The proposed research conducts a comparative analysis of the 3D recording capabilities of CREALITY’s Ferret, the iPhone 17 and the standardized hand-drawn method. Current methodologies for recording arctic features involve time consuming measured drawings of each structural stone, or limited photographs of the feature. By utilizing 3D scans from these portable and affordable technologies, archaeologists will be able to gather accurate data with increased interpretive and community-oriented value.

To assess properly the capabilities of these devices, proof of concept testing has been completed in laboratory space at the Department of Anthropology (U of S). Fieldwork in the form of a survey within Nunavut will be conducted in partnership with Stantec Consulting. Here, the Ferret, the iPhone 17 pro, and the analog method will be deployed to gather secure recording data for analysis. Key metrics for analysis include accuracy (through calibrated reference points), speed, data security, interpretive value, change detection capabilities, time and cost.

Following fieldwork, the effectiveness of each technology and the programs that they rely on will be determined based on an aggregate of key metrics. My research will result in situational recommendations for each area of archaeological work including CRM, community based participatory research, and scholastic pursuits.

A key aim of experimental archaeology is to ‘recreate’ past phenomena through controlled and objective testing of hypotheses, fostering a product-focused approach that commonly dismisses the subjective and relational experiences of the crafts being studied. Yet, this experience is an integral aspect of how many North American Indigenous cultures understand and perceive their relationships to objects. Our innate uncertainty about the past further limits the possibility of recreating it, making artefact ‘replications', however morphologically correct, a shell of humanity. There are also inherent circumstantial differences between past lifeways and present academia that limit the possibility of replication; for example, deadlines, outcome biases, and a lack of habitus.

This research proposes a multivocal approach to experimental archaeology that promotes Indigenous science, experience, and relationality. The main focus will be on building a process-oriented experience of ceramic production centred on community, relationality, reciprocity, and sensorial experience. The aim will be to experiment with the process of creating ceramics that mirror pre-contact pottery vessels found in Alberta. This experience will include hands-on material sourcing from non-urban areas, manufacturing and pit-firing of ceramic wares, and documenting project and personal successes and/or failures.

Ancient Lanka, is a diamond-standard open-access journal that supports reconstructing the past, archaeological and beyond, within Sri Lankan contexts and through collaborative academic publishing. Hosted by the Mount Royal University Library and sustained through volunteer editorial work and institutional support, the journal offers a decolonial pathway amplifying diverse voices by publishing in three languages: English, Sinhala, and Tamil, while using open review, that supports transparency and constructive scholarly exchange. The editorial team consists of volunteer professionals who work collaboratively with authors. The journal involves Mount Royal University undergraduates who work closely with the Editor-in-Chief as Research Assistants, assisting with correspondence, proofreading, references and article formatting. Research Assistants benefit by developing transversal skills, while being valued members of an open access publishing community. This poster highlights the international collaborations undertaken to create Volume 4 (2025), commemorating the life and work of a distinguished Sri Lankan archaeologist, Professor Sudharshan Seneviratne. The volume embraces interdisciplinarity with articles on archaeological excavations, surveys, material culture, and commentaries that illuminate Sri Lanka’s past.

Climate change is a significant threat to the places and stories that we can tell about our heritage and archaeological sites in Nova Scotia. We see the direct impacts of sea level rise, loss of sea ice, more intense storms, flooding, erosion, drought and wildfires on archaeological sites and resources. As these effects intensify, more and more culturally significant places - and the stories they hold - may be damaged or lost. We can find hope in collaboration and action. Between 2019 and 2022, the archaeology sector in Nova Scotia worked together to create a climate adaptation strategy for the sector. Archaeologists are working with communities, activists and other disciplines to respond to the impacts of climate change on communities and their stories, so that communities are empowered to make decisions on the future of their cultural heritage. We can find hope in this collaborative action, while also acknowledging to communities that significant barriers to action still exist.

