Blog Roll

On the mornings of July 20^th and 21^st, my love for archaeology battled my love for sleeping as we got up early to dig test pits in the intertidal of Jacques Island at the site of Hup’kisakuu7a. To time our work with the low tide meant a wake-up time of 5.30am on the first day. My interest in archaeology won out over my desire for another hour in my toasty sleeping bag, and any yawns were soon dispelled by the fast rate of work as we excavated two test pits in a race against the incoming tide.

The aim of excavating in the intertidal area of Hup’kisakuu7a was to investigate the possible use of the site at an earlier time period, considerably earlier than the main focus on excavation on the midden site which is set back in the trees. Changing sea levels since the end of the last glacial maximum means that any very early habitation on the site would have been on what is the modern beach. Two intertidal test pits and artefacts found on the beach last year revealed a tantalising glimpse of past use, and as we started pulling Fire Cracked Rocks out from around 30cm below the modern beach surface we were able to confirm human activity at this location. Unfortunately we were unable to find any charcoal in the beach deposits that would provide a date for this early habitation.

The most spectacular moment came when an odd shaped lump bigger than a fist was pulled out of one pit, alas not the pit I was working in, immediately it was identified as an ear bone of a large whale.

It was hard work digging and screening through beach deposits, as the steep drop off in enthusiasm on the second morning showed. Although I have experience with dealing with lithics in the UK, I found it very hard to identify anything between the rough material and the wear on the flakes from being rolled around in the water, and the rejection of each flake presented with nervous hope was a little dispiriting. However with the expert help of Nicole and Bill I felt that I was getting a hang of it towards the end. I felt pretty proud when I got a positive ‘yes’ on a flake rather than a sceptical ‘hmmm’ and a raised eyebrow.

Excavating in the intertidal was a fun challenge, and it had me completely re-evaluating things that I thought I knew, which is always a good thing and one of the reasons I wanted to joining the field school this year.  I’ve always been interested in the earlier occupation of North America and it was a great privilege for me to be able to contribute, in any way, to the growing picture of human habitation of the coast

 

 

As I embarked on UVic’s Historical Ecology and Archaeology field school, I was tentative to think of what I should expect from working with a group of individuals who had never worked together before, let alone on a project of this nature. For the majority of us, this archaeological dig was something brand new. We had read about the methods and theories behind excavation in our previous university classes yet most of us knew that there was to be no comparison between that and the real thing. We needed to get our hands dirty.

This burgeoning eagerness among my fellow classmates and myself brought about trepidations. I was curious as to how the group would be able to navigate the real world of archaeology. Thoughts of teamwork and group interactions ran through my head as we set up camp on the day leading up to our breaking of ground. Would we all be able to come together cohesively as units and accomplish what was being asked of us? Would natural leaders, doers, and motivators come forward among the groups? Or would everyone be too cautious to assume any type of role.

After the first day it was pretty clear that the majority of members from my unit were ready to take charge in their own way. Of course there were first day nerves and hesitations that came with attempting something new but those were soon put to rest after seeing on our first day in the field that it was to be a learning curve for all of us. By day 3, things were running smoothly, with each of us rotating roles and sharing in task work.

The next step in the group process was being able to solve problems. And we were tested almost immediately. By mistake, a quadrant in our unit was dug too deep, passing through to a new level. Instead of dwelling on the error, my group members came together and worked around the issue instead of against it. The group realized something needed to be done and were quick to react. This cohesive functioning proved to be a useful strength throughout our two week excavation as we were repeatedly handed problems to solve – something that occurs in any field of work, regardless of how much of an expert you are.

By the end of our two-week fieldwork, all of my initial worries had been squashed. We were functioning like a well-oiled machine. We did not constantly need to consult each other if we were unsure of something. Trust had been built among most individuals that tasks could be completed properly and efficiently. We had established which parts of archaeology we enjoyed doing over others. And we constantly shared our knowledge of the task at hand without judgment. We were well and truly a group of student archaeologists excavating a real site with real data. We were a unit.

Geography and Anthropology are two very interesting subjects that I have been studying for the past few years.  Archaeology ties both together.  For each centimetre that is dug into the earth, human history can be found through waste, artifacts, and faunal deposits.  Digging down also reveals the history of the earth itself.  The faunal deposits present could be an indication of past climate, past sea levels can be found through sediments, and clues of historical culture can be discovered.  There has been a longstanding argument on whether archaeology belongs to history or anthropology.  In my opinion, archaeology does not belong to any particular subject.  Archaeology is its own interdisciplinary subject, taking in concepts from anthropology, history, and geography.

