The Best Archaological Sites to visit in Canada

Submitted by Andy B on Thursday, 23 March 2017 Page Views: 12417

Pre-ContactCountry: Canada

If you're looking to explore some of Canada's most interesting archaeology, then here's our guide to the best sites to spend your time visiting. There are dozens of major archaeological sites and thousands of lesser known ones to visit.

L'anse-Aux-Meadows

The eastern coast of Canada has a long and storied past. From the settlers who forged a new life in a new world to the native residents who foraged the land for thousands of years, there's a lot of archaeological interest in this part of Canada. L’anse Aux-Meadows is well known for being the only Norse settlement in all of North America. Archaeologists date this settlement as being roughly 1000 years old, and it wasn't discovered until 50 years ago. Here, you'll find a variety of Norse/Viking artefacts, boats, tools and other interesting things to see.

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, Alberta

Nestled in the prairies of southern Alberta, Stone Provincial Park has plenty of interesting ancient history. It is here that you'll find some of the most abundant groupings of ancient rock art in all of North America. After intensive study by archaeologists, it is thought that this area has been consistently inhabited for close to 10,000 years: long before you needed an to make an ETA application for travel authorization. You'll be able to tour the rock art sites as part of a guided tour, and the park offers plenty of camping, hiking and history workshops as well.

Several bed and breakfasts, hotels and museums can also be found within close proximity to Stone Provincial Park.

Petroglyphs Provincial Park, Ontario

In Ontario, the Petroglyphs Provincial Park houses the largest collection of petroglyphs and rock carvings in the entire province. The site was rediscovered in the 1950s, and is now protected as a National Historic Site. You won't have to hike through mud and forests to find the rock carvings, though - they are mostly found in one central location and a modern museum-like building encloses them. Take a good look, however: in respect for the spiritual beliefs of the First Nations people, photography of the petroglyphs is not permitted.

Lucy Islands

Off the coast of northern British Columbia, the Lucy Islands have some of the oldest archaeological sites on the western coast, human occupation has been traced back to 5,000 years ago at the site. Among the finds are houses, burial remains and ancient landfills (called middens). More recent inhabitants of the island became fishermen and lighthouse keepers, but the islands today are effectively uninhabited. You'll also be able to take a peek at the old lighthouse on the islands, though.

See the Megalithic Portal's listings for many more ancient sites in Canada, we also have many hundreds of listings for the USA and the rest of North and South America.

Do you know of a Canadian archaeological site that haven't listed? Leave us a comment below and tell us about your favourite ones. This article was kindly sponsored by Canada ETA.

Contributor Bio for Andy B: Megalithic Portal Founding Editor.

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