Microblade technology is a defining feature among archaeological assemblages in the Arctic, with lower occurrences in Subarctic regions like northern Alberta. There are, however, over 50 sites with reported evidence of microblade technology within Alberta’s Lower Athabasca Basin. Despite the prevalence, these assemblages have often been described using classification systems from neighbouring regions, resulting in confusion about the origins of microblade technologies in this region, and the technological processes that produced these tools. This poster describes the development of a typology that will allow archaeologists to more effectively identify and compare microblade assemblages in northeastern Alberta. By studying the frequency, distribution, and material types of microblades, microcores, projectile points, and associated debitage present in Lower Athabasca Basin Middle pre-contact (ca. 7,750 to 4,000 BP) assemblages, I argue microblades and their associated artifacts within that region suggest interactions with Arctic groups to the north and west. Creating a technologically focused typology is the first step towards understanding the nature of these interactions.

Within the Canmore, Alberta area, there are many locations in which pictographs appear, though their history has largely been neglected. Since 1880 Canmore has had a rich coal mining history and the town blossomed around its extraction. Over twenty-five historical sites dating back to 1883 are still the main focus of historical understanding in town. As such, this project focuses on the pictographs of Grotto Canyon (EgPt-1), Rats Nest Cave (EgPt-33), Spray Lakes (EgPu-4), and the Grassi Lake Rock Shelters (EgPu-5) surrounding Canmore. This study takes on a reflexive approach, as it encompasses both a strong tie to the Canmore community, and to myself, as an archaeologist who had lived in the Bow Valley for over twenty-four years. From knowing about these sites as a child, to developing a curiosity about them, and ultimately, to researching them as an archaeologist, my interest in this project stems from my own dynamic, and ever-changing, relationship with these sites. Drawing from conversations and interactions with Indigenous communities, the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre, and the Canmore Caving Company, the goal of this project is to examine the relationship between these pictograph sites and the coal mining history that Canmore is known for.

The Dolores Slow Archaeology Program conducts collaborative fieldwork in Dolores, Petén, Guatemala to enhance and further archaeological research of the Maya civilization. Guided by the practices and values of Slow Archaeology, ethnographic interviews are a key component of this project. Under the mentorship of Dr. Maxime Lamoureux-St-Hilaire, undergraduate research assistants are tasked with transcribing Spanish-spoken interviews centering heritage community members, including local grassroots archaeologists in Dolores. The purpose of these interviews is to gain insight into their multi-generational pursuit in archaeology and how present participants view themselves and their work. Dialogue explores memory, labour, knowledge and a path forward to create more collaborative and inclusive spaces for people in the present to illuminate the past. Audio files are automatically transcribed using open-access software called Vibe, and RAs work to ensure clarity and accuracy in the final transcription. They also work to interpret vocabulary such as site names, prominent researchers in the field, methodologies and techniques, as well as native flora and fauna.  Because the employment of ethnoarchaeology is a relatively new technique, RAs are tasked with developing a protocol for transcribing spoken language in the Doloreño community.Aspects of this protocol include preserving their dialect and directly translating what is spoken.

