tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612811456701876322024-03-08T18:26:19.744-05:00The Central Archaeology Group Inc. (CAGI)An Ontario based archaeological, cultural and architectural heritage consulting company committed to preserving archaeological and cultural heritage. The protection of these non-renewable resources are imperative to present and future Canadians because not only is it important to continued development within each province, it also underlines and identifies a distinctive Canadian culture.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-23644724736333710732022-01-02T17:56:00.004-05:002022-09-28T21:54:27.851-05:00Heritage Designation and Property Values: is there an effect?Robert Shipley, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada<div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>
This paper describes research that was designed to examine the assertion that historic designation of properties, under the heritage legislation in Canada’s largest province, has a negative impact on the values of those properties. The actual selling price of subject properties was used to establish their value history trends, which were then compared to ambient market trends within the same communities. Almost 3,000 properties in twenty-four communities were investigated, in what is believed to be the largest study of its kind ever undertaken in North America. It was found that heritage designation could not be shown to have a negative impact. In fact there appears to be a distinct and generally robust market in designated heritage properties. They generally perform well in the market, with 74% doing average or better than average. The rate of sale among designated properties is as good or better than the ambient market trends and the values of heritage properties tend to be resistant to downturns in the general market.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;">Key words: Canada; Heritage; Historic Preservation; Listed Buildings; Property Values</span> </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Introduction, General. </b>By international standards the process for recognising the significance of heritage buildings in Ontario, Canada’s largest and most populous province, is not very rigorous. The basis of heritage preservation is, of course, the same as in other jurisdictions; that each generation should attempt to pass on cultural values through heritage sites that represent them (Stovel 1991). It is true that in 1975 the Provincial Government proclaimed the Ontario Heritage Act. The guiding principles behind the Act can be found in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Venice Charter, to which Canada is a signatory (UNESCO, 1964). The Venice Charter states in part that</div><div><br /></div><blockquote><div><span> </span>[it applies] not only to great works of art but also to more modest works of the
past which have acquired cultural significance with the passing of
time…[that] cultural property is the product and witness of the different
traditions and of the spiritual achievements of the past and thus is an essential
element in the personality of the peoples of the world…that it is indispensable
to preserve it as much as possible, according to its historical and artistic
importance, so that the significance and message of cultural property becomes
a part of the spirit of people who thereby may gain a consciousness of their
own dignity…and…that it is the duty of governments to ensure the protection
and the preservation of the cultural heritage … as much as to promote social
and economic development (Carter, 1990).</div></blockquote><p>The Ontario Heritage Act gives responsibility for heritage to local governments. Individual
properties can be designated under the Ontario Heritage Act and there is also a provision for the
designation of “heritage districts”. Entire neighbourhoods of historical significance can be
recognized in an attempt to preserve the character of the whole area. The criteria for designation
are quite general with guidelines require that structures be judged to have “historic or
architectural significance” (Ontario, 1986).</p><p>To accomplish this recognition of heritage the Ontario legislation encourages municipalities to
establish Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committees (LACACs). However, these
council-appointed volunteer committees can only recommend the designation of historically and
architecturally significant properties to their municipal councils. Once designated any planned changes to a property (usually just the building exterior) must be reviewed by the local
architectural advisory committee, who can advise the local council which makes the final
decision. In the end, if the owner of a designated property decides to demolish the structure there
is only a waiting period of 108 days.</p><p>The fact that the province has delegated the responsibility of heritage designation to the
municipalities has had at least two outcomes. On one hand the local community can be said to be
best suited to determine its own heritage and sense of what is culturally significant. On the other
hand the application of the Act’s designation process has been uneven at best. Of the several
hundred municipalities in the province, less than half even have architectural conservation
advisory committees and only a handful of the largest cities have staff assigned to heritage
conservation. It is also rare for a building to be designated without the consent of the owner. In
the case of districts, once designated any individual owner within the area has the option to
exempt his or her property from the provisions of designation. This all means that designated
buildings are not necessarily representative of the type of buildings which might be most
important to preserve. A new and more comprehensive Heritage Act was drafted several years
ago in Ontario but has never been enacted. Other Canadian provinces, with the exception of
Quebec, are little better off than Ontario (Carter 1990).</p><p><b>Need for Research. </b>The relative weakness of heritage conservation legislation in Canada has at least a couple of
causes. One is the all too common notion that little is old enough in such a young country to
warrant preservation. The second aspect that discourages architectural conservation is the
prevalent North American attitude toward to sanctity of private property. In general, people don’t
like property regulations. In this regard, one of the most frequently raised arguments against
recognizing the special significance of certain historic properties through heritage is that the value
of a designated property will be decreased. It is argued that designation restricts what the owner
can do with his or her property. This in turn, it is said, limits the number of buyers willing to
accept such restrictions, and therefore limits the demand with the result that the potential market
price for the properties is diminished.</p><p>The perception that designation has a negative impact has even reached the courts. In 1992, an
legal offer to purchase a home was not honoured and the subsequent civil trial featured the
supposed loss of value due to the designation of the property as a central issue. The case is still
being appealed. It is often real estate professionals, including agents, brokers and appraisers, who
advise people that designation will have this downward effect on the future selling price of
properties. This advice is offered on the basis of what might be called a “received wisdom,” or
something that is accepted without proof. When asked, the proponents of this view can point to
no research or systematic study that backs up their position. What they do sometimes have is
anecdotal knowledge of some particular example. In fairness it must be said that the proponents
of designation are often in the same position, that is, their assertions that designation is neutral or
positive, are supported by specific examples.</p><p>It is important to remember when considering this argument, that heritage is about cultural values
and not about economics. It should not be suggested that heritage designation is undertaken with
the expectation of enhancing the market value of a property. However, property owners are
justified in hoping that they will not be penalized financially for recognizing that their buildings
have a cultural value to the community as a whole. If heritage designation is not being pursued
because of misinformation about economics, then that notion should be addressed and a reasoned
discussion about the issue ought to be joined.</p><div><br /></div><div>*To read the remainder of this article please refer to International Journal of Heritage Studies, Volume 6, Number 1 (March 1, 2000), p. 83-100. <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/heritage-resources-centre/sites/ca.heritage-resources-centre/files/uploads/files/p_value_0.pdf" target="_blank">https://uwaterloo.ca/heritage-resources-centre/sites/ca.heritage-resources-centre/files/uploads/files/p_value_0.pdf </a></div>Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-1219635325379228612007-06-21T17:29:00.001-05:002007-06-21T17:50:36.873-05:00The Indigenous Transformation of Archaeological PracticeClaire Smith<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Claire Smith is Associate Professor of Archaeology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia and is currently President of the World Archaeological Congress</span><br /><br />A quiet revolution is happening in archaeology: Indigenous knowledge and worldviews are transforming important aspects of archaeological practice. This is not a revolution that aims to upturn current practices. Rather, it involves enriching and broadening these practices and breaking down stereotypes from two directions. The expanding interface between Indigenous peoples and archaeology is creating a zone in which both archaeologists and Native peoples can move toward a better understanding of each other. This moves beyond an unthinking contrast between “us” (Indigenous peoples or archaeologists) and “them” (archaeologists or Indigenous peoples), failing to recognize the elisions between the two, especially in terms of the numbers of Indigenous archaeologists. (Note that I use the term “Indigenous peoples,” with the capital “I” emphasizing the political autonomy and nationhood status of individual groups—like Greek, Italian, Polish, American—while use of “peoples” recognizes the hetereogeneity of Indigenous experiences.)<br /><br />This process is part of a global movement that is addressing social justice issues as an integral part of archaeological practice—seen, for example, in the recently established Archaeologists for Global Justice (http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/global-justice.html) and the long-standing position of the World Archaeological Congress on Indigenous issues and emerging issues of global justice (http://www.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org). Significant<br />changes are occurring in the relationships between Indigenous peoples and archaeologists. After more than 20 years of published discussion aimed at improving these relationships (see Dongoske et al. 2000; Mihesuah 1999; Swidler et al. 1997; Watkins 2000; Zimmerman 1989), we have reached a point where, in many places, Indigenous knowledge is being incorporated into archaeological practice. Cumulatively, this is bringing about a substantive reorientation within our discipline. This issue of the SAA Archaeological Record, Indigenous Knowledge in Archaeological Practice, is but one an indicator of this transformation.<br /><br />This article gives an overview of the emergence of Indigenous archaeology, one that is informed by Indigenous values and agendas. Indigenous archaeology moves beyond research “about” Indigenous peoples to focus on research that is conducted by, with, and for them. From the viewpoint of many Indigenous peoples, much archaeological and anthropological research has been nothing more than a tool of colonial exploitation. However, Indigenous scholars now argue that Indigenous values and worldviews should be central to archaeological practice (e.g., Atalay 2006), and they advocate shaping<br />this practice to provide greater benefits for communities (e.g., Isaacson 2003). This can be interpreted in terms of the idea of “survivance,” coined by Anishinaabe scholar, Gerald Vizenor (1999). Survivance is the process by which Native peoples adopt the tools that were used to change, control, and dispossess them in order to ensure the survival of their own societies and cultural values. The Indigenous transformation of archaeological practice is one part of this process.