Deploying Technological Advancements to Support Community-Focused Cultural Heritage Management

Session Hosting Format: 
in-person session
Date/Heure: 
Jeudi, mai 1, 2025 - 10:00am
(NDT)
Room: 
Queen's College 4028
Organizer(s): 
  • Isaac S. Bender, Western University
Contact Email: 
ibender@uwo.ca
Session Description (300 word max): 

Rapid technological developments across a range of techniques have the potential to transform how we discover, interpret, and preserve cultural heritage. Advancements in remote sensing, 3D modelling, artificial intelligence, among others, are refining data collection methods and improving the identification and interpretation of archaeological sites, supporting more sustainable practices. This session explores how the growing use of these technologies is shifting archaeological practice in Canada, with a particular emphasis on their role in advancing community-focused heritage management. Excavation, which is extractive and destructive, is often prioritized in provincial heritage legislation. As minimally invasive technologies become more affordable, user-friendly, and widely adopted, driven in part by consumer and professional demand, they allow archaeologists to rapidly collect rich datasets while minimizing impacts and contributing to more detailed and nuanced historical narratives. These approaches also extend beyond site detection and preservation, enabling new forms of material analysis that improve artifact classification and interpretation. The session invites contributions exploring the many implications of these technological developments for archaeological practice. Themes could include: How will their application benefits descendant communities? What steps are necessary to ensure communities retain sovereignty over both physical and digital heritage? How can archaeologists align technological practices with community priorities? Contributions that address the challenges and opportunities of using these methods in archaeological research, while fostering community-focused and sustainable heritage preservation, are especially encouraged.

 

Présentations
10:00 AM: Extending the Archaeological Field Season: A Pilot Study of Winter Testing Using Mechanical Auger Testing and Screening (MATS)
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Chelsea Colwell-Pasch - Colbr Consulting Inc.

Winter conditions in Canada present significant challenges to archaeological fieldwork like ground frost, environmental constraints, and crew comfort limiting excavation activities. As a result, regulatory and commercial projects often face delays, waiting for favorable conditions in the spring thaw. In January 2025, Colbr conducted a pilot study using our Mechanical Auger Testing and Screening (MATS) methodology to assess the feasibility of winter archaeological testing. MATS enables deep, systematic testing in challenging environments, and this trial aimed to evaluate its efficacy under frozen ground conditions and extreme cold. This study was structured as a controlled field experiment, comparing testing/screening productivity,  methods/prcoess efficacy, and the impacts for both the proponent and the archaeologist. Key variables included frost resistance, auger efficiency and resilience, test pit context integrity, and field conditions. Results demonstrated that MATS effectively mitigated ground frost limitations, allowing for an entire month of additional, efficient, fieldwork, expediting project timelines while maintaining regulatory compliance and standards. Additionally, the study assessed the broader implications of this technology for archaeological practice, including its potential to replace archaeological monitoring, reduce physical barriers for field crew, streamline development approvals, reduce risk, and enhance year-round opportunities for field staff and small businesses. 
10:20 AM: Novel Approaches to Historical Assemblages at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Tracy Martens - Royal Saskatchewan Museum

This paper presents preliminary results of ongoing projects focused on characterizing and provenancing textile and metal artifacts from historical and pre-colonization assemblages held at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. The project includes X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), as well as Macromolecular Crystallography—Bending Magnet at the Canadian Light Source. 
10:40 AM: SHERD-entification: Examining the Viability of Applying Ultrasonic Technology for the Identification of Historical Archaeological Ceramics
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Corvin Mak - David Thompson Secondary School
  • Katherine Brent [PRESENTER] - Western University Department of Anthropology and School of Biomedical Engineering

