Historical Archaeology in Western Canadian Contexts: New and Emerging Perspectives

Session Hosting Format: 
in-person session
Organizer(s): 
  • Solène Mallet Gauthier, University of Alberta
  • Sara Lefurgey, University of Alberta
Contact Email: 
Session Description (300 word max): 


Although historical archaeology has been at the center of Canadian archaeology since its early beginnings, some parts of the country and topics, such as settler history, have been explored more than others. We turn here to Western Canada, where researchers have not only been increasingly thinking about historical archaeology, but also going beyond traditional questions, methods, and topics. Building on our colleagues’ previous 2024 Saskatoon CAA conference session, which centred on historic period archaeology in Saskatchewan, this session aims to showcase new projects, themes, and approaches exploring historical archaeology in Western Canada more broadly. We invite papers from professionals, academics, and students related to the post-contact period in the western provinces, especially those focused on new methodologies, technologies, the critical reexamination of previous collections or research projects, and/or fresh perspectives on minority and marginalized groups.