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Worldviews</span><br /><br />Indigenous worldviews and the Western scientific approach to research represent two quite different knowledge systems. Generally, archaeological practice is conducted within the box of a Western worldview, and often this is not congruent with Indigenous systems of knowledge. Lacking an understanding of how Indigenous peoples might approach the data, archaeologists generally present Indigenous material culture in terms of the logics of Western typologies and classificatory systems. Grounded in Western knowledge systems, archaeological systems of classification often fail to see the potentially varying and different typological logics of Indigenous societies (Wobst 2005). There can be significant differences between the two: for example, while Western worldviews tend to emphasize bounded entities, discontinuities, and individualism, Indigenous worldviews tend to emphasize linkages, continuities, and<br />relationships.<br /><br />Indigenous theory and logic has a place in all aspects of archaeological practice, not just in eliminating the worst colonialist practices. It is clear that any centering of Indigenous knowledge will involve substantive changes in archaeological practice:<br /><br />In bringing to the center some of the concepts held by Indigenous people about the past, traditional ways of teaching about history, heritage, and ancestral remains, and the role and responsibility of research knowledge for communities, we would be in a position to envisage a very different type of archaeological practice—one that emphasizes ethics and social justice for a wider, more diverse audience [Atalay<br />2006:295–296]. <br /><br />As Indigenous knowledge is incorporated increasingly into archaeological practice, it is evident that some systems of classification will link, crosscut, or even contravene “normal” archaeological classes and types. For example, archaeologist Tara Million uses her Cree heritage to guide her practice from research design to excavation and analysis. Guided by Cree philosophy, Million developed a circular research model with four quadrants: Native community, academics, the archaeological record, and interpretation (Figure 1). Deriving from this model is an archaeological practice in which she undertakes excavation in circles, rather than squares. Million’s work demonstrates that developing an Aboriginal archaeology involves numerous challenges and negotiations, as is evident in the following passage:<br /><br />My archaeological projects and publications are based on building a bridge between two conflicting and competing value systems: Aboriginal and mainstream Western academic... I am being pulled in several contradictory directions. Cultural values are being brought to the table and are informing the requests expressed by each individual, Aboriginal and academic... I chose instead to compromise and negotiate with these two specific cultures [Million 2005:51].<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Academy</span><br /><br />There are a growing number of Native people with tertiary qualifications, especially doctorates. For example, at the moment, there are at least 51 Native Americans who have received a doctorate in either anthropology or archaeology, 12 of whom are archaeologists. However, the distribution of Native American doctoral awardees in tertiary institutions is varied. In the years 2000–2005, the institutions that awarded the greatest number of doctorates to American Indians were Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma, and Arizona State University (NORC 2005: Table 10), closely followed by University of New Mexico, Stanford University, and University of California–Berkeley. In part, this may be because some of these universities are firmly located in “Indian country,” but it is probably also due to well-established and successful diversity initiatives within these institutions.<br /><br />Nevertheless, the numbers are still far too small. In 2005, there were only three American Indians out of 455 doctoral recipients (.65 percent) in the field of anthropology and none out of the 44 doctoral graduates in archaeology (NORC 2005: Appendix Table A-2). Still, the trend is upward. While in 1985, doctoral recipients who were American Indians, in all fields, constituted .41 percent of recipients of known race/ethnicity, by 2005, this figure had risen to .54 percent (NORC 2005: Table 8). While this represents an increase of 32 percent, it is still well below the around 1 percent of Native Americans in the overall population. However, the scholars who are emerging are making substantive changes in their parts of the world, not only as “poster children” and role models, but also through the ways in which they conduct archaeology themselves and the cultural values they bring to the discipline.<br /><br />This process is being reinforced by the hiring practices of particular universities. For example, the Department of Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst recently advertised a tenure-track position for someone with “a vision and record of research and teaching in the archaeology of racism and social inequality, preferably in the Indigenous Americas and/or the African Diaspora,” as part of a program that is building on “teaching, research, and service concentration on the causes and manifestations of inequality and the promotion of social justice in the Americas” (http://www.saa.org/careers/job-listing.html). One of the criteria for this position is that candidates are “are integrated into the racialized communities they study, as a means to build on the strong community outreach initiative of the department.” Strategic hires such as these play an important structural role in the shaping of archaeology.<br /><br />Given the ongoing effects of colonial histories, once they are in college environments, Indigenous scholars face particular challenges, but they also bring special skills to their studies. Because they are often the subject of research, many Indigenous scholars come to the academy with firsthand experience of what it is like to be researched and how this affects the people being studied. Therefore, Indigenous scholars already have a strong sense of what is “good” and “bad” research practice. Moreover, having lived within the frameworks of colonialism, even if these frameworks have been altered of late, these Native scholars arrive in the academy with their critical skills finely honed. They use these skills not only to critique those in the academy, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, but also their own emerging roles in the discipline and the institutional structures of their country.<br /><br />One of the most important recent sustained critiques of an Indigenous structure by Indigenous scholars is in the Fall 2006 issue of American Indian Quarterly, in which Guest Editor Amy Lonetree brings together a range of critical engagements with the recently established Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Among a range of scholarly critiques are several papers that explicitly call for the NMAI to engage actively with colonial processes. This is particularly apparent in Sonya Atalay’s paper, “No Sense of the Struggle: Creating a Context for Survivance at the NMAI” and Myla Vincenti Carpio’s “(Un)disturbing Exhibitions: Indigenous Historical Memory at the NMAI.” Lonetree’s paper takes a similar stance, although in terms of whether the relatively abstract treatment of colonialism best fulfils the NMAI’s mission to educate the public about the effects of colonialism in the Americas. Staff at the NMAI were well aware that the Museum would be open to such critiques, and Director Rick West informed the Washington Post that period of history is at best only about 5 percent of the period we have been in this hemisphere. We do not want to make the National Museum of the American Indian into an Indian Holocaust Museum... what we are talking about in the end is cultural survivance. We are still here (Joel Achenbach, Sept. 14, pg. R01).<br /><br />If you would like to read the rest of this article please go to the <a href="http://www.saa.org/publications/theSAAarchRec/mar07.pdf">SAA website</a>)Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-67689932144245521662007-06-05T22:58:00.000-05:002007-06-05T23:08:55.446-05:00The Emergence of Geoarchaeology in Research and Cultural Research Management: Part II<span style="font-style:italic;">Joseph Schuldenrein-Principal and President of Geoarcheology Research Associates.</span><br /><br />In Part I of this two-part series on geoarchaeology in cultural resource management (CRM) that appeared in the November issue of The SAA Archaeological Record, the general concepts and principles of geoarchaeology were discussed, and fieldwork and sampling were introduced. In this final article, a detailed assessment of geoarchaeology’s utility for compliance work in CRM is provided. Geoarchaeology<br />can and should be integrated in each phase of the compliance process. Reference here is made to the discovery/survey (Phase I), testing (Phase II), and data recovery (Phase III) stages of an undertaking. Withinthese broad parameters, the degree to which earth science approaches are applied varies by specific Scopes of Work (SOW), regulatory requirements (federal, state, and municipal), and even by contractor.<br />In this brief summary, I touch on some of the more critical elements of geoarchaeological application as they relate to the Section 106 compliance process.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Applications in the Compliance Process: Phase I and II</span><br />Most CRM archaeologists make their livings documenting simple artifact scatters and testing whether or not they extend into the substrate. It has been estimated that in excess of 80 percent of CRM projects do not extend beyond Phase I, and another 15 percent are concluded at the testing phase. For prehistoric projects in particular, it should be noted that landscape considerations factor significantly into the<br />research strategies utilized for both phases. <br /><br />Most teams consult U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps to obtain broad guidelines for field relations—landforms and terrain gradients—and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Soil Conservation Service (SCS) county soil maps to obtain a preview of subsurface “soil” composition in advance of shovel testing. Less frequently, aerial photos and/or bedrock geology maps are consulted. While these strategies remain relevant, they have been in use for well over 25 years and have major shortcomings. County soil maps, for example, are produced largely for agricultural purposes and have limited information regarding buried deposits below 3 ft, and they pay scant attention to depositional sources even in alluvial contexts. For archaeological purposes, the question of buried soils is paramount. Approaches should be reassessed in light of key mapping and technological advances made by the<br />USGS, individual state geological surveys, and other planning agencies that assist in large-scale terrain analysis. Paper maps or online plots are widely available at minimal cost. Land use maps are also useful and can be supplied by clients (e.g., developers or engineering firms) who have done advance work on a given project.<br /><br />Currently, the most valuable geoarchaeological resource for Phase I and II research is the surficial geology map, which presents the distribution as well as the age of surface sediments. These maps are typically issued by state geological surveys and represent the collective mapping efforts of staff experts in regional Quaternary and bedrock geology. In some states, only partial coverage is available. In states that are partially capped by glacial deposits, for example, detailed surface mapping may only cover glaciated regions. <br /><br />It is necessary for the geoarchaeological consultant to be familiar with the map availability for a particular project area. Expeditious application of this resource provides the researcher with a preview of the antiquity and composition of the terrain that his/her project is likely to encounter.