Alpine Obsidian Quarries and Perishable Artifacts from the Mt. Edziza Volcanic Complex, Canada

Описание: Alpine Obsidian Quarries and Perishable Artifacts from the Mt. Edziza Volcanic Complex, Canada

Dr. Duncan McLaren

This presentation will focus on recent ice patch research in the vicinity of vast obsidian quarries of the Kitsu Plateau which lies at the center of Tahltan Territory in British Columbia, Canada. Field operations in 2019 and 2024 found numerous perishable artifacts melting from the ice including baskets, a moccasin, an antler billet, atlatl dart shafts, and several walking staffs. These objects provide insights into the materials that were necessary to quarry and transport obsidian and to conduct alpine-situated hunting. Radiocarbon ages on collected materials reveal that they have been frozen and preserved for up to 7,000 years. The results demonstrate that there is a direct correlation between ice patch archaeology sites and alpine stone tool quarries.

Dr. McLaren received his PhD from the University of Victoria. He owns and operates Cordillera Archaeology Inc., a company that conducts archaeological research and consulting in western Canada. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria. McLaren specializes in the archaeology and paleoecology of the Canadian Northwest Coast and western Subarctic regions of North America.

Presented to the Pacific Coast Archaeological Society (PCAS) on March 13, 2025.

For additional information on the Pacific Coast Archaeological Society, see the PCAS website at www.pcas.org