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Many people may have heard of a horse throwing a shoe—but it appears that players out on the soccer field can experience it as well. Provost’s Brendan Larsen was going full tilt when his shoe became loose during a July 1 game against Macklin—so he pulled it off while on the run and chucked it (left at top). When the pressure was off during the game, the shoe was picked up quickly (right) and put back on. ©Provost News Photos. Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here.
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Interest Grows in Archeological Site With 300 at Open House
An estimated 300 people took in this year’s open house of an archeological dig at Bodo, held again on July 1.
Archeologist Terry Gibson said that those who attended “sure saw a lot” during the Thursday tours.
Last year about 200 people took in the tour and the year before that 80 people showed up for an open house.
There were plenty of questions being asked by the public when students showed them around the site south and west of Bodo. In the lab area that is housed in the old Bodo school “there was quite a lot of public interest” shown there as well, adds Gibson, who is also an anthropologist and operates Alberta Western Heritage Inc. of St. Albert. He helps out co-ordinating the University of Alberta studies as an unpaid professor.
The public including mainly people from local towns like Luseland, Bodo, Provost and others—but also from Saskatoon, Camrose and Australia were invited to the excavation sites that included two main areas with two or three other sub areas inside of a major site. Other areas were also shown including one that showed different layers of silt.
One of the most significant finds at the site this season came the first week this spring when testing was being done a half mile to the west of the existing main dig site. Gibson says they may have found a “cultural occupation” related to a bridge gap of artifacts earlier discovered representing very early and later time periods. A piece of a dart point (similar to an arrowhead) was recovered that is thought to be between 2,000 and 2,500 years old. That single item was found at a depth of 65 centimetres and it’s hoped that more items relating to that dart point can some time be discovered.
The oldest items found so far at the Bodo site, though rare—date back about 5,000 years. Continued soil work, however might push that date back further “but those would be rarer to find.”
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The site, south and west of Bodo is unique in Western Canada because so much of it has not been disturbed. An average archeological site is about the size of a large room—but this site is several kilometres across. Alberta Community Development considers the Bodo site one of the most important in Alberta if not Western Canada and wants it preserved. The rare archeological find consists of a vast undisturbed area of bison, pottery and Indian artifacts.
After the tours wound up a supper was hosted by the university department but “generous” cash donations left behind surprised the host organizers.
Earlier this season the school also hosted two local school tours. Grade 5 and 6 students from Provost visited the area just before school was over and the students got to tour the site, watch excavations, and got to place a flag where they found something that interested them. U of A students accompanied the local school pupils and helped identify artifacts. As well, the school students visited the lab in the old Bodo school and got to touch bones and other objects. The students were really interested in the project, Gibson says.
Other visitors are still welcome at the site this summer but should check at the school first or call in advance. Volunteers are welcome during the week days from late mornings to early afternoon to dig with university students who are taking courses here this summer.
Gibson, who discovered the site south west of Bodo when oilfield activity was taking place in 1995 says that even more people could tour the site next year.
One group of students wound down their studies on Friday, July 2 and left on Saturday.
The students who took this course were “unusually enthusiastic” likely because the Bodo area is so rich in artifacts. “They find so much . . . it is a very interesting site and they find lots (of items) immediately. You never know what you run across.” Plus, adds Gibson, the community has been welcoming. He praised the local people for the fine facilities that are all being kept up, including showers, cooking facilities and the lab space in the school.
Rest of the story and photos in July 7 edition of The Provost News.
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