Excavations of the Ruskin Dam Site, located on the north side of the Fraser Valley, were conducted over four months in 2009 as part of a salvage project.  Our talk will discuss the significance of the major discoveries at the site including: the house features, quartz crystal tools, biface styles, woodworking technology, objects of personal adornment, and faunal remains which contain a high proportion of sturgeon bones.  Combined, the artifacts, radiocarbon dates, and site stratigraphy provide a unique opportunity for gaining a perspective on the long-term occupation of this strategically located archaeological site.

Duncan McLaren is the owner and operator of Cordillera Archaeology, an archaeological contracting firm based in Victoria, BC.  He also is an adjunct professor in the Department of Anthropology and the University of Victoria.

Brendan Gray is a consulting archaeologist based in Victoria. He has a B.A. in archaeology from S.F.U and an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Victoria. His research interests include northwest coast archaeology and household archaeology.

In Paleolithic cave art, geometric signs tend to outnumber figurative images and yet, they remain relatively understudied.  To address this gap in our knowledge, I compiled a digital catalogue of all known geometric signs found in parietal art in France, and then trended the results looking for patterns of continuity and change over time and space.  I focused on parietal art, as I could be certain of its provenance, and picked France as my region due to its abundance of decorated sites and its natural boundaries of water and mountain ranges.  The database is searchable by a variety of criteria such as sign category, method of production, date range, site type, geographical coordinates and region.  It is now being converted into an online resource.  To provide a visual dimension, it includes a selection of linked photographs and reproductions of the different signs.  In this thesis, I detail the chronological and regional patterning in sign type and frequency and the implications of these patterns for understanding where, when and why the making of these signs was meaningful to the Pleistocene peoples who created them. 

Genevieve von Petzinger Having been interested in the cognitive evolution of modern humans since her undergraduate days at the University of Victoria, Genevieve von Petzinger was finally able to explore this in more depth at the Master’s level.  Working with Dr April Nowell, again at the University of Victoria, she was able to pursue this interest, and received her MA in June 2009.  Using the geometric signs of Upper Paleolithic rock art, Genevieve discovered some very interesting information about these early examples of symbolic behaviour, and presented her findings at the Paleoanthropology Society meeting in Chicago, Illinois in April 2009.  This presentation was the catalyst for her research being featured as the Feb. 20^th, 2010 cover story in New Scientist magazine.  This exposure then led to a strong media follow-up, which included an interview on the Discovery Channel, a feature in the Tuttoscienze supplemental of La Stampa in Italy, an article in the Globe and Mail, and a full page feature in the Vancouver Sun, as well many other popular press articles and radio interviews in French and English, both nationally and internationally.  While being slightly overwhelmed by all the attention, Genevieve has been very excited about the positive response, and is just thrilled that other people want to hear her talk about her favourite subject!       

Microblades are very sharp stone blades produced from a specially-prepared core.  They are an efficient use of material, and an exceptionally versatile and portable technology.  They were common throughout much of the prehistoric Northwest Coast, yet the use of microblades died out before the beginning of the late period.  Their makers and users employed a variety of manufacture and hafting strategies.  We will demonstrate and discuss a few of these methods, addressing practical advantages and drawbacks from a first-person perspective.  There will be opportunities for some of those in attendance to try their hands at producing microblades!         Nick Waber is a first year graduate student at the University of Victoria.  He specializes in lithic technology, experimental archaeology, and Northwest Coast archaeology.  His current research involves replication and experimental studies with microblades.

This study investigates early Paleo-Indian expansion into Saskatchewan as reflected by the distribution of fluted projectile points, and comparing it to Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene environmental changes.  It consists of a geographic distribution analysis, using an assemblage consisting solely of fluted point surface finds.An initial study of Saskatchewan’s fluted projectile points, conducted in 1966 by Tom Kehoe, made use of information from the then known database, consisting of a mere 36 artifacts.  The current study examines the modern database of 78 specimens, and discusses the distributions of the three separate types of fluted points found in Saskatchewan and the validity of applying terms to them (Clovis, Folsom, and Northwestern) derived outside the province.Not only does Saskatchewan’s assemblage reflect distributional differences between each fluted point type as a result of late Pleistocene/early Holocene environmental changes, but it shows typological similarities to assemblages elsewhere and changes in a time-progressive manner. Jon Hall writes: “I am a local consulting archaeologist with three years of archaeological experience in British Columbia. My archaeological experience prior to this consisted of several archaeological excavations and research projects in Saskatchewan as part of the Study of Cultural Adaptation in the Prairie Ecozone. I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree in 2004 through the University of Saskatchewan and have recently completed my Master of Arts degree through Simon Fraser University. The relatively warm winters on the coast have softened me, prohibiting me from returning to the prairies, but I have and will always maintain an interest in the early prehistory of the Great Plains culture are, specifically the Northern Plains.”

The application of anthropology and archaeology to medico-legal death investigation has risen to prominence over the past 20 years. This presentation offers an overview of what happens in British Columbia when skeletal remains are found and enter the medico-legal system. What is the role of an anthropologist or archaeologist who doesn’t have psychic powers or a hologram machine like our television counterparts. Since all too often these remains are from an archaeological context, new initiatives by the BC Coroners Service regarding found human remains will be discussed.Brenda Clark has an M.A. from Memorial University and teaches anthropology at Camosun College.  She has acted as a consultant to the BC Coroners Service on Vancouver Island for 10 years. Her interest in raising public awareness about archaeology in the province led to her co-editing Victoria Underfoot: Excavating a City’s Secrets.  The book has been nominated for a Monday Magazine “M” Award for Favourite Non-fiction Book, so get online and vote at mondaymag.com.