Carnuntum, a Roman capital (1st–4th centuries AD) in present-day Austria, consisted of two interconnected settlements: a civilian and a military city. When Carnuntum residents died, they were buried in cemeteries surrounding these settlements. Roman grave construction is believed to reflect an individual’s socio-economic status during life, with people of lower status buried in simple pit graves, while higher status individuals received more elaborate stone/tile cists or sarcophagi. This study applies this premise to grave constructions in the Carnuntum southern civilian cemetery, located along the modern Bernsteinstrasse. Photographs of 390 features were observed and categorized as Sarcophagus, Stone/Tile Cist, Pit/Wood or Cremation grave types. The prevalence of each grave type was compared and their spatial distributions were visually examined. Most graves were simple pit constructions (85.5%); 12.9% were tile/stone cist or sarcophagus type burials. These preliminary results suggest that while this region of the southern civilian cemetery was predominantly used by people of lower socio-economic status, some higher status individuals were also buried in this area. This research represents a first step in illuminating the lives of Roman civilians who are often under-represented and overlooked in historical accounts.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a minimally invasive geophysical equipment commonly used to identify subsurface features. It is used in archaeological contexts because it allows us to visualize the size, shape and material properties of subterranean objects features like graves. This study presents unexpected results of two small-scale GPR surveys conducted in cemeteries within Windsor, Ontario, each of which unveiled surprising results when compared with available data (headstones). In the first case, a plot with two visible headstones was examined in the “pauper’s area” of Windsor Grove Cemetery, and the map view showed a single anomaly.  However, examination of the depth slices identified three burials, one of which consisted of a double burial (one person buried atop the other). Archival evidence provided by the cemetery confirmed the double burial. In the second case study at St. John’s Anglican Church, the headstone indicated the burial of a two-year-old. The resultant anomaly was larger than expected, and consistent with surveys of adult burials. In both cases, data from headstones was not consistent with GPR. These cases illustrate the continued importance for archaeologists to use all available data sources when mapping historic cemeteries, and stress the need to focus analysis on depth splices.

Located in the Upper Babine River of north-central British Columbia, Smokehouse Island is an archaeological fishery site used by the ancestral Nedut’en (Lake Babine Nation) approximately 1,000 years ago. Previous ancient DNA (aDNA) research identified the sex-selective harvesting of male sockeye salmon—a practice linked to sustainable resource management. Conversely, a small sample of eight Chinook salmon remains showed a female bias, raising a critical question: was this a deliberate sex-selective strategy or simply a result of a limited sample size?

This research addresses the question by analyzing 30 additional Chinook salmon vertebrae from the site. Using a PCR-based approach to amplify fragments of the mitochondrial D-loop and nuclear genome, we identified the species and sex of each bone. Our data seem to confirm a higher harvest of female Chinook salmon, revealing a fishing strategy opposite to that used for sockeye and suggesting an egg-targeting fishery practice.

Our study highlights the efficacy of aDNA analysis for identifying archaeological remains. This genetic information enables precise reconstructions of traditional fishery practices and resource management strategies, enhancing archaeological understanding while contributing to conservation efforts. 

Like this session, this poster honors Janet Blakey and her contributions to the field of archaeology, focusing on her time at, and impact on, Lifeways of Canada Limited, which was her vocational home for over 20 years. At Lifeways, Janet made key contributions to archaeological studies at several highly important archaeological sites in Alberta, such as the Junction Site, the Stampede Site, the Everblue Springs Site and the Spitzee Whiskey Post, to name but a few. She was also invaluable in managing the lab, specializing in faunal analysis, and over the years mentored much of the staff at Lifeways in artifact analysis and data processing. She contributed to several significant publications, including reports and articles on the impact of the 2013 Flood on historic resources, and she designed and co-authored numerous award-winning conference posters. Janet’s passion for public archaeology is well known, and under her leadership the Archaeological Society of Alberta successfully sponsored and developed a range of speaker series, archaeological fieldwork projects, and other outreach programs. Janet’s passion for archaeology was virtually boundless and her zest for life and keen intellect continues to be sorely missed, not just at Lifeways, but across the many networks and organizations she touched.  

This poster specifically engages with the question how better approached Academic – Kalaallit Inuit partnerships can better co-produce and represent knowledge. This question is considered via a case study of the creation of an interactive heritage map for the Aasivissuit – Nipisat UNESCO World Heritage site in West Greenland. Specifically the project team, which comprised one Kalaaleq (Greenlandic Inuk) project staff member and one settler-Canadian researcher, is considered. These differing professional and personal positions brought different prospectives to the work. The poster highlights lessons learned in the development of the map project, as well as key takeaways with regards to pursuing genuine community - academic partnership.  

