THE WILD PEOPLE
Episode 1.1
Indigenous archaeologist Dr. Rudy Reimer meets co-hosts, Jenifer and Jacob, at his lab at S.F.U., where he outlines their first mission: to explore the southern B.C. alpine to learn about Squamish oral tradition and search for ancient artifacts from Rudy’s ancestral territory: home of the Wild People or Smaylilh. Jacob and Jen take a crash course in archaeological survey but which one of them will make the first big find?
The Mountain Goat Hunters
XRF: X-Ray Fluorescence
XRF shoots X-rays or gamma rays at a rock sample to disrupt the atoms in it, releasing electrons and making different radiation “fluoresce” from it.
Reading the DNA of Stones
XRF reveals a chemical or elemental signature of the sample, like the DNA of the rock. We can then trace the source by comparing it to known signatures from other locations.
Ancient Microblade Technology
Microblades were small conical or wedge-shaped fragments of stone that were used to create barbed spears and other tools and weapons. Lightweight and easier to replace than large points, they were perfect for early migrating hunters. The obsidian microblades the team finds on their alpine trek are unique because of the type of stone they are made of.
– Dr. Rudy Reimer