Speaker Series and AGM: Uncovering an Ancient Network, Bear Gulch obsidian sourcing in North America

When identified at archaeological sites, obsidian artifacts are the remains of Indigenous trade and exchange systems that spanned thousands of kilometres. Archaeologists have been 'sourcing' these artifacts to their volcanic origins for the past several decades, revealing glimpses of these trade systems represented at sites or in local regions. Members of the Alberta Obsidian Project have been working to compile data and associate large collections of obsidian artifacts with sources throughout North America. Artifacts associated with the Bear Gulch obsidian source stand out in the scale at which they were utilized. A vast Indigenous obsidian trade network has been revealed that spanned over 2,000 km across five Canadian Provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario). This presentation will outline years of research and analysis of obsidian artifacts from hundreds of sites, a field visit of the Bear Gulch obsidian source, and the compilation of data of over 1,000 obsidian artifacts.