The provincial government has established a program for Albertans to report discoveries of valuable historic resources unearthed by the 2013 floods.
The Report a Find program was announced this week recognizing that the severe flooding experienced in Southern Alberta two years ago exposed previously unknown archaeological and paleontological sites.
Through it, Albertans can report the location and details of their discoveries to Alberta Culture and Tourism experts.
“The artifacts and fossils uncovered by flooding in southern Alberta in 2013 are an important part of the historical record and help bring our past to life,” said Culture and Tourism Minister David Eggen. “The Report a Find program will allow Albertans to have their discoveries verified by archaeologists and paleontologists and help us to conserve these valuable resources for the benefit of all Albertans today and into the future.”
A number of important finds have already been reported by the public, including the remains of an ancient buffalo jump along the Bow River southeast of Calgary and a fossil dinosaur skull, neck and chest found by anglers in the Castle River.
Banff Sign Co. owner Larry Whan knows first hand that the 2013 flood waters exposed bones and fossils from the past.
Whan found a bison skull along the Crownest River near property he owns there and a rock with a fern fossil on it. It is an area that archaeologists are interested in, with the University of Lethbridge recently asking permission to explore his property.
He is not sure how long the bison skull has been there, but Whan said it is definitely old.
“It was far enough down in the bank that it probably had 40 or 50 feet of dirt on top of it, so that is what makes me think it has been there for a while,” Whan said.
The program can be accessed by visiting the website or calling 780-438-8506 and providing information on what the object is that was found, a picture of it, the location it was found and personal information is optional.
Throughout the summer, archaeologists and paleontologists will be exploring along river banks and areas impacted by flooding in an effort to identify, preserve and protect these archaeological and paleontological treasures.
