SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN—CBC News reports that four petroglyphs have been discovered on four stones along the path to the bison jump in southwestern Canada’s Wanuskewin Heritage Park by archaeologist and park founder Ernie Walker. First Nations people are thought to have gathered in the region for more than 6,000 years, he explained. One of the four stones, weighing approximately 500 pounds, was carved with lines mimicking a bison’s ribs and a figure with a triangular head, horns, an oblong body, and a tail. A stone knife was found next to it. “There’s no question about association,” Walker said. “I measured the width of the cutting edge and it’s exactly the same width of the groove on the rock.” The other petroglyphs include a 750-pound stone carved with grid patterns. Walker added that when bison were recently reintroduced to the park, their activity turned up the soil, revealing the top of the rib stone, which can be associated with bison kill sites. He thinks the carvings were created before European contact. To read about ancient clam gardens made by Indigenous people on the shore of Quadra Island, go to "World Roundup: Canada."