<br /><br />(To continue reading this article click on the link to be redirected to <a href="http://www.saa.org/publications/theSAAarchRec/jan07.pdf">SAA website</a>)Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-7872424819628414342007-06-04T16:20:00.000-05:002007-06-04T16:37:32.681-05:00The Emergence of Geoarchaeology in Research and Cultural Resource Management: Part I<span style="font-style:italic;">Joseph Schuldenrein-Principal Archeologist and President of Geoarcheology Research Associates.</span><br /><br />Since the early 1970s, the trajectories of geoarchaeology and cultural resource management (CRM)have followed contemporaneous if somewhat independent courses. As a widely applied strategy, geoarchaeology emerged in the wake of the “New Archaeology.” It was a logical vehicle for incorporating scientific methods to a theoretical orientation that emphasized human ecology. Perhaps the signature work that placed the discipline on the academic “archaeological map” was Karl Butzer’s second edition of Environment and Archaeology: An Ecological Approach to Prehistory (1971). At about the same time, the expansive reach of the National Historic Preservation Act (1966) mandated archaeological investigations across landscapes, environments, and contexts heretofore unanticipated across the U.S.<br /><br />In hindsight, geoarchaeology’s landscape perspective and the preservation ethic would appear to be natural allies for implementing compliance projects, but the convergence of the two was slow to develop. The catalyst for integration was the growth of large-scale planning projects—reservoir expansions for major drainages of the Southeast and Forest Service inventories in the West, for example—that formally<br />designated natural landscapes as planning units. By the mid-1980s, it became apparent that an understanding of the systematics of landscape evolution would account for site/settlement distributions and the processes of site burial and preservation, items of paramount concern to cultural resource planners. The results of CRM research began to be reported in the professional literature (Waters 1992), and<br />geoarchaeology was eventually integrated into planning strategies.<br /><br />While it is safe to say that geoarchaeology has demonstrated its worth in CRM, the science behind it remains mysterious to planners and general archaeologists alike. As in other archaeological specialties, the methods, techniques, and interpretive potential of the field have evolved over decades. Ideally, practitioners are extensively trained in both the natural and social sciences and have gained considerable experience by studying archaeological sites in their natural contexts. The purpose of these articles is to acquaint the archaeological public with the key concepts and applications of geoarchaeology, and specifically that aspect of geoarchaeology bearing on ancient landscapes. More importantly, the mission is to<br />enable planners, principal investigators, technicians, and students to identify those settings in which geoarchaeology is beneficial and to pose the right questions for professionals working at their sites. In Part I, the general concepts and principles of geoarchaeology are discussed, and field work and sampling are introduced. In Part II, which will appear in the next issue of The SAA Archaeological Record, a detailed assessment of geoarchaeology’s utility for compliance work in CRM will be provided.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Concepts and Principles</span><br /><br />As the term implies, geoarchaeology addresses the interface between the earth sciences and archaeology. Archaeological problems form the basis of the inquiry. The term archaeological geology is also used, but it more accurately refers to a thematic bias in which geology is the primary focus and archaeology is simply an investigative technique.<br /><br />A fundamental postulate is that cultural finds are always tied to a landscape—either on an exposed surface or buried underneath it. Irrespective of the aims of an archaeological project, the association between cultural materials and the ground is critical to assessing significance from the compliance perspective. Systematic associations between cultural features (e.g., artifacts, storage pits, processing stations, settlements, structures), their periods of occupation, and patterned distributions with particular terrain elements enables CRM professionals to structure observations in a way that is meaningful for clients and regulators.<br /><br />A second postulate is that over the course of the 15,000 years of human occupation across North America, the landscape has been dynamic. Thus the history of landscape dynamics provides an independent context for explaining the variability in archaeological distributions across time and space. Landscape histories are initially reconstructed by examining the individual landforms that define an environmental<br />setting. An alluvial landscape, probably the most prominent setting for stratified sites, includes such landforms as terraces, flood basins, marshes, and meander scrolls. However, because of landscape dynamism, the configuration of landforms comprising the contemporary alluvial terrain may not correspond to that of the past. Surface artifacts of recent origin can be separated from prehistoric settings by<br />depths of deposit within the same landform or by distance from former landforms that are no longer exposed. Systematic study of landscape change is key to understanding patterned contexts of cultural features through time and determines if, for example, remains of a given prehistoric period will survive on the surface, erode away, or be buried. The study of landscape change—effectively, the change in landform configurations—is geomorphology.<br /><br />Assembling landscape histories and assessing site integrity are the most critical objectives for the geoarchaeologist. Landform histories are grounded in absolute dating techniques, which, in North America, still center on the radiocarbon technique for carbonized cultural remains, but are now increasingly dependent on AMS and bulk sediment dating of organic deposits that may house archaeological materials.<br />Archaeomagnetism and thermoluminescense have gained increasing prominence for archaeological dating, while dendrochronology and obsidian hydration are routine across the western U.S. The most exciting recent development in absolute dating is optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), which expands the dating scale to 100 KYA and facilitates determinations in Aeolian environments.<br /><br />To develop assessments of site integrity, geoarchaeologists draw on techniques from a variety of disciplines, including geology, sedimentology, pedology, hydrology, geomorphology, stratigraphy, chemistry, geophysics, photogrammetry, and engineering, as well as archaeology. Parenthetically, geoarchaeological approaches are colored by the training of the practitioner vis-à-vis these disciplines; the approach of a<br />pedologist, for example, differs considerably from that of a geomorphologist, since the former emphasizes soil sequences and stable environments, while the latter is keyed to dynamic landscapes and processes of change. Geoarchaeological approaches are widely applied to prehistoric settings but are increasingly drawn upon to reconstruct site formation processes at historic sites.<br /><br />The initial strategy for modeling landform histories is an understanding of the subsurface materials that account for their formation. Subsurface materials can be divided into three basic categories: geological deposits, soils, and anthropogenic sediments. Geological deposits or sediments are laid down by gravity, water, or wind and represent the accretionary forces of the natural environment. The ideal<br />preservation context for ancient occupations in formerly active landscapes—coastal plains, stream margins, dune fields, rock shelters, and caves—is burial by low-energy deposition. More commonly, however, artifacts are mobilized after site abandonment. It is the geoarchaeologist’s job to determine how, why, and when such displacements occurred.<br /><br />Soils are weathered (mechanically or chemically “broken down”) sediments that represent stable periods of a landscape’s history when prehistoric evidence is likely to be preserved in situ (thus retaining integrity and factoring into significance determinations). A broad rule of thumb is that buried soils are proxies for ancient surfaces. Many archaeologists are familiar with the “A-B-C” horizonation of soils,<br />although these designations are widely misused, and the terms “soils” and “sediments” are bandied about with abandon in field settings. While soil taxonomies are intricate and complicated, another simple rule for field archaeologists is that the “A” horizon is organic and typically black, “B” horizons are zones of mineral enrichment, often red or brown, and “C” horizons are the unmodified parent material or the sediment above which active soil formation occurs.<br /><br />Finally, anthropogenic sediments are of unequivocal cultural origin and represent the human imprint on the earth; features such as roasting pits, storage facilities, house floors, and planting fields are examples. Typically, anthropogenic deposits and soils are found together and represent the most sensitive archaeological contexts.<br /><br />To read the remainder of this article visit the <a href="http://www.saa.org/publications/theSAAarchRec/nov06.pdf">SAA Archaeological Record</a>Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-2365673354115383472007-04-29T09:20:00.000-05:002007-04-29T09:37:15.700-05:00Articles on Public Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Concerns, and Indigenous RightsHere are some abstracts for articles on public archaeology, cultural heritage concerns, and indigenous rights that you might be interested in<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Who's indigenous? Whose archaeology?</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Bill Sillar</span><br /><br />The International Labour Organisation, the United Nations and various indigenous Organisations have raised and/or objected to diverse criteria through which indigenous groups have been defined and the rights that should be accorded to them. This paper discusses the implications of these issues in relation to archaeological research and heritage management and uses this to position the other papers in this volume. Specific themes that are addressed include: the impact of colonialism and nationforming on indigenous groups; the continuing influence of 19th and early 20th century social evolutionary concepts on the representation of indigenous groups and the role of archival material from this period today; the contrasting processes of cultural continuity and assimilation within 'dominant' societies in which indigenous communities have participated, and the effects that this has had on more recent claims over land rights; the cultural differences that surround the concepts of individual and community ownership, particularly in relation to copyright; the role of academia, museums and the media in the representation of indigenous people in the past and the present. