Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump In Canada

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump In Canada 

Short Report

In the south-east of Alberta, the remains of marked trails and a aboriginal camp, and a leachate and water where huge quantities buffalo meat (American Bison) skeletons can be found, are evidence of a custom practiced by indigenous peoples of the North American plains for almost 6,000 years. With their excellent knowledge of the topography and buffalo behavior, they kill their prey by chasing them on a precipice; the carcases were later divided into the camp.

Testimonial of importance

The interpretation of the landscape of Head-Smashed -In Buffalo Jump is located in the cultural, archaeological and scientific interest. The deep layers of bison bones buried under the cliff represent nearly 6000 years of use of the buffalo jump by aboriginal people in the Northern plains. This landscape is an excellent illustration of subsistence hunting techniques that are still in the late 19th century, which is still part of the 'traditional knowledge base' of the Plains nations. It throws valuable light on the life and habits of traditional hunting cultures elsewhere in the world.

Wide Report

Located in south-west Alberta, Head-Smashed -In Buffalo Jump is one of the most important hunting sites identified. On the edge of a landscape of hills and highlands cut by natural corridors, high sandstone cliff dropping off in the east. This coastal area exemption is ideal to primitive methods of hunting. For thousands of years the indigenous people of the sand plains hunted the North American bison. The plains Indian lifestyle have become dependent on hunting buffalo, and they apply many hunting techniques for their livelihood. The most advanced technique developed by the indigenous population was to kill buffalo buffalo jump. Head-Smashed -In Buffalo Jump is one of the oldest and best preserved sites of this species and its extensive drive lane complex and deep archaeological guarantee still intact.

The site was used for the slaughter of bison from 3600 BC 2600 BC, than occasionally to 900 BC, and finally, continuously from AD 200 to 1850. For the first time in 1938, since 1960 has been the object of systematic excavations which have considerably enriched with the knowledge of prehistoric tools and weapons, and, above all, Transformed current views on the use of game as food and clothing and shelter. West of the rock is a large drainage basin 40 km2 in size. This is a natural grazing area with lots of water and mixed grass is still fresh in the fall. This natural grazing area attracted herds of buffalo late in the fall.

To start the hunt, 'buffalo runners', young men trained in animal behavior, to encourage them to follow the flock mimic the murmurings of a lost calf. If the buffalo closer to the drive lanes (long rows stone cairns were built in the hunters the buffalo to the cliff kill site), the hunters would circle behind and upwind of the herd and hunts the animals by shouting and waving robes. If the buffalo stampeded to the edge of the cliff, the animals in the front would try to stop but the enormous weight of the herd from pressing behind the buffalo in the cliff.

Under the cliff kill site are deep stratified deposits contain traces of use goes back to more than 5,700 years. These deposits are accumulated layers dirt, stone rubble and bones as loess. For thousands of years of use, the loess has accumulated to a depth of more than 11 m. Artifacts found in the kill site are bone, worn or broken stone utensils and resharpening flakes, thousands of stone points, dart and arrowheads. A few stone knives and choppers are found.

The flat part directly under the killing on the spot was where the hunters camped at other sites while they finished at least satisfy the buffalo. A few tipi rings, the stones used to anchor tipis against the wind, to see on the prairie. It was here that the meat was cut in thin strips and hung on racks to dry in the sun. Large leg were taken to the nutritious bone marrow and the numerous boiling pits dug by archaeologists in this area give this broken bones were also cooked to grease. Cooking was done by throwing red-hot rocks in hide-lined pits filled with water.

Head-Smashed -In Buffalo Jump is linked to the human survival during the prehistory and shows a custom practiced by the people of the North American plains for approximately 6,000 years. By its size, Head-Smashed -In Buffalo Jump outdistances largely similar sites discovered in the 19th century in Europe, such as the Solutré in France (slaughter of wild horses) or Vestonice in Czechoslovakia (slaughter of young mammoths).

Source:whc/unesco