Ancient Maya E Groups – as loci of socio-political continuity, socio-cultural change, and social memory – anchored the growth and development of lowland Maya cities across millennia of urban development, ca. 1000 BCE – 900 CE. Often centrally located, they represent the earliest and longest-lasting formalized lowland architectural arrangements. These solar-oriented plaza-pyramid complexes each had unique developmental histories, but shared similar layouts, with a western pyramid facing across an open plaza towards a long platform surmounted by a smaller eastern pyramid(s). Recent archaeological investigations of the central Brisa E Group at Yaxnohcah documented a two-millennia-plus (1000 BCE- 1250 CE) construction and occupation chronology, with architectural renovations and/or ritual events witnessed in nearly every major period. This demonstrates that the construction, maintenance, and elaboration of its central E Group-style plaza-pyramid complex was integral to the multimillennial development of sociopolitical complexity and urbanism at Yaxnohcah. This poster presents the documented sequence from the central E Group of Yaxnohcah, to identify important moments of material and sociopolitical transformation and continuity.

I would like to present a poster on my recent field school experience as an undergraduate participant in the K.A.R.P. 2025 field season. I had four weeks of experience excavating a 70 metre range structure at the Ancient Maya site of Ka'kabish. Additionally, the advantage of living at Indian Church Village meant I was able to visit the site of Lamanai which I also touch on in my poster. I  explain the importance of Ka'kabish and Lamanai and where they are located as well as exploring what I learned from my field experience. More specifically, I would like to focus on how Lamanai and Ka'kabish continued occupation during the Post-Classic period after what is commonly mis-identified as the "collapse of the Maya”. Finally, I mention Indian Church Village for their hospitality and their significance in the field work that has been done through K.A.R.P.

Mount Royal University (MRU) holds a vast pottery collection excavated at the ancient Nubian city of Meroë (Sudan), some of which is now used for teaching purposes. Surprisingly and despite a complex history of ceramic production, little research has been done in regards to proposing a comprehensive ceramic classification system for Meroë. This poster presents a new type-variety classification for Meroitic pottery that goes beyond the traditional four-clay-colour system (Brown, Red, Grey, and Eggshell).

The proposed type-variety classification system was developed based on the analysis of a sample of 1614 sherds from MRU’s collection. The principal attributes used for the system are: the clay colour and visible inclusions, the presence of overall external surface treatment (such as slip), and further research into broader decoration metrics. Our results suggest that up to 36 type-varieties can be reconstructed for Meroitic pottery, organized around five distinct clay types (adding a new distinction between fine and coarse red), a mix of slipped/unslipped surface treatments, and decorated/undecorated vessels.

Join us to discuss the research process behind the creation of this system and to explore photographs of some of the most diagnostic new pottery types we propose.

New technologies and techniques have made archaeological pottery reconstructions increasingly rare in research contexts, and recognition of the damage caused by this practice has prompted shifts in materials and methods where it is still applied. At the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, vessels reconstructed with adhesives now recognized as inherently damaging to pottery were identified in the collection with conservators tasked with deconstruction to prevent further damage. This process is presented as our pilot study that focused on removing such adhesives from prehistoric pottery from a significant bison drive site in Southcentral Saskatchewan (EcNm-8). UV-A induced visible fluorescence photography and spot testing were employed to identify the adhesives present followed by mechanical and chemical removal of the adhesives as dictated by the types identified. Due to the porosity of the ceramic fabric, complete adhesive removal cannot be claimed. However, this treatment achieved the maximum practical reduction consistent with conservation best practice.

Archaeological investigations at Site 550x in Tulita, Northwest Territories, were conducted in advance of construction of a new Parks Canada facility. Excavations revealed heavily mixed deposits containing artifacts from multiple time periods, with limited intact stratigraphy.     

