Alberta Archaeological Site Inventory
The Alberta Archaeological Site Inventory contains information on archaeological resources in Alberta. "Archaeological resource means a work of humans that is primarily of value for its prehistoric, historic, cultural or scientific significance, and is or was buried or partially buried in land in Alberta or submerged beneath the surface of any watercourse or permanent body of water in Alberta" (Historical Resources Act).
Prehistoric archaeological sites include campsites;
stone features such as tipi rings, cairns and medicine wheels; workshop
sites where stone tools were manufactured; killsites, such as jumps
and pounds; and rock art, including pictographs and petroglyphs. Â Historic
archaeological sites include trading posts; police posts; early settlements;
homesteads; and industrial sites. Sites vary in size and complexity
from the location of a single stone tool to complex areas occupied by many
different groups over thousands of years, such as Head-Smashed-In Buffalo
Jump. Records in the Archaeological Site Inventory contain
information on site location, description, age and cultural affiliation,
material collections, project information, investigation status and
references to manuscripts and reports.
The
Alberta Archaeological Site Inventory was formed in 1973 when records
from institutions including the Alberta Parks Service, the Glenbow
Museum, the Provincial Museum of Alberta, the University of Alberta
and the University of Calgary were centralized in this provincial
inventory. The earliest of these records date to the 1950s.
The inventory currently contains over 30,000 site records, with over
500 added each year. Today, most new site records result from
archaeological investigations conducted for proposed developments,
as required through the Historic
Resources Impact Assessment process.
Contact the Archaeological Sites Inventory Coordinator, Archaeological Survey.
Forms:
Archaeological Site Form (112KB) Zip File
Borden Number Reservation Application Form
(117KB)