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Of grizzlies and landslides: the use of archaeological and anthropological evidence in Canadian aboriginal rights cases</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Jean Leclair</span><br /><br />This paper discusses some of the most contentious problems raised by the use of archaeological and anthropological evidence in aboriginal rights litigation in Canada. The first part of the paper deals with the general impact of archaeological and anthropological theories on law. The more specific problems related to the use of archaeological and anthropological evidence in aboriginal rights litigation are the subject of the second part. The final section deals with the reverse problem, that is, the question of the law's impact on the disciplines of archaeology and anthropology <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Indigenous peoples' rights to their cultural Heritage</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Lyndon Ormond Parker</span><br /><br />This paper discusses indigenous peoples' rights to their cultural heritage, using the example of rights to indigenous human remains, held by institutions, universities, scientific centres and museums. It addresses international developments in indigenous cultural policy at the United Nations and the European Union, with specific reference to Australia and the United Kingdom. It also outlines issues relating to indigenous peoples' collective rights, free, prior and informed consent, ownership of indigenous human remains and the issue of benefit sharing and sustainable justice. There are now several international declarations, conventions and policies in place to assist indigenous people in gaining some form of control and protection over their heritage, however, these international instruments are often unco-ordinated and lacking in any enforcement mechanisms and they hold little sway with those who retain indigenous human remains against the wishes of descendant communities. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Artefacts, archaeologists, and American Indians</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Joe Watkins</span><br /><br />Archaeologists traditionally have observed the style and technology of artefacts and used this to classify archaeological assemblages, describing the repeated association of artefact groups as a 'Culture'. We continue to place overwhelming reliance on our ability to derive meaningful information about past culture from artefacts, yet the importance these objects had for the members of the cultural group (past and present) is not adequately considered. The typological approach sidelines the creative role of the artisans, we find out a little about their economy, gain momentary glimpses of their religion, but learn almost nothing about their humanity. Archaeologists tend to focus on the physical, technological or esoteric attributes of an artefact, while indigenous populations tend to focus on the object's ritual or social importance. This is most apparent in the treatment of funerary artefacts. Until recently, many American Indian tribal groups have seen no distinction between 'grave robbing' and 'archaeological excavation'; it made no difference to them whether the dead were disturbed by looters or by qualified archaeologists. By involving indigenous populations in the design, practice and dissemination of archaeological research, we can add humanity to our study of the human past, and take a step toward a truly worldwide archaeology. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Indigenous claims and heritage conservation: an opportunity for critical dialogue</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Glenn Wharton</span><br /><br />Indigenous claims of ownership and access to material culture challenge the field of heritage conservation. This article illustrates how indigenous concerns conflict with basic constructs of Western conservation, and how conservators respond to these claims. Despite efforts of inclusion, relatively few conservation projects integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific research. Redistribution of conservation authority is rarely put into practice. The article concludes by pointing to conservation as a meeting ground where collaborative decisions can be made about material culture on display. Conflict negotiation in conservation presents a potential forum for cultural representation and contested meaning of objects on display. <br /><br />The above articles can be located in the journal PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY Volume 4 Issues 2 and 3 (SPECIAL ISSUE)<br /><br />PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY is an international, peer-reviewed journal, setting archaeology in a global contextLaura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-51653303487117128672007-04-17T21:04:00.000-05:002007-04-17T21:07:49.960-05:00The Archaeological Process in OntarioThe archaeological process in Ontario is conducted in four sequential stages. Stage I, and in most cases Stage II, are required for residential and commercial development and infrastructure improvement undertaken in the Province under the Planning and Environmental Assessment Acts. Stage III and Stage IV investigations are determined through documentary and cultural resources encountered during the Stage I and Stage II assessments. The Ministry of Culture is currently reviewing the standards for archaeology in Ontario. The new guidelines are expected to be in place in the spring of 2007. Not only does the Central Archaeology Group adhere to the existing Ministry of Culture’s Archaeological Assessment Technical Guidelines, but in anticipation of these new guidelines, we have already incorporated them into our work practices. <br /><br /><em>Stage I – Background Study</em><br /><br />The purpose of the Stage I assessment is to investigate the cultural land use, archaeological history, and the present condition of a property. The majority of the Stage I process is conducted in the office and involves the examination of records such as historic settlement maps, land titles and documents, historical land use and ownership records, primary and secondary documentary sources, and the Ministry of Culture’s archaeological sites database. The study may also involve interviews with individuals who can provide information about the property and consultation with local First Nations communities. The background study is followed by a property inspection to examine geography, topography and current conditions, and to determine the potential for archaeological resources. Stage I background research is usually completed in conjunction with a Stage II property survey. <br /><br /><em>Stage II – Property Survey</em><br /><br />The Stage II property survey involves the documentation of archaeological resources by collecting artifacts and mapping cultural features. Depending on the nature of the property environment, two methods are employed in the survey: 1) pedestrian survey, and; 2) test-pit survey. <br /><br />Pedestrian survey involves walking the property to search for features and collect artifacts on the surface. It is usually reserved for recently ploughed land that has been weathered by one heavy rainfall or several light rainfalls to increase visibility of cultural material on the surface.<br /><br />Test-pit survey is utilized to search for artifacts and features located below the surface by digging small regularly spaced, shovel-sized pits. These surveys are carried out in wooded areas, pastures with a high rock content, abandoned farmland with heavy brush growth, properties of less than a hectare, and narrow corridors for pipelines, hydro lines, road widening, etc. <br /><br />Any artifacts or features discovered on the property are mapped. A sizable concentration of artifacts and/or features likely indicates the presence of a site(s). At this point, the archaeologist, in consultation with the Ministry of Culture, will determine if the project should proceed to a Stage III site-specific assessment. If nothing is found during the Stage II property survey, or the artifact or features found are deemed to have little heritage value by the Ministry of Culture, then development of the property can proceed.<br /><br /><em>Stage III – Site-Specific Assessment</em><br /><br />The purpose of the Stage III site-specific assessment is to identify the extent of the archaeological site(s) discovered during the Stage II property survey. During the site-specific assessment a representative sample of artifacts is gathered to determine the heritage value of the site and appropriate strategies for mitigation are recommended. The Stage III assessment also involves detailed documentary research that is specific to the site(s) that supplements the Stage I background study. <br /><br />Stage III field analysis involves a controlled surface pick-up and test unit excavations. In a controlled surface pick-up, the ground surface is examined for diagnostic artifacts and/or a representative sample of non-diagnostic material, which are recorded and collected. Like pedestrian survey in the Stage II assessment, controlled surface pick-up is reserved for ploughed fields. <br /><br />Test unit excavations involve controlled excavations using one-metre squares to determine the presence buried artifacts and/or features. Test unit excavations are conducted in areas where archaeological sites were discovered through Stage II test pit excavations or where Stage III surface pick-up occurred. Although the goal of test unit excavations is to determine the overall extent of an archaeological site and to gather a representative sample of artifacts, the number of test units required is dependent on the nature of the archaeological site. <br /><br /><em>Stage IV – Mitigation of Development Impacts</em><br /><br />The Stage IV mitigation of development impacts is used to outline the overall impact of development on the heritage value of an archaeological site, and is addressed by either the protection and avoidance of the archaeological site, or complete excavation and documentation. <br /><br />Protection and avoidance offers both short term protection of archaeological sites during the development phase, and long-term protection which ensures the preservation of the archaeological site from future development without further documentation and removal. Protection and avoidance measures can include establishing a buffer zone around the archaeological site or passing site stewardship to a publicly accountable owner, such as a municipality or conservation authority. <br /><br />Although protection and avoidance is preferred, the preservation of archaeological sites is not always feasible. Excavation and documentation involves the removal of as much cultural material from the archaeological context as possible. This involves the excavation of one metre units around high-yielding test units from Stage III by hand and mechanical topsoil removal to uncover any subsurface features.<br /><br /><em>Graves and Cemeteries</em><br /><br />Cemeteries are a ubiquitous component of the landscape and it is not surprising that many unknown and unmarked graves are found every year. Considering the overarching spiritual and religious connotations of cemeteries, identifying unmarked grave sites has become a political, social, economic, and developmental priority over the years. It therefore becomes important to delineate the boundaries of unmarked cemeteries, and to do so with sensitivity. The Central Archaeology Group is able to provide the technical support you need while maintaining the sensitivity needed for such a project. By utilizing new technology, such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), we are able to map grave locations with little to no physical disturbance of the site. However, in other instances, given the circumstances of discovery, the proposed land use of the area, or in cases of extreme soil erosion to known graves or cemeteries, it may become both necessary and desirable to have the internments removed to a more appropriate location. <br /><br />The Central Archaeology Group is well-equipped to conduct examinations of identified and unmarked cemeteries and grave sites for the purposes of documentation, registration, relocation, and cemetery closure. These investigations may involve the identification, mapping, and reporting of unmarked Euro-Canadian and First Nations grave sites, as well as the negotiation of site disposition agreements between landowners and representatives of the deceased, and the processing of new cemetery applications. All cemetery projects are conducted under the Ontario Cemeteries Act and associated regulations, administered by the Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Business Services.