Skeletal Stresses of the Canadian Fur Trade

These projects are completed.

Supported by grants from the University of Alberta and Museums Alberta

Analysis of musculo-skeletal stress indicators was conducted on the skeletons of individuals who lived during the Fur Trade Period at two locations in Alberta: the Seafort Burial Site, near Rocky Mountain House; and the Rossdale Site, in the city of Edmonton.

Seafort

The Seafort Burial Site, discovered in the spring of 1969 by workers for Seafort Petroleum, is believed to be associated with one of the five fur trade posts that were located near Rocky Mountain House between 1799 and 1875. Upon the discovery of the site, the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alberta was asked to undertake rescue excavations of the remains of 14 individuals, recovered from 12 graves.The excavations were completed in 197
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This area was designated as a National Historic Park in 1979, and the remains of 12 individuals were reinterred at the site shortly after their discovery that year.

The skeletons recovered between 1969 and 1971, and their associated grave goods, were reburied at the National Historic site in October, 2002, through the collaboration of the University of Alberta (Department of Anthropology and Department of Museums and Collections Services), the Rocky Mountain House Métis Association, the Métis Nation of Alberta, and Parks Canada.

Rossdale

The discovery of human skeletal remains in the Rossdale area of Edmonton date back many years. It was not until the discovery of graves in 1967 by workers at the Rossdale power plant that the Department of Anthropology at the University became involved. Archaeologists undertook to rescue the remains of six individuals (one in February or March and another five in July), in what was thought to be a cemetery associated with historic Fort Edmonton. The skeletal remains and their associated grave goods were reburied at Rossdale in August, 2005, through the collaboration of the University of Alberta (Department of Anthropology and Department of Museums and Collections Services), the City of Edmonton, and Lifeways of Canada.

 

 

Publications

Lovell, Nancy C. and Aaron A. Dublenko. 1999. Further Aspects of Fur Trade Life Depicted in the skeleton. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 9:248-256

Lovell, Nancy C. and Ping Lai. 1994. Lifestyle and Health of Voyageurs in the Canadian Fur Trade. In Strength in Diversity: A Reader in Physical Anthropology, edited by A Herring and L Chan. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press, pp 365-381

Lai, Ping and Nancy C. Lovell. 1992. Skeletal Markers of Occupational Stress in the Fur Trade: A case study from a Hudson's Bay Company fur trade post. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 2:221-234

Presentations

Fur Trade Life Depicted in the Skeleton. Archaeological Society of Alberta Annual Meeting, Edmonton; 1999

Lifestyle and Health of Voyageurs in the Canadian Fur Trade. (with P Lai) Rupert's Land Research Colloquium, Edmonton; 1994

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