Archaeology in Canada
This learning tool is an introduction to the basics of archaeology. It includes practical information on what archaeology is and how we use it, and activities to help us understand how it enhances our historical knowledge, influences our perceptions of history, and shapes historical narratives.
Learning about archaeology can help students appreciate how important and complex the process of uncovering historical sites can be. Archaeology is more than digging up an artifact; it is interpreting the artifact’s use and connecting it to the bigger picture. Archaeology can help support or disprove historical narratives. It can also play a role in supporting histories that have been disregarded, purposefully forgotten, or misconstrued. This is particularly important in Canada, where Indigenous experiences and oral histories have often been ignored. Along with biased colonial narratives, this willful exclusion has long obstructed our education on many aspects of Canadian history.