A Canadian First: Radiocarbon Database OnlineHull, Quebec, May 11, 1999 — Following more than two-and-a-half years of careful research through stacks of reports and publications on Canada's archaeology, Dr. Richard E. Morlan of the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC), in association with the Canadian Archaeological Association (CAA), has just published The Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database (CARD) — a unique, fully searchable Web resource.
The CARD is a compilation of radiocarbon measurements that indicate the ages of archaeological and vertebrate palaeontological sites in Canada. With the assistance of Luke Dalla Bona, Webmaster for the Canadian Archaeological Association Web site, Dr. Morlan took advantage of the powerful search and cross-referencing capabilities of modern electronic technologies. Designed for specialists and non-specialists alike, the CARD includes a wealth of information on the nearly 7,000 radiocarbon age determinations documented by Dr. Morlan, as well as general information on radiocarbon dating.
Anyone can access the CARD Web page through the Canadian Archaeological Association site at http://www.canadianarchaeology.com and run searches as complex or as simple as desired. The search page is designed for ease of use and enables searches by culture, province, region, time period, Borden number, lab number and other fields. For the uninitiated, there are hints on how to fill in the various fields, and separate sections offer valuable information on the mechanics and purposes of radiocarbon dating in language that is easy to understand. Additional sources — including books, journals and related Web sites — are also listed.
"This unusually rich database contributes to fulfilling the promise of the World Wide Web as a source of up-to-date, quality information," says Joe Geurts, Acting President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. "We are pleased to be associated with this valuable new tool through Dr. Morlan, and we know it will be of inestimable value to our own research staff."
This product of collaboration between the CMC and the CAA is destined to become an important research tool for anyone with an interest in archaeology and radiocarbon dating. In its electronic form, it is also easy to update and will grow as new information is received from researchers. Representing a tremendous new resource for specialists and non-specialists alike, the CARD makes it easier than ever to gather information on Canada's rich archaeological past.
Dr. Richard E. Morlan Receives Yukon Beringia Research Award
On April 29, 1999 in Whitehorse, during the 32nd annual meeting of the Canadian Archaeological Association, Dr. Richard E. Morlan was presented with a Beringia Research Award from the Yukon Government. The Award is given for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the Beringian landscape and the human history of Yukon Beringia. Dr. Morlan is former Yukon Archaeologist and current Curator of Palaeoenvironmental Studies with the Archaeological Survey of Canada at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. He was a leader of the Yukon Beringian Refugium Project sponsored by the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Geological Survey of Canada and the University of Alberta in the late l970s and early l980s.
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