About

Margarita de Guzman

Managing Director

Margarita has over 20 years of extensive archaeological experience and knowledge in all services related to historical resource consulting. She is an approved permit-holding archaeologist in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Margarita has managed many large-scale HRIAs and HRIMs throughout her consulting career and recorded numerous historic resource sites. Her experience includes field assessments and mitigations for projects ranging from small-scale oil and gas to Class I pipelines and Forestry Management Areas, as well as infrastructure, power, residential/industrial subdivisions, and other developments in the private and public sectors.

A graduate of the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and Durham University (UK), Margarita holds degrees in Archaeology and Economics. Her Master’s studies involved relational artifact analysis of three central European sites: Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Upon completing her studies, Margarita spent five years working in Europe on a variety of archaeology sites, including an Iron Age hillfort in Schwarzenbach, Austria, a complex Roman bath site in Grumentum, Italy and an Urartu fortress outside Yerevan, Armenia. Margarita also founded and co-directed the SVG Public Archaeology Program, a non-profit rescue excavation on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. With the help of a select team, she completed two seasons of public excavations.

Kristin McKay

Manager, BC Operations

Kristin has over 20 years of archaeological experience and is a qualified permit-holding archaeologist for BC (Interior Plateau and Sub-Arctic/Boreal Forest), Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and Northwest Territories. She has been responsible for all HRIA/AIA and HRIM work aspects for small to large-scale developments throughout these regions. Kristin has extensive experience in GIS, having earned an M.A. and M.Sc. applying GIS to archaeology; her master’s thesis focused on the creation of a 3D model of the Lucanian site of Roccagloriosa in southern Italy and the Lunt Roman Fort near Coventry, England. Kristin also worked as an archaeologist in England for several years and has developed archaeological management and predictive models for large-scale operations in northern Alberta.

Jode MacKay

Manager, Facilities & Safety + BC Technical Lead

Jode has over 20 years of archaeological experience, 13 of which have been spent in Alberta as a field archaeologist and site supervisor. He is a permit holder for the Interior Plateau in BC. Having worked in various sites throughout Alberta, BC, Ontario, Jordan and the Caribbean, he is highly knowledgeable in diverse archaeological assemblages. In 2011/2012, he had the opportunity to be Field Director for the SVG Public Archaeology Program on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. From May to November, he can be found at our seasonal office in Williams Lake, leading our BC team throughout the Cariboo and the Kootenays. He can’t be beaten when it comes to huffing it through the forest.

Erik Johannesson

Manager, AB Operations

Erik has over 20 years of archaeological experience and is a qualified permit holder in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Originally from Sweden, he has also lived in Denmark and the US, earning his Ph.D. in archaeology from UNC-Chapel Hill in North Carolina. Having worked in the American Southwest, Southeast, along the Atlantic Seaboard, as well as in Western Canada and the Arctic, Erik has comprehensive experience with all aspects of HRIA/HRIM, from minor to large-scale projects for oil & gas, transportation, urban developments, forestry, aggregate extraction, energy, and more. He has also conducted archaeological research in Mongolia, Russia, Crete, and Egypt’s Valley of the Kings and taught archaeology and anthropology at several universities in North America, including the University of Calgary here in Alberta. When he’s not doing archaeology, Erik likes gardening, collecting books, and Swedish heavy metal. Allegedly he doesn’t like cake, but we’re not convinced.

Trevor Peck

Manager, AB Operations (Forestry + Oil Sands)

Trevor is a leading archaeologist in Alberta, having published the latest and most comprehensive research on archaeology on the Plains (get it here!). Trevor has a Ph.D. from the University of Calgary and brings 17 years of regulatory experience to Circle. He has worked on numerous significant sites in Alberta. He plays a crucial role in mentorship and regulatory compliance, as well as leading large-scale HRIAs and excavations throughout the province. Fun fact: Trevor’s Blackfoot name is niokska iikimann (Three Feathers); he was honored with this name in 2014.

Matthew Moors

Senior Archaeologist

Matt brings two decades of experience to the Circle team, having worked in various environmental zones in Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. His Master’s research involved the analysis of distribution patterns of tipi rings and other sites near medicine wheels in southeast Alberta, and, notably, he led the excavations of the Hardisty Bison Pound and an associated campsite that was determined to be among the essential Avonlea sites on the Northern Plains. Matt has led over 1,000 square meters of excavations in Alberta and probably participated in 1,000 more. Fun fact: he doesn’t like winter archaeology. But who does?!

Shannon Wright

Project Archaeologist

Shannon is a permit holder in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories, with extensive field experience in both survey and excavation in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. She has also worked in Jordan and completed an M.Sc. in Archaeology with merit at the University of Edinburgh. Fun facts: she used to sell jade! She also enjoys knitting, reading and writing fantasy in her spare time.