I stayed on Nettle Island for 13 days, and conducted field work in neighbouring islands.  Going on a field school was an incredible experience, as I have learned many things that cannot be taught in a typical classroom setting.  The excavations certainly get you hyped up for what lies ahead.  Even though there was only 9 days of actual digging, our 2 excavation units managed to dig three 1 metre by 1 metre quadrants, with depth ranging from 60 centimetres to 130 centimetres.  Numerous artifacts were found, in addition to dozens of bags filled with bones from both marine and land organisms.  Hearth features, which are evidence of fire use, were found in several locations of the excavation units.  Hopefully we will find more information about the past from our lab work in the coming weeks.

I’d like to take a moment to thank my instructor and the Uvic Anthropology department for letting me take this field course.  My experience was beyond my expectations, in a good way, of course.

The two weeks I spent with UVic’s archaeological field school in the Broken Group Islands have been nothing short of amazing. From the spectacular scenery and reverence inspired by our visit to the ancient site of Tseshaht, to lunchtime stories with Denis St. Claire (always punctuated with hilarious tangents and frequent dessert breaks); from the incredible Tedley Do-right, fixing anything and everything and still having time to teach us knots around the fire, to an evening spent crowded under an awning, watching a thunderstorm roll in; from the meaningful words spoken by the Beachkeepers and David, to Wanda’s feasts, to our light-blocking acrobatics during field photos, to our numerous after-dinner guest lecturers, complete with “cutting-edge” audiovisual augmentation. Finally — and only because I have to cut this off somewhere — from the excitement of plunging that first shovel into the ground, to the satisfaction of dumping that last bucket of backfill, this experience has given me so many wonderful, lasting memories.

This picture speaks to two of the most important messages I am leaving with. To provide the reader with a little bit of context, the picture was taken towards the end of our excavation. Just before I took it, we had heard that Denis was talking to some visitors to the site, one of whom was from The Vancouver Sun. In attempts to better embody the quintessential image of the “archaeologist” — because surely we were going to make the front page — Sage and Tessa decided to put a little extra dirt on each other’s faces.

Firstly this picture represents the knowledge that, more than anything else, it has been the people I’ve met on the field school who have made it what it was. This project is the product of the collaborative efforts of numerous individuals and organizations, including the Tseshaht, Parks Canada, and many others who have offered their time and expertise to keep things running smoothly. Equally important, the project would not have been what it was without my fellow students, who have fully transitioned from a group strangers to an Integrated Team of Readiness. Everyone has been such a pleasure to work with, and the experience has reinforced the importance and value of building relationships and working collaboratively.

Secondly, and a bit more abstractly, this photo represents the idea that archaeology is just as much about the present and the future as it is about the past. Throughout the excavation we had many visitors to the site, like the ones we had on the day that the photo was taken. Everyone was so interested in our work and it showed me that there is an opportunity in archaeology not just to learn about the past, but to engage with people in the present. One of the key lessons that Denis shared with us was the inaccuracy of the idea that places like the Broken Group Islands are — and should be valued only as — “remote wilderness” devoid of human presence. He tied this to the general tendency to view First Nations in the present as distinctly divided from those in the archaeological record. In particular, our day trip to Tseshaht really drove that point home. What I see now is the role that archaeology can have in educating and building public interest in these sites in a way that pays due respect to the multiple millennia of human habitation in the area, as well as to the austere beauty of the environment and wildlife.

 