Innovative analytical techniques in archaeology are borne from a variety of contexts, including collaborations between community members and archaeologists. Consequently, this paper discusses the results of research performed by a high school student under the mentorship of a doctoral student in anthropology. The study uses inexpensive and accessible ultrasonic technology to quantitatively classify ceramic sherds from historic contexts through gauging their ultrasonic velocity signatures. Using a single-transducer ultrasonic thickness gauge, the velocities at which ultrasonic waves passed through sixteen different classifications of historically recognized sherd types found in the Thames Estuary in England were measured. The study ultimately found that ultrasonic testing may be a viable way forward for clay body identification, as material velocity values were found to be significantly different (p<0.001) between clay body types. This is likely due to the fact that different material compositions between clay body types affect the way in which ultrasonic waves pass through a given sherd. Future research should work to establish expected material velocity ranges for different clay bodies from different contexts. Ultimately, this pilot study demonstrates the overall applicability of using ultrasonic technology as an inexpensive quantitative method for the archaeological classification of ceramic sherds of unknown clay body type.
11:00 AM: The Application of a Resistivity Survey at the Boultenhouse Shipyard Site in Sackville New Brunswick – A Case Study
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • John Somogyi-Csizmazia - North Island College
  • Cora Woosley - Archaeosoft
  • Leslie  Shumka - Mount Allison University

The use of resistivity surveying instruments has been widely documented as an important
methodology, especially in European archaeological survey methods. However, resistivity
surveying in Canada has not been widely adopted as an archaeological survey method. The
benefits of resistivity surveying include being a non-destructive/invasive technique, its cost
effectiveness when compared to invasive methodologies (e.g. shovel testing), and its minimal
crew requirement. The results of a resistivity survey can be both rewarding from a research
perspective, helpful for mitigation purposes, and providing tangible data on subsurface cultural
resources through pixilated imagery. This type of survey can be attractive for heritage planning,
especially for community/public-based heritage/archaeology programs that operate on limited
resources. In the fall of 2024, resistivity survey was conducted on the suspected site of the 19th
century Boultenhouse Shipyard located in Sackville, New Brunswick. The survey, requested by
the Tantramar Heritage Trust, revealed significant subsurface resources and confirmed the
location as the Boultenhouse Shipyard. The results of this survey will be discussed as an example
of resistivity’s power to reveal past activities and will also invite a dialogue on the usefulness of
this underused method in future archaeological projects in the Maritimes.
11:20 AM: Fishing for Data: Using an ‘off the shelf’ fish finder to gather side scan sonar imagery for archaeological purposes.
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Michael Lewis - Conservation of Archaeological Materials Laboratory

Can a commercially available fish finder be used by recreational fishers to collect data for an archaeologist to later interpret?

This paper describes the parameters that will be used to test this idea during the summer of 2025 in various lakes in Saskatchewan. If successful, the project could result in hundreds of Saskatchewan lakes being scanned and assessed for archaeological evidence and involve the broader community in archaeological research in a way that doesn’t risk the integrity of our shared past.

Is there a way to have the interested public use a readily available fish finder to gather side scan sonar imagery that is GPS referenced, for archaeologists to later interpret, while simply going about fishing?

This paper describes the proposed methodology to determine the feasibility of the project.

by testing the viability of using a fish finder as side scan sonar device for imagery gathering. Describe the potential / envisioned methodology, and future research.
11:40 AM: Heritage Landscapes at Close-Range: Reflecting on Photogrammetry as a Method for Community-Based Research
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Natascha Beisswenger-Mooney - Department of Anthropology, Western University
  • Patricia G. Markert - Department of Anthropology, Western University

In this paper, we reflect on the experience of using close-range photogrammetry to record ruins as part of a community-based archaeology project in Medina County, TX, an area settled by Alsatian, German, and Mexican migrants as part of the settler colonial project of Texas in the 19th and 20th centuries. Close-range photogrammetry, which aligns photographs to create precise 3D models with realistic textures, offers a relatively low-cost method to record the built landscape for archaeologists working with and for communities. However, this process is more involved than simply capturing and uploading photos into the software (in our case, Agisoft Metashape Pro); it requires conversation with community, material engagements in the field, attention to architectural detail on site and virtually, and ongoing dialogues about the use and afterlife of both the models and the ruins. We reflect on the ways we create these models, as well as their implications for local heritage narratives, drawing on two questions from our projects-in-process: how Mexican migrants made homes in the ruins of Alsatian migration, and how German descendent communities engaged with heritage landscapes during times of major political, linguistic, and cultural shifts like World War II.
01:00 PM: Technology, traditional recording techniques & local cultural advocacy: what we can do together!
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Maria Lear - Department of Archaeology, Memorial University

This talk will present findings of a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical survey, total station and photograph survey completed in 2022 within a Moravian cemetery in Makkovik, Nunatsiavut. GPR was utilized to possibly locate the presence of unknown graves (within the older section of the cemetery) - burials that have been lost in time due to the absence of headstones either by reason of vegetation overgrowth or grave-marker deterioration. Site work also included photography & transcription of existing headstones. The presentation will give an overview of the survey & the fieldwork which was completed 3-weeks in July 2022. I will discuss methodology, data collection, results & interpretation using site photos, field notes, archival sources as well as some post-processed GPR software imagery. Originating from the 2021 Nunatsiavut Heritage Forum, an idea for the research project was initiated by representatives of the Moravian Church (in particular, Mrs. Joan Anderson, Moravian Church Elder, Curator of the White Elephant Museum & cultural heritage advocate who was instrumental in the completion of this project) in conjunction with engagement of the Makkovik Inuit Community Government (MICG), the Nunatsiavut Archaeology Office (NAO) Nunatsiavut Government, the NG Research Advisory Committee and residents of the local community.  

 
01:20 PM: Grave Identification with Electromagnetic Induction
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Isaac S. Bender - Department of Anthropology, Western University
  • Edward Eastaugh - Department of Anthropology, Western University
  • Lisa Hodgetts - Department of Anthropology, Western University

Since the announcement of approximately 200 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, we are seeing an unprecedented interest in remote sensing for burial identification in Canada. While ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is widely recognized as the most effective geophysics technique for non-invasive grave detection, there are instances where it is unsuitable. This can include areas of high soil conductivity or areas where low lying vegetation prevents the efficient operation of the GPR. One alternative approach is electromagnetic induction (EMI), which has long shown potential for grave detection but has yielded mixed results in some cemetery environments. This paper presents preliminary results from tests using the new Geonics EM38-4, which simultaneously collects conductivity and magnetic susceptibility datasets. We deployed it at the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery in Southwestern Ontario, a site with geological conditions similar to two nearby Indian Residential Schools (IRSs). We successfully identified general grave locations and, in some cases, individual burials. The study enhances our understanding of EMI’s potential in similar geologies, allowing us to provide Indigenous communities in the area with realistic expectations for its use in their ongoing IRS investigations.

01:40 PM: Bringing a Novel Technology to the Search for Unmarked Graves in Community-Guided Investigations
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Kathleen Willie - askîhk Research Services
  • Micaela  Champagne - askîhk Research Services
  • Angela  Burant - askîhk Research Services
  • Terence  Clark - University of Saskatchewan

The Shallow Subsurface Soil Spectroscopy (S4) is a novel technology, first arriving for use in Canada in the spring of 2023. The S4 Soil Probe is a minimally invasive survey confirmation method, meaning it is used in conjunction with other survey methods and is currently employed in the ongoing searches at former Indian Residential School (IRS) sites. The S4 analyzes soil samples for the presence of fatty acids as a means of detecting the presence of human remains. This paper will present the challenges, successes, trials, and strategies used in the integration of the S4 into surveys and investigations at these sites as conducted by askîhk Research Services and their Community partners.

02:00 PM: Cautionary tales when deploying remote sensing technologies at Indian Residential Schools
Format de présentation : In-Person
Auteur-e(s) :
  • Scott Hamilton - Lakehead University

Since 2021 the search for deceased or disappeared children who attended Canadian Indian Residential Schools has dramatically escalated. Under Indigenous leadership, these investigations are unprecedented in complexity and scope, and have relied heavily on near-surface geophysics and other remote sensing methods. Archaeologists, geophysicists, historians and others have become involved in helping build local Indigenous capacity, and in assisting with the investigations. Assisting in such work is both a complex research problem and a sacred trust. It involves methodological research and development while simultaneously conducting searches- often while under intense public scrutiny. Critical reflection on workflows is desperately required, particularly with the apparent retrenchment of Canadian government financial support. How best to proceed with the investigations in a time of fiscal uncertainty? How to offer advice regarding effective data gathering, processing and analysis? How to collect, integrate and curate diverse information while ensuring Indigenous data sovereignty? Some of these issues are explored in the context of ongoing Indian Residential School investigations.