Alexandra Burchill

Project Archaeologist

Alexandra began her consulting archaeology career in 2014. She is a permit-holder in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and has participated in HRIAs, HRIMs and large-scale mitigations. Alexandra also has experience conducting traditional land use assessments with First Nations and managing Indigenous consultation for provincially led developments. She obtained her Master in Environmental Studies from Lakehead University, focusing on determining the presence and absence of the Three Sisters (maize, beans, and squash) from Middle Woodland archaeological components in northern Minnesota. Alexandra enjoys reading and playing board games in her spare time, so she’s the perfect fit here. Fun fact: Alexandra assisted in excavations at the ancient city of Tel Beth-Shemesh in Israel.

Anthony Russell

Project Archaeologist

Anthony is originally from Vancouver and received his Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow in 2011. He has conducted fieldwork in Italy, Scotland and Canada, including BC, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. He is a permit holder for Alberta and holds an R-License for Ontario. Anthony would like to work at least once in the Yukon or Northwest Territories, as he believes he has a body designed for winter weather. His research interests include globalization, the Mediterranean Bronze Age, and the material culture components of identity formation. In his spare time, Anthony is a self-proclaimed sub-par gamer, a neophyte cider maker, a world-class cider consumer, and a fan of several failing sports franchises. He has two cats, one dog, and a bunch of fish. Fun fact: he has an irrational hatred of salad forks.

Amanda Wong

Manager of Technical Services, AB Project Administrator

Amanda is a GIS Specialist and field archaeologist with a BA from the University of Calgary; she has participated in excavations in Poland, Guatemala and the Yukon and joins our field crews in Alberta and BC (whenever we feel ready to absorb her office work!) hiking/sweating/digging/avoiding wasps with the best of them. She initially joined Circle as a GIS practicum student, but we’ve decided to keep her forever! Amanda quickly elevated from a GIS Assistant to, GIS Specialist, and now Technical Services Manager. She is a valuable asset to all our initiatives. Fun fact: She is always down for karaoke.

Kyle Belanger

Safety & Lab Coordinator

Kyle has over 20 years of archaeological experience in Alberta and Manitoba and extensive experience in archaeological survey and mitigation in various environmental zones: the Montane Cordillera, Boreal Forest, Plains, Parkland, and the Canadian Shield. Kyle holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Winnipeg and dabbled in paleontology. When he’s not busy studying past remains, Kyle spends his free time in the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies.

Meg Simper

Technical Coordinator, BC Project Administrator

Meg is an archaeologist with ten years of experience in CRM but now cozies up in our office full-time with all our reports, helping ensure they are the best they can be. She received her B.Sc. in Archaeology from the University of Calgary and has completed extensive archaeological surveys and mitigation in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories, as well as in the Caribbean on the islands of Antigua and St. Vincent. She prefers to spend time curled up with a good book or in the mountains, hiking, rock climbing or skiing and loves travelling or talking about travelling. A little-known fact about Meg, she was a competitive horse rider for ten years!

Erika Mountney

Indigenous & Resource Coordinator

Erika is a woman of many talents here at Circle. She received her B.A. in Archaeology from UBC Vancouver and her M.Litt. from the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland. Erika was lucky enough to start her archaeological career at a UNESCO World Heritage Site; since then, she has done archaeology in New Mexico, Utah, Alberta, British Columbia, and Scotland. Since joining the Cultural Resource management world, she has spent three years working in Scotland and six years in Alberta. In case you need more reasons to think Erika is fun, another fun fact (or two) is that she can make moccasins, macramé and anything and everything with a hot glue gun and glitter. She has also played and coached competitive rugby for 13 years!

Rebecca Kelly

GIS Technician, Assistant Project Coordinator

Rebecca is the newest member of our GIS Team but started as a field archaeologist. She received a BA (with Honors) in Archaeology from University College London and her M.Sc. in Early Prehistory from the University of York. Her Master’s thesis focused on fire’s role in the British Mesolithic. In addition to all that, she has a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BGIS) from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Her experience is highly varied (she would say patchy but varied experience is the spice of life!), having participated in excavations at Mesolithic sites in Yorkshire (UK), an Epipaleolithic site in Jordan, a Neanderthal site in Spain, a landscape survey in Italy, and a coastal site in BC. Her CRM experience is international, having worked in London, Yorkshire, New Brunswick, Alberta and BC. Fun fact about Rebecca: her first archaeology job was at the Museum of London in 2007, and between archaeology gigs, she has worked at a heli-skiing lodge and as a guide in Banff National Park. She likes landscape archaeology and mapping but, like many of us, really doesn’t like mosquitos.

