The Saskatchewan Archaeological Society (SAS) has been engaging communities across the province this summer, bringing Saskatchewan’s rich archaeological heritage to life for residents of all ages.
“We support people in physical and cultural communities and stewarding archaeological heritage for our collective well-being, and often we do this through different methods of outreach as well as different types of education across the province,” said Dr. Karin Struber the public outreach coordinator for SAS.
One of their most popular programs is the Archaeocaravan program. Struber explained that they receive government grants such as Young Canada Works and Canada Summer Jobs, which enable them to hire graduate or undergraduate students from the University of Saskatchewan in the archaeology or anthropology programs.
“They basically get to travel to different communities that request us, and teach not only children, but adults of all ages about the archaeological heritage in the province and really get people interested in what human beings were doing in the past in the province going back over 10,000 years.”
She added that this gives people an appreciation for artifacts that they would have made and used in the past. “Anything from stone tools like projectile points or arrowheads to pottery, bone, and then in even more recent times where you start seeing more Western goods coming over from different parts of the world to once you have European colonization.”
Archaeologists use objects that were left behind to understand how people from the past lived and behaved. “One way of understanding the past in Saskatchewan is through not only having the actual artifacts that people can handle and talk about, but we also have some replica artifacts as well.”
Throughout their visit, they will discuss rock art, covering different rock art found throughout the province. They also focus on storytelling through paintings and small pottery projects.
“It’s modern clay, but we show them how people would have constructed pottery vessels in the past, what they would have been used for, and why some have certain decorations on them.”
One of the most popular activities is the Bison Hunt, explained Struber. During this activity they have a bison cutout and participants take turns throwing spears or using a spear thrower to learn various hunting technologies from the past.
Struber noted that it is important to keep history alive throughout the province and give people an appreciation for modern amenities.
“In the past, they didn’t have these modern conveniences, but they still thrived, and they created tools out of natural resources. Whatever was around them, it’s just amazing,” said Struber. “Not only the ingenuity of people but also the artistry behind some of the tools and artifacts they’ve made and left behind.”
With a fossil recently found as close as Frobisher, Struber noted that archaeology is literally under everyone’s feet.
SAS typically operates on a seasonal basis, with the summer months being the busiest time as that is when they have student workers to facilitate the outreach programs. “We are open all year round, so if there’s a teacher out there who wants a Zoom presentation for their class, we can do that too.”
To find out more about available programs you can contact SAS by phone (306) 664-4124 or email at general@thesas.ca “If people have found artifacts or they think they might have an archaeological site on their land, we’re happy to help answer questions about it.”
The Archeocaravan will make its way to the southeast later this month with a stop at the Rusty Relics Museum in Carlyle on August 21.