Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump - a photo on Flickriver

            I ncomposed this image while on a road trip through Southern Alberta. It pictures Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump  which is located where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains begin to rise from the prairie 18 km west of Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home of a museum of Blackfoot Culture.

The buffalo jump was used for 5,500 years by the indigenous peoples of the plains to kill bison by driving them off the 11 metres  high cliff. Before the late introduction of horses, the Blackfoot drove the bison from a grazing area in the Porcupine Hills about 3 kilometres west of the site to the "drive lanes", lined by hundreds of cairns, by dressing up as coyotes and wolves. These specialized "buffalo runners" were young men trained in animal behavior to guide the bison into the drive lanes. Then, at full gallop, the bison would fall from the weight of the herd pressing behind them, breaking their legs and rendering them immobile. 

The cliff itself is about 300 metres  long, and at its highest point drops 10 metres  into the valley below. The site was in use at least 6,000 years ago, and the bone deposits are 12 metres  deep. After falling off the cliff, the injured bison were finished off by other Blackfoot warriors at the cliff base armed with spears and clubs. The carcasses were then processed at a nearby camp. The camp at the foot of the cliffs provided the people with everything they needed to process a bison carcass, including fresh water. 

The bison carcass was used for a variety of purposes, from tools made from the bone, to the hide used to make dwellings and clothing. The importance of the site goes beyond just providing food and supplies. After a successful hunt, the wealth of food allowed the people to enjoy leisure time and pursue artistic and spiritual interests. This increased the cultural complexity of the society.

In Blackfoot, the name for the site is Estipah-skikikini-kots. According to legend, a young Blackfoot wanted to watch the bison plunge off the cliff from below, but was buried underneath the falling animals. He was later found dead under the pile of carcasses, where he had his head smashed in.[

Taken in: Canada / Alberta / Judson (show map)

Taken on: October 17, 2018

Tags:

Alberta

Road Trips

UNESCO

History

Culture

Indigenous

Buffalo « less

Sets appears in: • Culture • History more » • Walls • Road Trips • Canada • Travels • Landscapes « less

Groups appears in: • Photography • Canadian Beauty more » • Art of Photography - The Eye of the Beholder! • Canada • Travel Photography • Landscape Photos • Creative Photography • Flickritis: over 87,000 waiting for a vaccine. • History is All Around Us • Landscapes 101 (Unlimited) • Awesome Nature • Canada Landscapes • Nature Heals the Soul • *Inspirational Travel Photos • Landscapes Digital Photo • Nature and Photography • Landscape Junkies • Your Best Photography • Nature...Anything Goes • Landscapes of the World • NATURE ♥ unlimited ♥ (Public Group Forever) • nature's composition • The World of Travel • BEST Landscapes • Capture Nature / No human elements / No zoo or people shots • Travel and Escapades • Travelling Lens • Landscape Beauty ! • Fascination and love of life • ***Flickr Global • Nature of the World Unlimited (9000+ Invite your friends!) • Travel - Around the World • WORLD TRAVEL : Your traveling experience (50 photos@day) • "Beauty will save the world" (Dostoevskji) • Travel Experiences (Worldwide) • ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY & WORLD THROUGH SERIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS EYES • Landscape Photography Magazine • Nature Canada • Travelling Pixels • *Mágico Mundo Natural * Magical Natural World * • Landscapes Only • Travel Photography - Through the eyes of the world • Nature and all that is beautiful • Landscapes ★ • NATURE'S KALEIDOSCOPE P1 X A1 • Photo Artistry • * no limits, just quality photography! « less

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, f/18.0, 1/50 sec, 70mm, ISO 320 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Lens:	EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Aperture:	f/18.0
Exposure Time:	0.02 sec (1/50)
Focal Length:	70mm
ISO:	320
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Manual
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.2 (Macintosh)
Show full info

Stats: 931 views / 25 comments