To address this, all temporally diagnostic historic artifacts were systematically analyzed to establish production ranges. Diagnostic attributes such as maker’s marks, manufacturing techniques, and material characteristics, were identified across artifact classes such as glass, ceramics, metals, and ammunition.     

The accumulated data from the assemblage was used to construct a timeline of artifact production, allowing materials to be grouped based on overlapping date ranges. This approach resulted in the identification of three broad components: a Precontact occupation represented by lithic materials, an early 20th-century occupation associated with the Northern Traders Post, and a later 20th-century occupation reflecting continued community use. 

These results demonstrate that even in mixed contexts, production ranges of diagnostic artifacts can provide a framework for separating occupations and reconstructing long-term land use.

Over 25,000 projectile points and 1.5 million lithic artifacts from archaeological sites in Alberta inform pre-contact toolstone preferences, mobility patterns, and social connections. Pre-contact people in the province relied heavily on local sedimentary and metamorphic rocks (quartzite, chert, siltstone, quartz, and petrified wood) that were of moderate knapping quality but produced durable tools with long use lives. This suited mobile populations with seasonally-restricted access to supplies and infrequent encounters with people offering higher quality toolstones. While the sourcing potential of sedimentary and metamorphic rock is low, rare exotics (e.g., obsidian, Knife River Flint, Tertiary Hills Clinker, and jade) reveal social networks that connected hunter-gatherers across Alberta and North America. This poster offers an illustrated synthesis of Alberta’s pre-contact lithic raw material use to inform future studies and site-specific evaluations of significance in cultural resource management (CRM).

The Central American river turtle (Dermatemys mawii) was a culturally and ecologically significant species for Mesoamerican cultures, such as the ancient Maya. Archaeological evidence from Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize highlights its importance in subsistence, status display, and ritual practices. We propose that ancient DNA, if recovered, can provide insights into long-term human–environment interactions.

In this study, six D. mawii skeletal samples from three archaeological sites in Guatemala and Belize were analyzed, spanning ~1,200 years from the peak of the Classic Maya civilization to the Spanish conquest. Mitochondrial ND4 fragments were successfully amplified from all samples, confirming species identity and revealing a unique haplotype and distinct maternal lineage.

These results demonstrate the feasibility of recovering ancient DNA from tropical contexts and highlight the value of archaeological datasets for reconstructing past population diversity. With expanded sampling and analysis of more informative D-loop fragments in the future, we can track temporal and spatial changes in D. mawii populations. This work contributes to biomolecular conservation and could provide insight into the sustainable management and recovery of this critically endangered species.

Two plaquette-style figurines recovered from the banks of the LaHave River, Nova Scotia, were analyzed by Oak Island Materials and Archaeological Services (OIMAS) to assess their composition and potential historical affiliation. The region is in proximity to Isaac de Razilly’s 1632 Fort Sainte-Marie-de-Grâce, an enduring archaeological significance as part of early French colonial settlement. Using complementary X-ray techniques – X-ray Microscopy (XRM/CT), micro-X-ray Fluorescence (µXRF), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) – the study examined the figurines’ elemental, mineralogical, and structural characteristics to distinguish historic from modern manufacture. µXRF results showing high silicon and aluminum with minimal calcium indicate a non-calcareous, quartz-rich, illitic/micaceous aluminosilicate clay body. XRM/CT imaging revealed a heterogeneous, void-rich internal fabric with elongated pores and limited vitrification, while XRD confirmed a quartz-dominant composition containing illite/phengite, anatase, and minor mullite. Evidence of uneven firing, non-vitrified core and surface-localized mullite, suggests a low-to-mid firing range. Comparison with eighteenth-century clay pipes revealed shared commonalities in raw materials, processing and firing; contrasting with the refined kaolinitic clays of later manufacture. Considering the analytical results alongside regional history, the evidence aligns most closely with seventeenth- to eighteenth-century earthenware production, while not negating alternative origins, favouring early modern rather than contemporary ceramic technology.