Whenever I think about large rocks on our Canadian prairies, I often think about the Okotoks (meaning rock in Blackfoot) erratic near Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. It is part of a train of rocks deposited by the last glaciers stretching 650 kilometres (400 miles) from Hinton, Alberta, down along the eastern slopes to northern Montana, USA.
Many other glacial erratics of various sizes are present along Alberta’s Front Range. Calgary has an abundance of them. For more information on these erratics, see “The Glacial Erratics of Calgary – Ice Age Mementos”, written by Dave Slaght. 1
As spectacular as these large boulders are, there is nothing mysterious about them. Although there are stories…
Ribstones: The Mysterious Pecked and Grooved Rocks of the Canadian Parklands and Prairies
Some of the largest single-piece artifacts found on the Canadian Prairies are the most mysterious. 2
These boulders, referred to as Ribstones, occur mostly in central Alberta but occasionally in southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and northern Montana.
There is a lot of speculation about the history of these stones, but nothing definitive. Here’s what we don’t know about them:
- When were they made?
- How long were they used?
- Who made them?
- Where were they made?
- How were they made?
- Why were they made?
There are very few historical accounts of how Indigenous Peoples made and used these objects, although they were most likely of spiritual significance. When I took the Blackfoot elders out to view the Viking ribstones, they had no answers or any oral accounts about them.
James R. Murie, a Pawnee ethnologist, told of a buffalo-calling ritual among the Pawnee South Bands who used a stone buffalo found on the plains, surrounded by a circle of buffalo skulls.
According to Cree, Solomon Bluehorn, Little Pine Reserve, Saskatchewan, ribstones were the Guardian Spirit of the Buffalo. 4
The other problem archaeologists face when investigating the ribstones is context. By this, I mean their lack of association with other archaeological features and remains. We have rarely extensively excavated near one of these ribstones to find other artifacts that perhaps might tell us more about them. Glass trade beads were present near one of them (Endiang Ribstone). Archaeologists found evidence dating back over 8,000 years at another ribstone. At the Pine Coulee ribstone, a Besant projectile point found on the ground surface suggests a date of approximately 2,500 to 1,350 years ago.
If there is any direct association between the ribstones and these artifacts (and that remains the big question), then they were made and/or used by Indigenous people for thousands of years into the historic period (first arrival of European trade goods) in Alberta. 5
“For ages the tribes of Blackfoot and Cree have gathered their clans to pay homage to this wonderful manitou [Ironcreek Meteorite].” (Methodist Missionary, John McDougall 1888, brackets mine)
There is a high concentration of ribstones in central Alberta. Because of our limited knowledge of these objects, we currently have no sound evidence for why this high concentration occurs here. Ideas and theories abound, but proof does not. Certainly, suitable large quartzite boulders are necessary to construct a ribstone, and do abound in this very hummocky terrain. But their distribution is not limited to central Alberta alone.
High hills are also necessary (this area of Alberta possesses many) since most of these ribstones were placed on top of them. However, there are many other spots in Alberta that have high, very visible hills suitable for placing the ribstones on.
If the ribstones were intended as a talisman to pray for the successful bison hunt, then presumably the hunt must be relatively close by. During certain times of the year, large herds of bison roamed the parklands of Alberta. Their presence drew prehistoric hunters into these areas for food. One of the most prevalent ways of Indigenous communal hunting was the buffalo jump and the buffalo pound.
Both the buffalo jump and the buffalo pound worked best in steep-cliffed and hilly terrain. According to early explorers (David Thompson, Peter Fidler, Alexander Henry, and Duncan M’Gillivray), bison pounding was a major industry in the parklands and parklands-prairie transition zone of the prairie provinces. 7 These communal hunts had prehistoric origins.
Indigenous Spiritual Connections with the ‘Grandfather Stones’ Persist
Fedirchuk and McCullough interviewed Cree Elder, Fred Fiddler, who told them that the Cree still placed offerings of tobacco at the ‘grandfather stones’ on the Frog Lake Reserve in Alberta, Canada.
I met Fred several times during my tenure with the Government of Alberta. On one occasion, when a certain oil company wanted to drill on the Frog Lake Reserve, Fred took us to a spot on the reserve and pointed to a large boulder. He made it quite clear to the Company executives not to touch that rock. It was probably one of the Grandfather Stones he had mentioned to the archaeological consultants (who were Fedirchuk and McCullough).
Despite the church’s and the Government of Canada’s brutal efforts to suppress Indigenous traditional culture in Canada, not all was lost.
My History with the Viking Ribstones
My relationship with the Viking Ribstones, the only ribstones still in their original locations (more or less), goes back many years. As Parkland archaeologist for Alberta, I was responsible for the protection of these valuable artifacts from vandalism and theft. This was not always easy. On numerous occasions, I was called out by Beaver County Bylaw officers only to find that that someone had rolled all of the smaller stones down the hill, and the smaller of the two ribstones had moved.
The Viking Ribstones almost became the ‘Rolling Stones’. We were afraid of losing them.
To prevent possible theft and further vandalism, the Government of Alberta, in consultation with Cree elders, constructed a fence immediately around the Viking ribstones and a larger perimeter fence depicting the colours of the cardinal directions of the Cree (seen in the background). All the smaller stones are no longer in their original positions.
No one knows exactly how the cupules and grooves on the ribstones were carved. My closer inspection of both, and my recent research, making a grooved quartzite maul, suggests that the cupules were pecked (showing a coarse rough surface) and the grooves were ground or somehow polished (showing a very smooth surface).
The time and effort required to fashion these ribstones was considerable. This process was likely not a single event. However, there’s only one way to learn more about how these objects were made:
It’s time to carve a quartzite ribstone!
Over the years I have visited the Viking Ribstones with Cree and Blackfoot elders, teachers, historians and writers. Each time I visit, I notice more offerings and prayer flags tied to the metal fence railings and surrounding trees. The ribstones have once again become a place of spiritual gathering.
On the trees behind the ribstones, my prayer flag along with many others, flutters in the breeze. On that occasion, I prayed that these truly unique, precious objects would be protected from theft and vandalism, and that all visitors would respect their history.
- https://traveltalesoflife.com/the-glacial-erratics-of-calgary-ice-age-mementos/[↩]
- An artifact is anything fashioned by humans from various materials.[↩]
- https://grokipedia.com/page/ribstone[↩]
- from H. M. Wormington and R. G. Forbis. 1965. An Introduction to Archaeology in Alberta, Canada. Denver of Natural History Proceedings.[↩]
- European trade goods likely arrived in Alberta with the establishment of fur trade post on Hudson Bay by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the 1680s[↩]
- https://digitallibrary.uleth.ca/digital/collection/aar/id/451/rec/3[↩]
- A bison pound is a large corral made of various materials where bison are driven into by means of drive lanes and then slaughtered. It was a highly effective way of acquiring large amounts of meat.[↩]
- https://canehdianstories.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1692&action=edit[↩]
- https://heinsburg.ca/fiddler-fred[↩]
- https://www.beaver.ab.ca/tourism/heritage[↩]
- https://emberarchaeology.ca/alberta-top-10-archaeological-sites/[↩]
Thank you for the Mysterious Ribstone email. Very interesting. My tendency to quick scroll/skim through things was not in evidence as I did read every word.