<br /><br /><em>Urban Environments</em><br /><br />Archaeological investigations in urban environments require a different approach than the methods listed above. Archaeological deposits are often associated with complex sequences that are usually found beneath modern buildings and concreted in areas that have been developed for decades and sometimes even centuries. Although the presence of former land use may not be readily apparent, often evidence of the past, such as building foundations, cellars, privies, and even graves, can be found in deeply buried deposits beneath the surface. However, traditional archaeological field investigations in these areas are often difficult and not always plausible. Before field investigations begin, a detailed examination into the land use of the proposed development area is conducted through the use of documentary sources, historic maps, insurance plans, city directories and old photographs. Once areas of archaeological potential have been identified, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is passed over the surface of the site to detect any sub-surface features. Significant features identified by the GPR are further examined through borehole and/or trench excavations. <br /><br />Laura McRae and Derek PaauwLaura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-13794668317802827032007-04-01T20:49:00.000-05:002007-04-07T11:30:10.642-05:00Cultural Landscapes in Ontario(reprinted courtesy of the Ministry of Culture-to be redirected to their website click on the link above)<br /><br />Since the Ontario Heritage Act was proclaimed in 1975. LACACs and municipalities have developed considerable experience in identifying and designating individual heritage properties and districts. Now, in the conservation field, we are expanding our interest from individual buildings as landmarks to an appreciation of cultural landscapes.<br /><br />People have always altered their surroundings to meet their needs. However, the natural landscape should not be considered as merely a setting for buildings but as an influence upon them and human activities. While there are various definitions of cultural landscapes, all emphasize the interrelationship of people and the natural environment.<br /><br />Cultural landscapes are characterized by the activities and processes which have shaped them. It is our shared sense of the values they represent that make them significant.<br /><br />We should not confuse cultural with scenic landscapes. A scenic landscape is valued for its pleasing appearance; a cultural landscape for the information it conveys about the processes and activities that have shaped a community. For example, an abandoned and possibly unattractive industrial site may be an important cultural landscape for the information it reveals about industrial processes and the development of a particular community or region.<br /><br /><strong>Types of Cultural Landscapes</strong><br /><br />There are different typologies for cultural landscapes but generally they fall within three categories. These are taken from the Operational Guidelines adopted by the World Heritage Committee in 1992:<br /><br /><strong>Defined landscapes:</strong> those which have been intentionally designed (e.g., a formal garden or, in a more urban setting, the square in the Town of Goderich) <br /><br /><strong>Evolved landscapes:</strong> those which have grown organically including those which continue to evolve (continuing landscape); (relict landscape) where an evolutionary process has come to an end (e.g., an abandoned mine site) <br /><br /><strong>Associative landscapes:</strong> those with powerful religious, artistic, or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent (e.g., Algonquin Park because of its association with the Group of Seven paintings) <br /><br /><strong>Why Cultural Landscapes?</strong><br /><br />- Landscapes which have been altered by people or which have a special significance for them, convey cultural messages about past or continuing practices and processes. <br />- Landscapes illustrate broad patterns of land use over an extended period of time. They tell us how communities have developed; they help define what gives a region its characteristics and hence distinctive identity (e.g., the grid-like concessions of the southwest Ontario farming landscape vs. the mining landscapes of northern Ontario reveal different reasons and periods of development, and different responses to the natural landscape). <br />- By studying cultural landscapes, we understand the broad social, economic, political and environmental forces that have shaped and may continue to shape our communities. As a result, we have a greater chance of identifying what activities and policies will positively or negatively affect our heritage. <br /><br /><strong>New Opportunities and Responsibilities</strong><br /><br />By their very nature, cultural landscapes are more complex and difficult to identify and conserve. They can be owned by a number of people or cross municipal boundaries (e.g., the Rideau Canal corridor lies in 23 municipalities, including a regional municipality). Defining the extent of the landscape requires careful evaluation of its components and an understanding of the influences and activities that shaped them. Comprehending the relationship between various parts of a landscape helps guide the types of change that could occur while ensuring adequate preservation. Evaluating landscapes helps develop a shared appreciation for them particularly if the community is involved in the process.<br /><br />Identifying cultural landscapes builds on the years of experience that LACACs have with heritage buildings and districts. It offers the opportunity to expand on the understanding and appreciation of our heritage and our communities.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-4130069966313671052007-04-01T20:47:00.000-05:002007-04-03T19:19:42.614-05:00Cemetery Improvement Projects(reprinted courtesy of the Ministry of Culture-to be redirected to their website please click on the link above)<br /><br />Well-intentioned individuals and groups have over the years sought to improve cemeteries in projects ranging from quick clean-ups to total reconfigurations of the original layout. Many generations of Ontarians have expressed concern about poor conditions in older cemeteries. The Canadian Freeman in 1833 called the St James churchyard "the most dangerous nuisance" in York (Toronto) and urged the Board of Health to take action. A correspondent to the Canada Farmer asked in 1864, "Why is it that the grounds here are left so untidy, some of them full of logs and stumps?" An editorial of 1903 in the Canadian Horticulturist commented, "A neglected graveyard with uncut grass, broken fences and stones that are falling over, seems to shame the living, and speak loudly of their lack of reverence for their ancestry."<br /><br />A common response to overcrowded and development-pressed urban cemeteries has been to close them. An early example is the churchyard of Toronto's St James (Anglican) Cathedral, closed after the city's new cemetery, St James Cemetery, opened farther north, near Bloor Street, in 1844. Over ensuing decades, some of the human remains and monuments were transferred, others replaced, and still others abandoned. (Some surviving markers were affixed in the twentieth century to the protected porch walls of the cathedral.) Though most of the elements of this early cultural landscape have been removed, this former churchyard remains a significant open space.<br /><br />Potter's Field was York's first (1826) non-sectarian cemetery. Its six-acre site was built over several times and was closed in 1875 because of public health concerns and land-use pressures. It is now identified only by a plaque at the north-west corner of Yonge and Bloor streets in Toronto.<br /><br />The condition of monuments has long been a motivation to action for individuals and organizations -- often with less than satisfactory results. Over the years, many broken monuments and their fragments have been tossed aside or pilfered. Even if carefully buried at the gravesite or placed in a cemetery storage building, records of their origins and new locations have tended to get lost. Families having old monuments replaced have seldom had the full inscription, the carvings, and the carver's name replicated. Moreover, even the replicated information has sometimes been copied incorrectly.<br /><br />The Pioneer Pergola in St Andrews Park in Galt (Cambridge) was an early, well-intentioned effort to preserve monuments on a large scale. In 1907, near the site of St Andrews Church (demolished 1889), the Waterloo Chapter of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire created the pergola, with concrete walls, pillars, and floor, surmounted by rustic wooden beams. Into its concrete faces it incorporated the 207 monuments remaining in the churchyard. Though this structure was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1983 for the historical significance of its records, the stone and inscriptions are now deteriorating rapidly. Worse still, records of the relative positions of markers, vegetation, church, and other landscape elements were destroyed in 1907.<br /><br />Ironically, most such "preservation" efforts were made as a celebration of history and as part of a government-sponsored program. In 1967, many communities in Ontario, particularly in the southwest, sought to cure their older cemeteries' ills using funds provided by the federal and provincial governments on a per-capita, dollar-for-dollar matching basis. Many attempted radical operations.<br /><br />In some cemeteries, each row of monuments would be reset in one long concrete slab, though the locations of graves and the orientations of markers to graves were, if known, retained. In other places, more disruptive changes took place, with the original grave arrangement scaled down and the monuments reset into a much smaller concrete square or rectangular concrete pad. In the better examples, the monuments were placed in their original horizontal and vertical orientations. In the worst, formerly upright monuments were set flat in the concrete, destroying all sense of original location and differences in height and width.<br /><br />The most radical solutions involved the placing of monuments and fragments of monuments in new and unrelated locations within the original cemetery. As a result, monument-embellished buildings, contiguous and freestanding walls, retaining walls, and cairns dot many of Ontario's southern counties, most noticeably along Hwy 10 and rural county roads.<br /><br />The long term physical damage to monuments from setting them in mortar or concrete has been severe, as explained in the ministry's publication, Landscapes of Memories, A Guide for Conserving Historic Cemeteries: Repairing Tombstones. Wholesale clearing of "overgrown" and "unwanted" vegetation, plus maintenance with machines and chemicals, has also destroyed heritage plants and historic vegetation patterns. Moreover, the reconfiguration of monuments and loss of heritage planting patterns have detracted from the historical-cultural integrity of the cemetery.<br /><br />Attitudes to conservation and landscape preservation are continually evolving. We now recognize that some past efforts to preserve our cemetery heritage, though they seemed positive solutions to pressing problems, have had harmful long-term effects. We cannot change the irreversible actions of the past, but given more foresight and planning we can now choose methods that are reversible and allow options for the future.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-91142856512199494292007-04-01T20:41:00.000-05:002007-04-02T19:58:16.538-05:00Cemetery Designation(reprinted courtesy of the Ministry of Culture-to be redirected to their website click on the link above)<br /><br />Our inheritance of architecture, cultural landscapes, and material culture is an irreplaceable asset and resource. In Ontario, the task of conserving historically and architecturally significant properties is primarily a municipal matter. The Ontario Heritage Act provides a framework within which municipalities can act to ensure conservation of such properties. It also encourages citizens participation in local heritage conservation.<br /><br />Local municipalities may designate heritage cemeteries under Parts IV and V of the Ontario Heritage Act (Ontario, 1990b). Cemetery owners or property managers may also enter into easement agreements with other agencies, such as the Ontario Heritage Foundation or a municipality. All these measures may assist in preservation of cemeteries. Properties may either be associated with significant heritage buildings or be related to a settlement or rural area. The ministry makes available a list of Ontario's designated cemeteries.