ONLINE AT: https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/midden
For those unfamiliar with the Archaeological Society of BC (ASBC), it was started in 1966 to pull together professionals and enthusiasts of archaeology within BC. Primary aims have always been to encourage the identification and protection of archaeological sites and material throughout BC. The best way to ensure these protections is through education. Over the years the ASBC has given the public and professionals access to lectures, tours, and publications. Recent years have seen the collapse of the Nanaimo Chapter and the Vancouver executive Branch, and the loss of many Society members. From the ashes, we rebuild.
This year both the ASBC, and its journal turn 50, and to mark its anniversary the society has released a new 2016 PDF issue of The Midden. The Midden journal went on a hiatus the last few years due to heavy demands on the volunteer editorial board. While the entire 50 year archive of The Midden is being released by the University of Victoria Libraries, new issues will be viewable only by membership for a period of six months, before also being released by UVic Libraries.
This issue (Vol. 46, No. 1 & 2) contains a number of articles about recent and ongoing research. It contains a summary of the Sechelt Archaeology Project from 2008 to the present (Bilton & Letham), the application of digital enhancement techniques to rock art on the Central Coast (Skala), a collaborative effort between SFU and Treaty 8 to repurpose digital assets (McLaughlin), and the exploration of a new class of artifacts in the interior (Eldridge). The articles in this issue represents only a fraction of the excellent work taking place in BC.
It is our hope to grow the Society and The Midden to better reflect the renaissance of archaeological work going on in this province. Countless projects are filling in the gaps in knowledge about BC’s history, in many cases substantiating First Nations histories, clarifying historical narratives and shedding light on the human use of landscapes.
The last few decades have seen a transition towards greater corporatization of archaeology within the province. While this has lead to great resources for archaeologists, and vast numbers of discoveries, the ASBC hopes to remained tied to its roots in community and academic archaeological research. We hope that the next 50 years will offer a position for the ASBC to engage the public and professionals in projects and research that represents both public/private funding, and settler/First Nations leadership.
Thanks,
Jacob Earnshaw
ASBC President
