Experience Archaeology in Action at Bodo!
Why Go?
See an exciting line-up of summer adventures and programs for all ages including daily guided tours of the site and centre where you can visit an active archaeological excavation, get hands-on learning experiences, and try and get a bullseye with an atlatl! Other summer programs include day or overnight curriculum-based school trips for classes of any size, kids’ day camps with craft and experiential learning, and for anyone 16+ participate in the fieldwork or in-lab artifact cataloguing of an active archaeological project.The Bodo Archaeological Site & Centre displays and collections that highlight Indigenous history and culture of the Great Plains. This includes viewing one of the largest and best- preserved sites in Western Canada, with visitors able to see current work undertaken to understand buffalo (bison) hunting practices that dominated the grasslands since time immemorial. Thousands of artifacts including bison bones, pottery, stone tools, and arrowheads have been discovered at this site, with many incorporated into informative displays at the interpretive centre.
Join an excavation and experience archaeology first-hand in East Central Alberta this summer! Book a tour today at the Bodo Archaeological Site & Centre or drop in any time; open Tuesday through Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday & Sunday 10am – 3pm.
What’s Unique?
The Bodo Archaeological Site and Center has been Alberta’s longest running community/public archaeology program, with anyone regardless of training or skill can participate in an active archaeological investigation since 2011. The Bodo site is one of the largest and best-preserved sites in western Canada, due to the sand that makes up the underlaying geology of the region. This has resulted not only in excellent preservation of bones and other fragile materials but has also meant that the area is best suited for cattle grazing rather than crop agriculture. Because of this, a greater amount of archaeological evidence has been preserved and there is an abundance of native prairie grassland plants that can be seen in their guided plant walks (mild elevation gain).The Hamlet of Bodo has a population of less than 30 people and even fewer buildings, meaning that there is next to no light pollution. Come out on a clear night and be guaranteed spectacular views of constellations, the Milky Way, meteors, and maybe even the Northern Lights!
What’s Offered?
Daily drop-in tours, either guided (1.5 – 2.5hrs) which takes you through the interpretive centre and to the active archaeological site of excavation, where you can see bison bones still in the ground, or self-guided (interpretive centre only).Add-ons to the guided tours:
– Bison Rubbing Stone: A 45+ minute drive to see a glacial erratic that was used for thousands of years of wild bison as a rubbing stone.
– Overlook Hill/Plant Walk: A 1.5hr guided hike to the top of the tallest hill (mild elevation gain) in the immediate area, which gives an amazing advantage view of the surrounding area. Guides will also point out seasonal native plants species that still thrive in the area.
– Watering holes and sand-dunes: A 30min visit to blowing sand dunes that look straight out of a desert. Along with that, visit a naturally occurring-but-human-modified watering hole that holds water in all but the driest of conditions that would have been utilized by humans and animals for thousands of years.
PRE-REGISTER
– Half or overnight school fieldtrips that follow current Alberta curriculum for hands-on experiential learning.
– Kids day camps, adult dig camps, artifact cataloguing, and more!
The Bodo Archaeological Centre and Site is located 3 hours east of Edmonton and 15 minutes south of Provost on Hwy 899.