In eastern Canada, more than 500 archaeological sites have discovered volcanic glass. It shouldn’t be there, in terms of geography.
According to a March 14 investigation released by the Archaeological Survey of Alberta, experts may have discovered a solution to how these stone objects ended up thus far away from their place of origin.
Finding stone at an historic site is a reliable indication of long-distance trade among primitive people, according to research author and archaeologist Tim Allan.
According to Allan, stone was probably traded as part of the” complex and dynamic ties connecting thousands of Indigenous North Americans.”
GbQn-13, one of the sites where stone was discovered, dates back about 7, 000 times.
Allan identified 383 stone artifacts from 96 locations across Alberta using x-ray light systems and discovered they were primarily from Bear Gulch in Idaho, Obsidian Cliff in Wyoming, and Anahim Peak and Mount Edziza in British Columbia.
According to Allan, some of the stone objects, including spear tips and arrowheads, traveled nearly 750 kilometers from their original location.
” A one piece of lava probably exchanged hands many times,” he said.
Bison jumps, where native hunters dragged buffalo off cliffs, where a large portion of the stone deposits were discovered, are where bison were reportedly lurched to their deaths, according to the study.
Allan suggests that the abundance of stone at these locations may be related to social bison hunting practices, but additional research is required.
According to the research, river networks were likely a part of ancient trade and stone distribution.
Prior to European email and colonization, indigenous populations were incredibly interconnected, according to Allan.
We are just scratching the surface of how intricate relationships between various parties were because these business systems spanned thousands of kilometers, Allan told McClatchy News.
The Alberta Obsidian Project is a component of Allan’s analysis.
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The Bradenton Herald, 2025
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