South Eastern Alberta Archaeological Society

06/01/2026

Written by: RETROactive staff The RETROactive Live Alberta Heritage Speaker Series continues. Join us on Monday, June 8 for a discussion about the Okotoks Erratic. Click this registration link to s…

05/27/2026

ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL @ MEDALTA

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Dig into the past with our annual Archaeology Field School @ Medalta! Based in the heart of Medicine Hat’s Historic Clay District, this summer workshop is your chance to uncover real stories, artifacts, and the industrial heritage that shaped Canada’s ceramic legacy.

This excavation is especially important to us in 2026 as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, focusing on the legacy of Medalta. Jack Forbes, one of the original founders of the Friends of Medalta Society, had a hunch that a horse stable existed somewhere near the back of the factory and we believe we are truly fulfilling one of his life dreams to locate its exact position and bring its story to life.

Each week students will work alongside Archaeologist Dr. Talva Jacobson to continue the excavation of a historic stable used to shelter draft horses employed at Medalta Potteries sometime between 1912 and 1954. In 2025, over 100 artifacts were discovered!

Throughout this workshop, students will learn excavation techniques, site mapping, artifact washing, and interpretation. They will be taught how to engage in field methods using archaeological techniques to recover the material culture and to fully document the process of recovery, while learning how to take samples, record, analyse, and prepare resources for later study and preservation. Students are welcome to participate in all activities at the site and will be rotated daily (or weekly) so everyone has an opportunity to excavate, recover, document, or photograph units, as well as manage the field lab each day.

STUDENTS ARE WELCOME TO REGISTER FOR ONE, TWO, OR ALL THREE WEEKS.

ANYONE REGISTERED IN MULTIPLE WEEKS CAN CHOOSE TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES AND DEEPEN THEIR SKILLS THROUGH EXPANDED LAB WORK AND PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITIES.

Dates: July 6-10, July 13 – 17, July 20 – 24
Length: Choose from 1, 2, or all 3 weeks
Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm daily (please arrive by 8:45 AM)
Ages: 16+
Investment: $375/week (multi-week discounts available)

Lunch: Bring your own; However, snacks and water will be provided
Lodging: Participants must arrange their accommodations and travel to site
Swag: Students receive custom water bottles, hats, and certificate of completion

Archaeology Field School @ Medalta is back! Unearth real stories, artifacts, and industrial heritage that helped shaped Canada

04/30/2026

The Archaeological Society of Alberta runs because of incredible volunteers, and we're looking for our next one!

We're seeking a Volunteer Executive Secretary for the ASA Board of Directors. This is a wonderful opportunity to use your organizational skills and passion for Alberta's past!

What you'll do:
- Organize biannual Executive Meetings and AGM
- Take and file meeting minutes
- Communications with all six ASA centres and the provincial coordinator.
- Keep records organized via Dropbox
- Collating a year-end report

Time commitment: 5 hrs/month plus 10-15 hours per AGM preparation and 5 hours for registry reporting.

You must be a centre ASA member in good standing.

This position is elected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

AGM Information
Date / Time: Saturday, May 9 / 3:30 pm
Location: Canmore, AB
Venue: Coast Canmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Cougar/Grizzly Room

Please contact [email protected] if you are interested or want more information.

04/30/2026

Written by: Todd Kristensen, Archaeological Survey of Alberta and Robert Gustas The Archaeological Survey of Alberta is pleased to kick-off Occasional Paper Series No. 44 with its first six article…

04/15/2026

📣 SEAAS Meeting Tonight – Everyone Welcome!

Join us tonight at 7:00 PM for the South Eastern Alberta Archaeological Society’s monthly meeting!

📍 Location: Crowfoot Room, Medicine Hat College
💻 Also on Zoom (email [email protected] for link)

🗿 Guest Speaker: Mary Kate Kelly, Ph.D. - 3D modelling and Mayan Hieroglyphics

👕 Merch Pickup:
If you ordered SEAAS t-shirts or hoodies, Lorraine will have them available at the meeting.

Whether you're a long-time member or just curious about archaeology, this is a great chance to connect, learn, and be part of the community.

Speaker bio:

Mary Kate Kelly is a Maya epigrapher, and her main research focuses on the linguistic anthropology/historical linguistics of ancient Maya texts. And her recent work has focused on 3D modelling of ancient Maya carved artifacts - stelae, portable objects like vessels and carved jade.

Presentation abstract:

New discoveries of ancient Maya hieroglyphic texts are constantly changing our understanding of the long-ago history of the Maya area, encompassing what is today the Yucatán peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras and El Salvador. In this presentation, I will detail my work on one of these newly discovered texts: Stela 51 from the archaeological site of El Perú-Waka' (henceforth Waka') located in northwestern Guatemala. In 2019, the bottom fragment of a stela was discovered in tunneling efforts inside a ritually significant structure at the site. The bottom fragment included the inscription's date, 435 AD, a befuddling list of names, and many eroded glyph blocks. Luckily, the better preserved top portion of the monument was also found, excavated in 2021 and 2022, which narrates the relationships forged in the late 4th and early 5th centuries between Maya cities and the central Mexican people of Teotihuacan. We'll explore the archaeological context in which this monument was discovered, discuss the historical narrative engraved in the stone, and explore the relevance to Maya peoples of the past and of today.

https://arkyalberta.com/about/events/seaas/speaker-series-3d-modelling-and-mayan-heiroglyphics

Archaeological Society of Alberta
Tourism Medicine Hat
Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre

SEAAS Speaker Series: 3D modelling and Mayan Heiroglyphics Apr 15, 2026       7pm Medicine Hat College - Crowfoot Room Speaker: Mary Kate KellyAbstract to come.Mary Kate is a Maya epigrapher, and her main research focuses on the linguistic anthropology/historical linguistics of ancient Maya tex...