<br /><br />Designation is a means by which local municipalities can exercise control over those proposed alterations to heritage properties which would affect the property's heritage significance. Generally speaking, new burials in a designated cemetery do not constitute such an alteration as it is unlikely that new burials would alter or affect a cemetery's heritage significance. However, other types of work within a designated cemetery may constitute an alteration requiring consultation with the municipality. Well-worded descriptions of the cemetery properties and their built and landscape features are essential in order to provide a clear understanding of the heritage significance of these features so that can be protected from inappropriate alteration. These descriptions, referred to as "the reasons for designation", form the most important section of the designation by-law approved by the municipality.<br /><br />Where cemeteries are significant primarily for historical reasons, it is important to include information such as historical association with:<br /><br />- a specific event, such as a battle or a disaster; <br />- well-known people, such as a pioneer founding family; <br />- a well-known person in the burial place; and<br />- a well-known rural community and associated cemetery <br /><br />Where context and landscape design are significant, the application should describe the attributes of the landscape in which the cemetery is located. It is useful to note the following:<br /><br />- design and layout of the cemetery, including any special landscape features such as trees, plantings, fences, entrances, roads, open spaces, walls, pathways, gates, and fountains; <br />- the relationship of the cemetery to the general community in which it is located; <br />- its relationship to historical settlement patterns and use of land; <br />- a particular designer or landscape firm involved; <br />- the integrity of the site; <br />- if the property is one of only a few remaining; <br />- the cemetery's role as a physical or spiritual landmark <br /><br />Where craftsmanship and architectural design are significant, the document should describe the attributes of the built features located within the property either individually or as a group -- for example, funerary monuments, dead house, fences and gates, markers and mausoleums. The following attributes for built features are elements for consideration in a statement of reasons for designation:<br /><br />- the name of the builder, artist, designer, mason, carver, or architect <br />- a description of the building and/or marker type, including:<br /> - materials of building construction and markers<br /> - religious and artistic influences, as in pyramids, obelisks, metal work<br /> - type or architectural or decorative elements, carving or detailing, such as lambs and angels<br /> - special construction techniques or devices <br /><br />The following example of heritage designation from a municipality in Ontario represents efforts to reflect accurately the significance of these features through the statement of reasons for designation, in support of a local municipal by-law, as required under the Ontario Heritage Act.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-13079108823906453502007-04-01T20:34:00.000-05:002007-04-01T20:40:45.902-05:00Cemeteries as a Cultural Resource(reprinted courtesy of the Ministry of Culture-click on the link above to be redirected to their website)<br /><br />Older cemeteries are visible, tangible links with people who made history -- ordinary individuals as well as famous people. The inscriptions on their monuments tell us not only their names and dates, but often where they lived, their occupation and affiliations, the manner of their death, personal traits that survivors held dear, and names of relatives. These inscriptions instruct us about local, medical, and material history, cultural geography, historical archaeology, folklore, genealogy, and much more.<br /><br />A cemetery is more than a collection of interesting historical data -- as precious and revealing as that may be. It is also a place -- an open space populated by monuments and vegetation -- which forms a very particular and revealing part of our built environment. There are things to be learned from the overall layout and arrangement of the monuments. We can note the nature and quality of the materials; we can see the skill of the monument makers and observe the richness of the symbolism. We can wonder at the age of the trees and the choice of species and imagine the look of the surrounding landscape in earlier times. We can speculate on what prompted this location to be chosen for a cemetery and how the presence of the cemetery has influenced the neighbourhood in which it is located. Each cemetery has its own history of creation, development, and growth, and together Ontario's heritage cemeteries form an irreplaceable part of the province's cultural heritage.<br /><br />Older cemeteries demonstrate their value as a cultural heritage resource in different ways. They have aptly been called outdoor classrooms. For students of all ages they offer endless possibilities for continuing education involving both natural and historical resources. Some cemeteries promote recreational use of their grounds by maintaining extensive and well-labelled collections of plants and trees, by welcoming hikers, cyclists, photographers, and birdwatchers, and by organizing walking tours and outdoor chamber-music concerts. Cemeteries can supplement community park systems and enhance adjacent public open spaces; larger, park-like cemeteries provide habitats for wildlife.<br /><br />The character of a cemetery changes with the passage of time. There are active cemeteries, which accept interments, and there are inactive cemeteries - some still maintained, though closed, and others abandoned. Time also inevitably alters the landscape within and around a cemetery. Weathering, often aided by environmental pollutants, can damage monuments and structures, as can accidents, vandalism, and neglect. Well-intentioned interventions may obliterate the original relationships among carefully laid out parts of the cemetery. Maintenance costs, ageing infrastructure, changing surroundings and context, and public liability are pressures facing all cemeteries.<br /><br />These pressures can lead to a diminution of those elements that give a cemetery its value as a cultural resource, such as its architectural and landscape heritage, as well as its educational, interpretative, and contextual value. It may also result in loss of social and family history, which would be of special value to those connected to the people interred.<br /><br />Fortunately, many of Ontario's older cemeteries remain substantially intact. They deserve thoughtful, long-term conservation planning. Only if each generation exercises careful stewardship will they survive as records of the past and as a cultural heritage resource to be shared with generations as yet unborn. The ministry's publication, Landscapes of Memories - A Guide for Conserving Historic Cemeteries: Repairing Tombstones, contains information and technical advice intended to foster the conservation of Ontario's heritage cemeteries in a manner commensurate with their status as an irreplaceable cultural heritage resource.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-23227134207890867582007-03-26T13:31:00.000-05:002007-03-26T13:32:55.512-05:00Underwater Archaeology: Ontario's Marine Heritage(reprinted courtesy of the Ontario Ministry of Culture-click on the link above to be redirected to their website)<br /><br />Bordering on the four Great Lakes to the south, James and Hudson Bay on the north, and containing thousands of lakes and rivers in between, Ontario is blessed with an abundance of water.<br /><br />The history of the exploration, settlement and commerce of Ontario from the earliest First Nations peoples to the present day is characterised by the important role that its waterways played. First Nations peoples travelled, traded and lived along our province's waterways for many millennia. The early European explorers arrived on and used these same routes. The early sailing vessels they built were used in the fur trade or for military purposes. However, as Ontario's commerce grew with its population, so did the role of commercial shipping. In the absence of railways and roads, the early development and trade of our province was dependant on its lakes and rivers. A century and a half ago it could have been said that Ontario was "Mother" maritime province.<br /><br />The early First Nations villages and camps, the forts, harbours and early sail and steam vessels have all disappeared. Fortunately, they have left us with a record of their passing in the form of archaeological sites. Of all the environments within which these sites occur, none provides the degree of preservation afforded by the cold, fresh water of Ontario's lakes and rivers. The Great Lakes, with their many well preserved shipwreck sites, have become one of the greatest "outdoor" museums of shipping history in the world.<br /><br />Ontario's submerged cultural resources are valuable to the Province on a number of levels. There is of course the archaeological and historical value of sites which, because of their state or preservation, offer information and understanding of the past and interpretative opportunities for museums not provided by land sites. Because of this preservation, shipwreck sites attract thousands of recreational SCUBA divers every year. Sports diving is fun and challenging. It is a multi-million dollar industry in Ontario. Sports diving also supports a thriving dive chartering industry with spin-offs for hotels, camp grounds, restaurants and other local businesses.<br /><br />When SCUBA equipment became widely available for recreational use in the late 1950's the looting of shipwrecks in the Great lakes became endemic. Souvenir hunters and wreckstrippers can seriously degrade or destroy both the historic and commercial value of a submerged site. Some newly discovered shipwrecks have been reduced from pristine time capsules to stripped hulks in as little as two weekends.<br /><br />The marine heritage conservation movement in Ontario has adopted a site conservation philosophy of "no artifact removal".<br /><br />In spite of excellent preservation underwater, artifacts can deteriorate rapidly when exposed to air unless they are given extremely expensive conservation treatment. Also most divers do not have a sufficient degree of training in marine archaeology to allow them to accurately record artifacts before removal and to retrieve them without damage. By protecting the wreck in place, with associated artifacts, the entire value of the ship is maintained. Exceptions may be made if artifacts must be removed because they are endangered, or for research and interpretative purposes, but only when a conservation plan is in place.<br /><br />The Marine Heritage Conservation Program works closely with volunteer organisations such as Save Ontario shipwrecks to stop the destruction of Ontario's submerged sites through a balanced strategy of persuasion, programs and regulation. Education and training form a fundamental part of this strategy. For more information about Ontario's programs to protect Ontario's marine heritage, please contact staff of the Marine Heritage Conservation Program in Ottawa.