is a bison drive site?

A site where hunters drove bison off a cliff.

Where is Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump located?

Southern end of the Porcupine Hills, north of the Oldman River and west of Fort Macleod.

What are the main sections of Head-Smashed-In?

Gathering basin, drive lanes, kill site, campsite and processing area.

What was the gathering basin?

A 14 km-long area extending west from the cliff where bison gathered.

What were drive lanes?

Rock piles arranged as barriers to funnel bison toward the cliff edge.

How did hunters drive bison off the cliff?

They created funnels using barriers to guide and push bison toward the edge.

What happened after the bison were killed?

They were butchered quickly and used for many purposes, minimizing waste.

What are important features or risks at the site?

Erosion-prone cliff, campsite, nearby creek and Oldman River, and risk of anthrax.

Can we prove Head-Smashed-In was used 9,000 years ago?

No. People lived in the area then, but use of the jump that early is unproven.

What is Bonfire Shelter, and why is it significant?

A Texas site with a bone bed dating to 1,200 BP, although it is unclear whether a bison drive occurred.

Why could Head-Smashed-In be the oldest buffalo jump?

If it was used 9,000 years ago, it could be the oldest, but this is unproven.

Where is Majorville Medicine Wheel located?

South of Bassano, Alberta.

How old is Majorville Medicine Wheel?

Archaeological investigations show it has been used for approximately 5,200 years.

What is a medicine wheel?

A rock construction usually containing a central cairn, sometimes with radiating spokes or surrounding stone circles.

What was the usual location and function of medicine wheels?

Usually built at high points in the landscape, with ceremonial functions; the exact ceremonies are often unknown.

How was Majorville Medicine Wheel constructed and expanded?

Its central cairn was constructed about 5,000 years ago, and the site expanded over time

How many types of medicine wheels are there, and who classified them?

Eight types, classified by John Brumley.

What type of medicine wheel is Majorville?

Type 6.

Which region has the most medicine wheels?

Alberta has the most of any region of the Great Plains

Why is Majorville significant archaeologically?

It is one of the few medicine wheels to have been excavated.

Why was only half of Majorville excavated?

To protect and preserve the site.

How was Majorville excavated?

Like peeling an onion: layers were carefully removed and documented until the original cairn was reached.

Is Majorville Medicine Wheel still an active site?

Yes. People continue to leave offerings, including tobacco.

Who is Napi?

A figure whose name can mean “Old Man,” also called “the Maker.”

Where is Sundial Medicine Wheel located?

East of Carmangay, Alberta.

What type of medicine wheel is Sundial?

type 2

What are the main features of Sundial Medicine Wheel?

An entrance or quarter leading toward the cairn, with two concentric circles around it.

How was Sundial Medicine Wheel studied?

Researchers mapped every rock and examined lichen growth without excavating the site.

How can lichen help archaeologists date a medicine wheel?

Lichen growth and coverage can help estimate the relative age of rocks and features.

What did the lichen at Sundial suggest about its construction?

The inner areas had lighter lichen coverage, suggesting they were added later

Which researchers were associated with the study of Sundial?

J. Rodrick Vickers, Roxy Hastings and Trevor R. Peck

What is an Iniskim or buffalo calling stone?

A fossil, usually an ammonite, that breaks into segments resembling bison. As well as, they were used in buffalo-calling ceremonies.

Where is the Fincastle Bison Killing Site located?

Near Purple Springs and Taber, Alberta, on leased Crown land used for ranching.

What type of landscape is the Fincastle site located in?

A parabolic dune.

Where have excavations taken place at Fincastle?

In the eastern block, with approximately 30 square metres excavated.

How did bone depth differ across the site?

Bison bones were deeper in the east and shallower in the west.

What was the environment like when the bison were killed

It was a marshy environment.

What is a gleyed glacio-lacustrine deposit?

A soil or sediment layer altered by wet conditions, formed from glacial lake deposits.

What was found directly beneath the bone bed?

A gleyed glacio-lacustrine deposit, indicating wet conditions.

What do the ceremonial bone features suggest about the site

Bison bones were pressed into wet, clay-rich sediment, suggesting deliberate placement.

How many bison bone fragments were recovered at Fincastle?

Approximately 247,000 fragments.

How many bison bone fragments were identifiable to specific skeletal elements?

Approximately 19,000 fragments.

How was the Fincastle site dated?

Radiocarbon dating indicated an age of approximately 2,500 years.

What are the 12 upright features found at Fincastle?

Features made from parts of bison jammed upright into the ground, composed of different elements.

How did looting influence archaeological investigation at Fincastle?

Looting helped researchers identify where to investigate because the area was known for it.

What is a major threat to the Fincastle site?

Erosion, which affects the surrounding dunes.

What was discovered at the site?

A bone bed containing bison bones on a cliff.

Who discovered the site, and when?

Lawrence Howraus in 1960, during Operation Artifact, which recorded archaeological sites in Alberta.

What is a major problem affecting the site?

Erosion

What other archaeological features are present at the site?

Teepee (TP) rings, although vegetation makes them difficult to see.

Do archaeologists know exactly how bison were hunted at this site?

No. The exact hunting method is uncertain.

How were the bison bones dated?

Through radiocarbon dating, which can be expensive, especially in Canada.

What is a site code in archaeology?

A unique code identifying an archaeological site and indicating its location within the province.

How do archaeologists estimate the number of animals at a site?

They analyze bones for characteristics such as age and sex to calculate the minimum number of individuals (MNI).

What does MNI stand for?

Minimum Number of Individuals: the smallest number of animals needed to account for the identified remains.

What was the overall MNI at this bison bone bed?

23 animals, according to the overall figure in the field trip notes.

What MNI age-group counts were recorded in the notes?

11 adults, 7 juveniles and 60 subadults.