'The perfect trap': Archeologist reflects on decades at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Archaeologist Robert Dawe with a buffalo skull at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site near Fort Macleod, Alta., Wednesday, May 27, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

HEAD-SMASHED-IN BUFFALO JUMP — Renowned Alberta archeologist Bob Dawe has stood at this spot, near the windy, windswept craggy sandstone cliff of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southern Alberta, thousands of times during his career.

But his mind always goes back to what it was like at the site of what was basically an early abattoir for thousands of years.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is about 150 kilometres south of Calgary. The silver ribbon of the Oldman River, an integral water source for the Blackfoot people, is just a couple of kilometres away.

The jump was used for thousands of years by Indigenous people to channel bison herds and send the animals stampeding over an 11-metre-high cliff to be killed and harvested.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve stood up here and imagined what it would be like with the cascading animals falling and the frantic effort to deal with the mass of struggling animals and people trying to harvest them and kill them and process them,” said Dawe in an interview with The Canadian Press.

“I can’t help but see that in my mind’s eye when I come up here. It’s so quiet now and so innocent.”

Dawe, who was on his way to receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Lethbridge, started excavating the site in 1983 — at first as part of an eight-year project and then over the years helping with the interpretive centre and working with the University of Alberta.

Dawe estimates that Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump had been used by Indigenous people for about 7,500 years and maybe longer.

He said the location provided by Mother Nature couldn’t have been better to direct buffalo herds from a valley from the west down toward the cliff.

“You’re in a herd of buffalo and you’re being pushed along by three or four of your hairy friends behind you, so as you get to the cliff you can’t see where the edge of it is. It just looks like a continuous field,” he said.

“You’re running along on firm ground and the next thing you know, you’re airborne and you’re dead.”

He called it “the perfect trap” for killing buffalo, adding that “an architect wouldn’t draw up a better plan.”

UNESCO World Heritage Site

It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It also recently received a slight tourism boost in January after a shout-out on the Golden Globe-winning TV medical drama “The Pitt.”

In it, Dr. Michael (Robby) Robinavitch, played by actor Noah Wyle, announces he’s going on sabbatical to the landmark in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

The Head-Smashed-In interpretive centre of cascading floors built into the sandstone cliff explores Blackfoot culture, local ecology and archeological finds, and leads visitors to a clifftop trail.

Dawe said the 11-metre fall was probably much higher thousands of years ago but a buildup of bones below could go down dozens of metres.

Below the cliff is a noticeable indentation into the earth that dates back to 1920 at what essentially became a bone quarry.

“It got hauled away in 1920 and the bone, I guess, was still good. It was lying on the surface,” he said.

“It looks like someone took an ice cream scoop and just scooped out a big chunk.”

Dawe said the bone was sent to the eastern United States for use as a whitening agent for use with cane sugar.

Dawe said more excavation in an untouched area will begin soon. He said there are too many questions remaining to be answered, including exactly how many buffalo would jettison off the cliff at any time and if it was in use for more than 7,500 years.

“We don’t know for sure but we think there had to be a few hundred in order to get the critical mass to push the lead ones off.”

The annual hunt

Dawe said everyone had a role to play when the annual hunt would begin in late summer and early fall. He said it would have been difficult to watch. He said the full-grown buffalo could weigh up to 900 kilograms and could be dangerous.

“It must have been horrific ... the dirt, the screaming of the animals, the exhilaration of the people, the dust, the mayhem. It would not have been pretty,” Dawe said.

“It’s brutal but fantastic. And for the benefactors, the success of the jump, can you imagine the joy they would have seeing the herd of buffalo falling and ensuring the survival of their group for at least another year? It’s like money in the bank.”

Dawe, who began his career in 1979, has visited many archeological sites during this career throughout Alberta and also across the Arctic from Alaska to Baffin Island, in Ontario and even China. He said he has a soft spot for this one.

“It’s like a second home to me,” he said.

“I’m fascinated by any questions. People are amazing animals to study.”

The University of Lethbridge awarded Dawe a doctor of laws for his work.

“Robert Dawe’s dedication to uncovering Alberta’s rich history is only matched by his commitment to engaging the public and educating how important it is to preserve our past,” said Terry Whitehead, the university’s chancellor.

“His integral work with Indigenous communities has opened a window into history and emboldened Indigenous voices to embrace the interpretive process, benefiting all Albertans.”

Dawe said he visualizes what the valley would have looked like thousands of years ago.

“There would have been hides staked out on the ground, people scraping them to make hides to either make clothing or teepee covers. There would have been kids running around with their little toy bows and arrows chasing after the gophers,” he said.

“There would have been old people sitting around and having ceremonies and sharing the joy of the event.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2026.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press