Initially I was uncertain about my decision to attend an archaeological field school. With my interests in treaties and Aboriginal title, I had never seen archaeology as a direct part of my future, but my field school experiences so far may have changed that path. For two weeks our crew had the privilege of engaging Tseshaht community members, territory and history in the Broken Group Islands. Our crew camped at a Tseshaht reserve on Nettle Island and commuted daily to Jacques Island to conduct excavations at site of Hup’kisakuu7a. After brushing our teeth while enjoying a beautiful sunrise, our magnificent camp cook Wanda prepared a hearty breakfast that filled our tummies for the workday ahead. Excavations began slowly in the first week as my fellow students and I acquired new excavation techniques and faunal identification skills. My excitement took off when I uncovered our unit’s first in situ pieces of porpoise vertebrae. Further into our excavation, I was excited to retrieve through wet screening two seabird throat bones and a molar cap that likely came from a sea otter. Additionally, we had the opportunity to participate in two early morning intertidal excavations. In the intertidal we recovered fire-cracked rock, possible lithics and the inner ear bone of a whale. In addition to fieldwork, we had the pleasure of meeting members of the Tseshaht Beach Keepers, Parks Canada representatives from both the Pacific Rim and Gulf Islands parks and reputable archaeologists of the study area, such as Denis St. Claire and Ian Sumpter. Highlights of my experience include the daily boat rides between our camp and excavation site, visiting Parks Canada representative David Dick’s thoughtful words on respect and acknowledgement of territory and our evening trip to the fish traps of Jacques Island with Denis. While my time in the Broken Group was one that I will never forget, all good things must come to an end. From this experience I will take away first hand interactions with Tseshaht history and culture, new archaeological field techniques, a newfound comfort around boats, and a wonderful set of friends. My experience in the field demonstrated a tangible connection to place; a connection that cannot be absorbed through the text of treaty or in the words of the Constitution that relate to Aboriginal title, and for that, I am grateful. I would like to thank the Tseshaht First Nation for opening their home and hearts to my comrades and I for our time in their territory. Finally, I would like to thank our fearless leaders Iain & Ian (aka Keckles & Selly) for sharing their knowledge, excitement and patience with our group. I look forward to what is to come in Huu-ay-aht territory at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Center over the next three weeks!

Nettle island, located in the Broken Group Islands in British Columbia (B.C) is part of the Tseshaht First Nation reserve. With permission from the Tseshaht, this island  played host to  myself and ten other undergraduate students as we conducted archaeological field work on a neighbouring island, Jacques Island. The archaeological site on Jacques is called Hup’kisakuu7a, which is thought to be a small Tseshaht village.  The site is located on a sloped surface slightly above the modern shoreline. Two 2×2 meter units were excavated.  The unit I was assigned too was at the bottom of the slope, which made establishing a symmetrical  2×2 unit somewhat difficult. Upon establishing the units excavations began, going down in 10 centimetre increments at a time. The excavation began slowly, as many of the undergraduate students, myself included had little or no prior archaeological experience. However with each stroke of the trowel our confidence grew, resulting in my unit reaching a  final depth of 130 centimetres below datum in one portion of our unit.

This field experience has furthered my appreciation for the other sub-disciplines of anthropology; linguistic, cultural and biological. Knowing place names and the ethnographic history of the area helped me understand the importance of this excavation, despite Hup’kisakuu7a being a small site.  This excavation looks to fill a gap in the academic literature as data analysis will reveal the role smaller villages played in Nuu-chah-nulth culture.

Camping on Nettle island also provided a unique learning experience.  Skills learnt in this environment included how to tie various knots, the importance of having a tarp over your tent, and how to cook for 15 hungry archaeologists. The latter was no easy task given the standard set by our project cook, Wanda. Wanda’s cooking made wet field days more bearable, as chocolate cake easily cheered up soaking wet archaeologists. Nettle Island also played host to various guest lectures which furthered my academic understanding in a variety of areas such as marine biology, historical ecology and coastal archaeology.

Throughout the course of this influential learning experience, I was in constant awe of the beautiful landscapes that the Broken Group Islands offer. Because of this I have attached my favourite photo from the field,  a sunset shot which was taken on the way back from visiting fish traps on Jacques Island. This photo was taken near the end of the excavation and in my opinion, is a perfect send off to the 2016 archaeological field season in the Broken Group Islands.

We will be departing from Victoria and heading to Bamfield turning off the Island Highway just north of Duncan, heading west toward Cowichan Lake. The road to Bamfield is Some drive on the south side of the lake through Lake Cowichan but I prefer the north via the town of Youbou.

Be sure to gas up in Duncan and drive safely on the logging road.

Depending on washroom and food breaks, and travelling slower than normal with boats trailers and gear etc., this may be an approximately a 5-6 hour drive, with perhaps as much as 2 -3 hours on a windy dusty logging road. We will aim to arrive at Pachena beach campground on the evening on Sunday July 10th.

consult this Bamfield Marine Sciences link for specific recommendations but note, I recommend the Youbou side of the lake.

 

NOTE watch out – slow down – and pull well over for large vehicles such as this: