- Kelsey Pennanen U of Calgary
- Liam Wadsworth U of Alberta
- Scott Hamilton Lakehead U
Over the past thirty years, archaeological practice has undergone significant transformation in part because of the development of increasingly powerful and accessible electronic technology. This computer-driven spatial revolution has provided new avenues for increasingly non-invasive investigation of known archaeological sites and their landscapes, monitoring sites at risk, and to search for significant places not yet known. This is coupled with a shift towards applied archaeology, driven by the need for more expedient, precise, and comprehensive heritage documentation within environmental impact assessments, and also research directed by engagement with Indigenous descendent communities. Canadian archaeology, however, has only begun to reflexively examine the use of non-invasive digital technologies shaping the ways we ‘do’ archaeology. To reflect on the possibilities and consequences of a technologically based archaeological future, this session explores the trajectory of changing professional practice in Canada by reviewing methodological innovations, limitations, and implications of non-invasive technology. This includes important and deliberate reflection on how perspectives and priorities shift when conducting community-engaged research with Indigenous partners.