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-41357801786204030782007-03-24T16:03:00.000-05:002007-03-24T16:06:01.377-05:00Statement of Principles for Ethical Conduct Pertaining to Aboriginal Peoples(reprinted courtesy of the Canadian Archaeological Association)<br /><br /><strong>Preamble</strong><br /><br />The objectives of the Canadian Archaeological Association include the promotion, protection and conservation of the archaeological heritage of Canada, and the dissemination of archaeological knowledge. Canadian archaeologists conduct their activities according to the principles of scholarly practice and recognize the interests of groups affected by their research. Whereas the heritage of First Nations Peoples constitutes the greater part of the Canadian archaeological record, this document presents a Statement of Principles that guides members of the Association in their relationships with Aboriginal peoples. <br /><br /><strong>Principles</strong><br /><br />Members of the CAA/ACA agree to abide by the following principles: <br /><br /><em>I Consultation: </em><br /><br />1. To recognize the cultural and spiritual links between Aboriginal peoples and the archaeological record. <br /><br />2. To acknowledge that Aboriginal people have a fundamental interest in the protection and management of the archaeological record, its interpretation and presentation. <br /><br />3. To recognize and respect the role of Aboriginal communities in matters relating to their heritage. <br /><br />4. To negotiate and respect protocols, developed in consultation with Aboriginal communities, relating to the conduct of archaeological activities dealing with Aboriginal culture.<br /><br /><em>II Aboriginal Involvement: </em><br /><br />1. To encourage partnerships with Aboriginal communities in archaeological research, management and education, based on respect and mutual sharing of knowledge and expertise. <br /><br />2. To support formal training programs in archaeology for Aboriginal people. <br /><br />3. To support the recruitment of Aboriginal people as professional archaeologists.<br /><br /><em>III Sacred Sites and Places: </em><br /><br />1. To recognize and respect the spiritual bond that exists between Aboriginal peoples and special places and features on the landscape. <br /><br />2. To acknowledge the cultural significance of human remains and associated objects to Aboriginal peoples. <br /><br />3. To respect protocols governing the investigation, removal, curation and reburial of human remains and associated objects.<br /><br /><em>IV Communication and Interpretation: </em><br /><br />1. To respect the cultural significance of oral history and traditional knowledge in the interpretation and presentation of the archaeological record of Aboriginal peoples. <br /><br />2. To communicate the results of archaeological investigations to Aboriginal communities in a timely and accessible manner.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-82410553730648524692007-03-22T21:19:00.000-05:002007-03-22T21:22:04.087-05:00Saving Our Built Heritage(reprinted courtesy of Canadian Heritage News, July 2002)<br /><br />Most Canadians would be shocked to know that over the past 30 years more than 20% of the historic buildings in our cities and towns have been lost to the wrecker's ball! Many of those buildings have played a significant role in our national development. The Historic Places Initiative of Canadian Heritage is going to help reverse that trend by helping communities preserve and protect their built heritage. The first steps are now underway with the development of a register of up to 20,000 historic places. Pilot projects are testing conservation standards and guidelines in cooperation with experts at the municipal and provincial levels. There will be a certification process to eventually make financial incentives available to private sector developers for the redevelopment of historic places. The Department of Canadian Heritage and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities are working closely together on the development and implementation of this very important initiative. Other measures to ensure heritage protection for Canada's historic places are also anticipated.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-36795800960650191992007-03-22T16:15:00.000-05:002007-03-22T17:40:14.716-05:00Looking at Careers -- Historical Archaeology(reprinted courtest of the Society for Historical Archaeology-click on the above link to be forwarded to their website)<br /><br />If someone asked you to draw an archaeologist, what kind of picture would you produce? Would it resemble Indiana Jones at a temple, complete with whip and machete in far-off India or in a cavern crawling with poisonous snakes? Or would it look more like a studious Howard Carter, peering through an opening at the gold and treasures of King Tut' tomb.<br /><br />Although some modern-day historical archaeologists have adventures like Indy's or find treasures like King Tut's tomb, most have more in common with detective Sherlock Holmes, because they are trying, to solve the mysteries of the past. That is why a historical archaeologist will sweat for days under the hot sun to carefully extract tiny bits of pottery from the ground or spend hours in the laboratory, trying to fit together pieces of an 18th-century wine bottle. By examining seed and pollen grains through the microscope, other historical archaeologists discover what plants people ate centuries ago. And nearly all historical archaeologists spend many hours at a computer, fitting all of these pieces of evidence together into a portrait of people, places, and events of the past.<br /><br />So historical archaeology is more than just a treasure hunt. It is a challenging search for clues to the people, events, and places of the past. Archaeology's quest for the past occurs not just in far-off locations, but right in our own back yards. Today's archaeologist uses skills and knowledge, rather than guns and bullwhips, to make the past come alive. On this page, you will discover how a modern professional archaeologist works and how you can become part of this challenging field.<br /><br />What Is Archaeology? Archaeology is a way of studying the past based on the remains of things that earlier people left behind or discarded. These remains include both the objects used by people long ago, called artifacts, and the buildings, structures, and landscapes where people lived, known as sites. Archaeological sites can be found anywhere where humans have stayed, lived, or worked in the past. By carefully collecting and examining all of the evidence from a site, archaeologists help us to understand how our ancestors met the challenges of life in the past.<br /><br />As in any other profession, fields of specialization exist in archaeology. What period of history, area of the world, or skill interests you the most? Take your pick! There is something for everyone!<br /><br />For example, paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson searches in Africa for the fossilized bones of our earliest ancestors. Prehistoric archaeologist Dennis Stanford looks for traces of the earliest Americans. Physical anthropologist Douglas Owsley helps to identify the bones of soldiers killed at the Battle of Antietam in 1862. Conservators like Betty Seifert use their knowledge of chemistry to preserve the artifacts recovered from sites, so that these objects will be available for future study.<br /><br />Historical archaeology is a specialized subdiscipline within the field of archaeology. Historical archaeologists study not only artifacts and sites, but also the documents written about the people and places they are studying. Kathleen Deegan investigates the earliest Spanish settlements in Florida, while James Deetz studies 20th-century coal-mining camps in California. Urban archaeologist Pamela Cressey excavates the shops and houses of 19th-century Alexandria, Virginia. Doug Scott examines the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana where the Sioux and Cheyenne defeated Custer. Underwater archaeologist George Bass dives on ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. And all of them depend on research historians like Amy Friedlander and Victor Geraci to find old documents and maps to help explain the artifacts and features which they find in the ground.<br /><br />From the Arctic to the tropics; on land and underwater; in the field, the laboratory, the library, or the office specialists from many fields work together to help archaeologists unravel the many mysteries of the past. <br /><br /><strong>Becoming an Archaeologist</strong><br /><br />It is never too early to think about a career in archaeology. Like most other professionals, an archaeologist must be able to read and write well, understand and appreciate history, and be comfortable using scientific methods and equipment. Getting "hands-on" experience is a very good way to begin. Many archaeologists start in high school as volunteers with their local non- professional archaeological societies. As volunteers help archaeologists on sites and in laboratories, they come to know what archaeological work is really like. Experience with such groups has helped many people find out whether they want to pursue a career in archaeology.<br /><br />Today's archaeologists are all college or university graduates. Many of them majored in anthropology, a science that looks at how and why groups of people act the way they do. Studying subjects like history, biology, and chemistry prepares archaeologists to analyze the many different kinds of information that they must use in order to solve the puzzles of the past.<br /><br />Participating in a field school is an important part of an archaeologist's training. A field school teaches all of the techniques that are used to excavate sites, analyze the artifacts, and interpret what is found on an archaeological site.<br /><br />In graduate school, archaeologists study the special branch of archaeology that interests them most. As you learned in the previous section, there are choices that fit almost any interest.<br /><br /><strong>What Kinds of Jobs Do Archaeologists Do?</strong><br /><br />In general, archaeologists find jobs in one of four types of workplaces: in universities, in government, with private research firms, and with museums and historic sites.<br /><br />College and university archaeologists spend much of their time teaching students. They often organize and run field schools that help their students learn the proper methods of archaeological research. Archaeologists who work for national, state, and local governments help to enforce laws that protect archaeological sites and also educate the public about archaeology. For example, every state has a state archaeologist who supervises projects and deals with issues that affect their state's archaeological resources. Many archaeologists work for private consulting companies which are hired by businesses and government agencies that need archaeological services. Some companies are very specialized; for example, one Midwest firm analyzes the chemical content of soil samples from archaeological sites all over the country. The museums and historic sites that you and your friends visit and enjoy often hire archaeologists to curate, or take care of, their collections of artifacts and plan special events and exhibits.<br /><br /><strong>What Are the Rewards of Being an Archaeologist?</strong><br /><br />As in any other career, the salaries earned by archaeologists vary depending on the kind of work they do and the skills and training that they have. Some archaeological workers earn hourly wages; others have annual salaries that range from $16,000 to over $50,000 per year. Permanent positions usually offer standard benefits; temporary jobs do not.<br /><br />But most archaeologists will tell you that their biggest rewards do not come from earning large salaries. The thrill of handling an object perhaps hundreds of years old, or finally figuring out what really happened on that site--these are the rewards that keep today's archaeologists working to solve the puzzles of the past.<br /><br /><strong>Archaeologists: Saving the Past</strong><br /><br />The chances for today's archaeologists to study the past are growing ever fewer. Although new roads, shopping centers, homes, and other structures are needed, building them often means that archaeological sites are destroyed before they can be studied. Uninformed people who dig around old sites to add artifacts to their personal collections also threaten archaeological sites. By disturbing the ground and removing the evidence, they leave the archaeologist with fewer pieces of the puzzle to put together.<br /><br />You can make a difference now. Find out more about archaeologists and how they work by reading books or by joining volunteer archaeological organizations that try to protect important sites. Let the officials in your government know that you want to help preserve the sites in your community. Most important of all, if you find a site, do not disturb it. Instead, carefully note its location, and tell your state or local archaeologist about it. By taking these actions, you can help to preserve the history of your community.