Sydney Atkinson

GIS Technician, Assistant Project Coordinator

Sydney is an archaeologist and GIS specialist with a B.Sc. from the University of Lethbridge in Archaeology and Geography and a B.GIS from SAIT. She has participated in excavations and surveys across Alberta, BC and Israel, from the hottest to the coldest climates, and never once complained (at least not audibly!). Fun facts: Sydney has previously managed a coffee shop and is, therefore, a master barista; she is also a master baker AND has a side hustle! Check out Howl Candle Co here!

Ewald Van Rooyen

Field Director (BC Interior Plateau)

Ewald is an established archaeologist with over nine years of experience across western Canada, having participated in numerous surveys and excavations in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and New Brunswick. A graduate of the University of Calgary, Ewald is multi-lingual and multi-talented; he makes his soaps and is an avid woodworker. If you ever want to learn what it would be like to live as a Victorian, ask Ewald in English, German, or Afrikaans.

Tyler Statz

Supervising Archaeologist

Tyler is a supervising archaeologist with roots on Vancouver Island. Still, he has worked in various locations in western Canada, including mitigative excavations and survey work in southern and central Alberta, southeast Manitoba, and the Peace region of northeast British Columbia for the past five years. Tyler received his BA from the University of Victoria. He is a PADI-certified scuba diver, a “Magic the Gathering” competitive champion, a jazz musician, and a former soccer pro (ok, we use the word pro loosely). Tyler is working on his master’s in Heritage Resource Management at Simon Fraser University.

Grant Smith

Supervising Archaeologist

Grant is one of our supervising archaeologists and, more recently, our Assistant Lab Coordinator. Grant received his B.A. in Anthropology from Mount Royal University and his M.A. from Trent University. His Master’s research focused on examining ancient Maya populations’ relative health and diet through osteological and isotope analysis. Grant would lament that he wished he had some cool or unique archaeological experience in person, but we think his research is pretty cool!  Grant has been working in CRM for over two years, all of which have been here at Circle. A fun fact about Grant is he is a die-hard Calgary Flames fan, and during his undergraduate studies, he worked as an Ice Technician resurfacing skating and curling rinks (aka he was a Zamboni driver!).

Mackenzie Laliberte

Supervising Archaeologist

Mackenzie came to Circle as a summer field archaeologist, and we quickly realized how awesome he is! Mackenzie received is BSc in Archaeology and Geography from the University of Lethbridge in 2019 and has been with us since being elevated to Supervising Archaeologist last year. He did his field school in Israel, where he excavated many late Bronze Age artifacts and even befriended a toad he named Frank, who hung out with him for the entire month he was there. A fun fact about Mackenzie is he loves all animals, and you can always count on him to show you his “cute” bug friends whenever there is a break in the field!

Maegan Huber

Supervising Archaeologist

Maegan grew up in the central interior of BC and is from a farming/logging family. A graduate of the University of Calgary, Maegan spent an entire summer on the Caribbean island of Saba excavating a 17th-century sugar plantation while in university. After taking some time off to teach English in China, Maegan has been consulting for the past two years, gaining experience in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. She loves outdoor adventuring; kayaking, biking and hiking are her favorite activities. Also, Maegan is a three-time provincial sheep shearing champion. Baaa!

Eric Tebby

Supervising Archaeologist

Eric is a graduate of MacEwan University, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Anthropology and History; in that time, he was an active leader in various sports and outdoor clubs. Not a surprise to us because he is quite the outdoors enthusiast, often sharing photos of all his outdoor activities that are entirely unrelated to work! In 2012, Eric completed an 8-month internship excavating at a large Linear Pottery culture site in Saxony, Germany, but he didn’t start his CRM career until 2015; he has had a passion for it ever since! He is completing a graduate degree at the University of Alberta focused on a Métis wintering site in the Cypress Hills, which has spurred a passion for Canadian History. Next step: permit holding!

Raj Gahir

Accounting Technician

Raj is our first in-house non-archaeologist, but she loves hiking like the rest of us. Raj has a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in accounting and brings more than 15 years of experience in full-cycle accounting. To put it in archaeology terms, she will clean up our loose! Like everyone else at Circle, we can’t wait to see what she does.

Tania Leon

Executive Assistant

Tania is our second in-house non-archaeologist, but she loves being around people and travelling to the beach with her family and friends. Tania has a Bachelor’s in Education and a Diploma in Business Administration with a major in management. She has more than 12 years of experience in event planning and will transfer all her skills into archaeology by taking good care of the team, especially Marg!

Assistant Archaeologists

We have a few Assistant Archaeologists that join us each season. Please check out our Instagram for stories and photos of our field assistants.