April 19: ASBC lecturer - Alex Lausanne

Archaeological Prospection on Quadra Island, BC using LiDAR and Sea Level History

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) remote sensing technology is an invaluable tool for archaeological prospecting on the Pacific Northwest (PNW) coast of Canada. Due to dense rainforest coverage, archaeological prospecting is usually limited to modern coastal areas on the PNW and often does not effectively examine inland terrain. Using the local sea level history with LIDAR allows detailed ‘bare-earth’ visualizations to be generated and reveals hidden archaeological and paleo-coastal features. These features, such as inland paleo-beaches, can be remotely targeted from beneath the rainforest canopy for archaeological foot survey. LIDAR and GIS modeling techniques are up-and-coming in PNW archaeology. These technologies can decrease the time and effort spent doing fieldwork, and increase site identification rate.
This M.Sc. research aims to identify locations of highest potential for evidence of the Early to Middle Holocene archaeological record on Quadra Island, B.C. Quadra Island has experienced dramatic sea level regression over the past 14,000 years following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). These (now inland) paleo-shorelines represent key areas for archaeological prospecting.

Presentation by: Aex Lausanne, MSc student

Bio: Alex Lausanne is currently doing her M.Sc. in Geography (Geoarchaeology) at UVic with coastal archaeologists Daryl Fedje and Questin Mackie, as well as coastal geomorphologist, Ian Walker. Her research is in collaboration with the Hakai Research Institute and is part of the five-year Discovery Islands Landscape Archaeology (DILA) project. Alex also curates a blog for the journal BC Studies (http://bcstudies.com/?q=blog) and will be working as a soil scientist assistant with the BC Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations studying the paleo-shorelines of Glacial Lake Fraser, Prince George region, for a summer co-op placement.

UPCOMING
May Lecture
Adrian Sanders
Interior-Coast Salishan Mobility, Territoriality, and Interaction:
A Lower St’at’imc Perspective
Tuesday, May 17th, 7:30

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