<br /><br />Every one of us can be a caretaker of the past, if we all recognize that archaeological sites, as part of human history, belong to all of us!<br /><br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />The information on this page is adapted from the society's Mapping Out a Career in Historical Archaeology brochure. This pamphlet is directed at middle school students and is designed to acquaint them with archaeology and the subdiscipline of historical archaeology. Copies of the brochure may be obtained by contacting the society at: Society for Historical Archaeology, 15245 Shady Grove Road, Ste. 130, Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: 301-990-2454, Fax: 301-990-9771, Email: hq@sha.org.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-21098320438353682322007-03-21T13:02:00.000-05:002007-03-21T13:08:28.721-05:00Principles of Ethical Conduct(reprinted courtesy of the Canadian Archaeological Association)<br /><br /><strong>Preamble</strong><br /><br />The objectives of the Canadian Archaeological Association include promoting, protecting and conserving the archaeological heritage of Canada, and the dissemination of archaeological knowledge. Canadian archaeologists conduct their activities according to the principles of scholarly practice and recognize the interests of groups affected by their research. <br /><br /><strong>Stewardship</strong> <br /><br />We expect that the members of the CAA will exercise respect for archaeological remains and for those who share an interest in these irreplaceable and non-renewable resources now and in the future. The archaeological record includes in-situ materials and sites, archaeological collections, records and reports. Stewardship involves having care for and promoting the conservation of the archaeological record. This record is unique, finite and fragile. CAA members should acknowledge: <br /><br />1) access to knowledge from the past is an essential part of the heritage of everyone; <br />2) conservation is a preferred option; <br />3) where conservation is not an option, ensure accurate recording and dissemination of results; <br />4) excavations should be no more invasive/destructive than determined by mitigation circumstances or comprehensive research goals; and,<br />5) the commodification of archaeological sites and artifacts through selling and trading is unethical. <br /><br /><strong>Aboriginal Relationships</strong> <br /><br />Recognizing that the heritage of Aboriginal Peoples constitutes the greater part of the Canadian archaeological record, the Canadian Archaeological Association has accepted the Statement of Principles for Ethical Conduct Pertaining to Aboriginal Peoples. Members of the Association have agreed to abide by those Principles. <br /><br /><strong>Professional Responsibilities</strong> <br /><br />Archaeological remains are finite, fragile, non-renewable and unique. Before undertaking responsibility for any excavation that destroys a portion of the archaeological record, members of the Canadian Archaeological Association must: <br /><br />1) keep abreast of developments in their specializations; <br />2) possess adequate training, support, resources and facilities to undertake excavation and analysis; <br />3) produce an adequate document worthy of the destruction of the archaeological remains; <br />4) present archaeology and research results in a timely and responsible manner; <br />5) preserve documentation in such a way that it is of value to future researchers; <br />6) comply with all legislation and local protocols with Aboriginal Peoples, as described in the Statement of Principles for Ethical Conduct Pertaining to Aboriginal Peoples, as appropriate in each province and/or territory; <br />7) respect colleagues, and cooperate with them; <br />8) allow the expression of alternative views of the past; <br />9) exercise the right to defend our own scholarship; <br />10) recognize that documentation of an archaeological record should, within a reasonable period of time, become available to others with legitimate research interests; and, <br />11) present archaeological information in an objective and well informed manner in all contexts. <br /><br /><strong>Public Education and Outreach</strong> <br /><br />A fundamental commitment to stewardship is the sharing of knowledge about archaeological topics to a broader public and to enlist public support for stewardship. Members of the CAA are encouraged to: <br /><br />1) communicate the results of archaeological work to a broad audience; <br />2) encourage the public to support and involvement in archaeological stewardship; <br />3) actively cooperate in stewardship of archaeological remains with aboriginal peoples; <br />4) promote public interest in, and knowledge of, Canada’s past; <br />5) explain appropriate archaeological methods and techniques to interested people; <br />6) promote archaeology through education in the K-12 school systems; <br />7) support and be accessible to local archaeological and other heritage groups; and, <br />8) contribute to the CAA Web Page, and promote where appropriate electronic publication of archaeological materials.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-66463180810500622882007-03-20T18:53:00.000-05:002007-03-20T18:56:16.390-05:00Land Based Archaeology in OntarioLand-Based Archaeology<br /><br />(reprinted from Ontario's Ministry of Culture website)<br /><br />At one time or another during the 10,000 years or so since the final retreat of the great ice sheets of the last ice age, people have lived just about everywhere in the Province. The age-old combination of curiosity and human need has led people into every corner of Ontario, from Pelee Island in Lake Erie to West Pen Island, by the Manitoba border in Hudson Bay. Of course, Ontario is an easy province to get around in. After all, it was common at one time to travel the 3,000 kilometres by canoe from Montreal to Thunder Bay and back during the course of one summer, and the Province possesses a remarkably extensive network of lakes and rivers. An equally extensive system of overland trails was also established over time, and if for some reason it proved difficult to get somewhere in the spring, summer, or fall, it was always possible to move there swiftly and directly in the winter. It is safe to say that even the earliest post-glacial settlers of Ontario were accomplished all-season travellers by land and water.<br /><br />How do we know what it was like to live north of the Great Lakes after the retreat of the glaciers? Since the mid-1500s, we have had the written chronicles of European excursions and adventures through the activities of colonial exploration and expansion, trade, and religious conversion, along with access to the rich oral traditions and histories of our Native peoples. However, even the best of such accounts do not fully describe what day-to-day life was like for the average person even in relatively recent times, let alone over the many millenia during which the Province was occupied before the first Europeans set foot on Ontario's shores and in its forests. In order to better understand the lives and times of those peoples of long ago, we must turn to the actual physical traces of their past activities which remain in the ground bearing silent witness to their presence. This means we must turn our attention to see what can be discovered from the archaeological record.<br /><br />Ontarians are very fortunate to have a rich and diverse archaeological record. Our early peoples may not have left monuments on a scale as large as in some other countries, but what they did leave for us to discover, our archaeological patrimony, is just as old and just as interesting. In Ontario, archaeological sites include aboriginal hunting and fishing camps, village sites, traces of routes of travel, battlefields, trading posts, and include the remains of the very earliest period of human occupation, when Ontario was an arctic tundra and people survived largely by hunting caribou, giant bison, and even mastodons.<br /><br />Archaeology is the study of past human culture and civilisation through the scientific investigation of items and materials left on or below the surface of the earth or under water. Archaeology is a technically-disciplined approach to the collection, analysis and interpretation of cultural information using materials and methods derived from virtually every other field of scientific enquiry. Its value lies in the fact that it provides an intellectual framework within which the results of scientific investigation can be applied to the understanding of human beings and their cultures in relation to each other and to their physical environment. Archaeological techniques can be applied to any data from land or marine subsurface deposits found anywhere in the world, but their use tends to be focussed on sites of previous human settlement.<br />Archaeological investigations now concentrate on collecting information and understanding its meaning, rather than on just collecting artifacts. In fact, archaeologists prefer to leave artifacts in-situ whenever possible so that they can be preserved in context for study by future generations, who will have better tools and techniques.<br /><br />Archaeological investigations in Ontario are carried out by a variety of dedicated people, who range from academic researchers and professional consultants, to avocational archaeologists who go out on weekends to study sites. Regardless of the person involved, archaeological investigations in Ontario are undertaken by people who are licensed by the Province and who report their findings to the Province so that the information resulting from their endeavours will not be lost. Ontario now has a thriving community of professional archaeologists who assist in addressing the impact of development on archaeological resources.<br /><br />The staff of the Archaeology and Heritage Planning Unit provide technical support, training, conservation, public education, and resource management for our fragile and non-renewable archaeological heritage resources. In order to best serve the needs of the public and of the resource, the unit maintains regional archaeological offices in Kenora, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Ottawa, and London. For more information on programs and services, please call the office closest to your area of interest.Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161281145670187632.post-182124216285973682007-03-18T14:59:00.000-05:002007-03-20T21:50:45.222-05:00Welcome!Welcome to The Central Archaeology Group's blog.<br /><br />If you have any comments, concerns, questions, or suggestions please post them here. Keeping you informed about archaeology, cultural heritage, and built heritage is what we hope to do.<br /><br />CAG is committed to preserving archaeological and cultural heritage. We believe that the protection of this non-renewable resource is imperative to present and future Canadians because not only is it important to continued development within each province, but it also underlines and identifies a distinctive Canadian culture.<br /><br />Laura<br /><!-- Javascript Seo.Exactseek.com Code Snippet --><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"><br /> var base = "http://stats.exactseek.com/record_stats.php";<br /> var refer = escape(document.referrer);<br /> var agent = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();<br /> var aN = escape(navigator.appName);<br /> var aV = escape(navigator.appVersion);<br /> var os = escape(navigator.platform);<br /> var res = escape(screen.width+ 'x'+screen.height);<br /> var url = escape(document.location);<br /> var java = navigator.javaEnabled();<br /> var id = "4200";<br /><br /> var query_url = base+"?id="+id+"&res="+res+"&http_user_agent="+agent+"&aN="+aN+"&aV="+aV+"&java="+java+"&os="+os+"&http_referer="+refer+"&url="+url;<br /><br /> document.writeln('<img src="' + query_url + '" border="0">');<br /></script><br /><noscript><br /> <img src="http://stats.exactseek.com/record_stats.php?campaign=4200" border="0"><br /></noscript>Laura McRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18088517943648024572noreply@blogger.com2