{{Short description|Mountain ridge in the country of Canada}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Artifact Ridge | image = | image_caption = | elevation_m = 2086 | elevation_ref = <ref name="KF">Elevation and coordinates derived from [[Google Earth]].</ref> | country=[[Canada]] | region_type = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Province]] | region = [[British Columbia]] | district = [[Cassiar Land District]]<ref name="BCGN">{{BCGNIS|9265|Artifact Ridge}}</ref> | range = [[Tahltan Highland]]<ref>{{cite map|url=https://volcano.si.edu/maps/GVAlaskaCanada/G910509-006.jpg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502071600/https://volcano.si.edu/maps/GVAlaskaCanada/G910509-006.jpg|title=Telegraph Creek, Cassiar Land District, British Columbia|scale=1:250,000|series=104 G|map=A 502|edition=3|type=Topographic map|publisher=[[Department of Energy, Mines and Resources]]|year=1989|language=en,fr|access-date=2021-09-25|archive-date=2021-05-02}}</ref> | map = Canada British Columbia | map_caption = Location in British Columbia | label_position = below | coordinates = {{coord|57|27|54.61|N|130|32|50.31|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref= <ref name="KF"/> | topo_maker = [[National Topographic System|NTS]] | topo_map = {{Canada NTS Map Sheet|104|G|7}}<ref name="BCGN"/> | type = | age = | last_eruption = | first_ascent = | easiest_route = }} '''Artifact Ridge''' is a [[mountain]] [[ridge]] extending southeast from the eastern side of the [[Mount Edziza volcanic complex]] in northwestern [[British Columbia]], Canada. It is bounded on the north by [[Bourgeaux Creek]] valley, on the south by [[Artifact Creek]] valley, on the east by the [[Little Iskut River]] valley and on the west by the [[Kitsu Plateau]].<ref name="Souther">{{cite map|last1=Souther|first1=J. G.|author-link1=Jack Souther|title=Geology, Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia|map=1623A|scale=1:50,000|type=[[Geological map]]|cartography=M. Sigouin, [[Geological Survey of Canada]]|publisher=[[Energy, Mines and Resources Canada]]|year=1988|language=en|doi=10.4095/133498|doi-access=free}}</ref> The ridge is at the southeastern end of [[Mount Edziza Provincial Park]] and gets its name from the [[knapping]] of [[Edziza obsidian|obsidian]] tools and points by early [[Tahltan]] hunters.<ref name="BCGN"/> [[Destell Pass]] cuts north–south through the westernmost end of Artifact Ridge.<ref name="Souther"/>
==Geology== The base of Artifact Ridge is covered with glacial, [[scree|talus]] and landslide deposits. The oldest exposed rocks are of [[Mesozoic]] or [[Paleozoic]] age and are overlain by [[Miocene]] [[alkali basalt]] flows of the [[Raspberry Formation]]. The Raspberry rocks are overlain by quenched, [[hydrothermally altered]] and highly fractured Miocene [[trachybasalt]] which comprise the lower subaqueous [[facies]] of the [[Little Iskut Formation]]. Overlying these rocks are Miocene trachybasaltic lava flows and flow [[breccia]] comprising the upper subaerial facies of the Little Iskut Formation.<ref name="Souther"/>
The Little Iskut rocks are overlain by Miocene [[comendite]] or [[trachyte]] lava flows and [[lava dome|domes]] of the Armadillo Formation which are in turn overlain by [[Pliocene]] alkali basalt of the Kounugu Member of the [[Nido Formation]]. The youngest and uppermost rocks comprising Artifact Ridge are Pliocene alkali basalt flows of the Kitsu Member of the Spectrum Formation which are [[interbedded]] with [[fluvial]] gravel and [[paleosol]]s.<ref name="Souther"/>
==See also== *[[Volcanism of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{cite cgndb|id=JAQLJ|title=Artifact Ridge}}
{{Mount Edziza volcanic complex}}
[[Category:Ridges of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex]] [[Category:Miocene British Columbia]] [[Category:Pliocene British Columbia]]