THE• Publication of the Archaeological Society of British Columbia ISSN 0047-7222 Vol. 24, No. 4 October 1992 Pyramids? In B.C? &MIDDEN A.S.B.C. Published five times a year by the Archaeological Society of British Columbia. The Archaeological Society of British Colum­ The next issue will appear in December 1992 bia is dedicated to the protection of archaeo­ logical resources and the spread of archaeo- EDITOR logical knowledge. Joyce johnson Meetings featuring illustrated lectures are held on the CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE second Wednesday of each month (except july and August) at 8:00 p, in the Vancouver Museum Audito- Robbin Chatan, Sandra Morrison and Heather rium. Visitors and new members are welcome! Myles, Ian Sumpter, Kimberly Wooten PRESIDENT CREW Reet Kana (263-8987) Kitty Bernick, Vicki Fedemma, Richard Mackie VICE-PRESIDENT Terry Vickerman (228-0726) SUBSCRIPTIONS Helmi Braches MEMBERSHIP Marie Michaud (222-4655) Subscription is included with membership in the Archaeological Society of British Columbia. Non­ Annual Membership Fees member rates are $14.50 per year ($17.00 U5.A and Single $25.00 overseas) payable in Canadian funds to the AS.B.C Family $30.00 Seniors & Students $18.00 Send to: Midden Subscriptions, AS.B.C, Membership includes subscription to The Midden and P.O. Box 520, Station A the A5.B.C. newsletter, SocNotes. Vancouver, B.C Canada V6c 2N3 Make cheque or postal money order payable to the Submissions and exchange publications should be AS.B.C Send to: A5.B.C. Membership directed to:Joycejohnson, Editor, The Midden, c/ o P.O. Box 520, Station A UBC Archaeology, 6303 N.W. Marine Dr, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2N3 Vancouver, B.C V6T lZl. We welcbme contribu­ tions on subjects germane to B.C archaeology: AFFILIATED CHAPTERS maximum length 1500 words, no footnotes, and Fraser Valley only a brief bibliography (if required at all). Guidelines are available. Meetings featuring illustrated lectures are held on the third Tuesday of each month, September to May, Copyright. at 7:30 pm at 2650 Montrose Avenue , Abbottsford, B.C. Contents of The Midden are copyrighted by the AS.B.C It is unlawful to reproduce all or any part, Contact: Doug Hudson (853-3962) by any means whatsoever, without permission of the Society, which is usually gladly given A.S.B.C. DIARY Publication of The Midden is financially assisted by the Province of B.C. through the Heritage Trust. All meetings are held at 8:00 pm in the auditorium of the Vancouver Museum, unless indicated otherwise. November 11, 1992 Lionel Jackson, Geological Survey of Canada "The Geology of the Ice-Free Corri­ FRONT COV~R: dor" Large mound excavated at Scowlitz this summer December 9, 1992 Alan McMillan revealed a well-preserved burial of an adult male recent work on Toquaht Project complete with copper disks, a large copper ring, abalone pendants and thousands of sliced dentalium January 13, 1993 Goint meeting with A.I.A.) shell beads. Roderick Millar Photo credit: Heather Myles. (see article, page 2) "Quarrying in Ancient Lesbos NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This October issue completes my Fraser Valley this summer, we would first year with The Midden Thank you like to begin there and the Fraser Delta/ TABLE OF CONTENTS all for your encouragement and many Lower Mainland area for the December positive comments on the new format. issue (submissions November 1st). Then We have been successful in some in February we will move through the things -lining up a "crew" to gather and Fraser Canyon into the B.C. interior pla­ Notes from the Editor 1 feed us information, help with the edit­ teau (submissions January 2nd). From ing, and help to produce some of the there, through northern B.C. out to the Sacred Mounds 2 lists of information which we hope that coast above Vancouver Island for April you have found to be useful. I would (submissions March 1st). Finally, June Book Review 5 like to take this opportunity to thank all should bring us back through Vancouver Gitaus Revisited 6 those who have helped with the past Island and the lower B.C. coast (submis­ five issues: the contributors for their sions May 1st). Debitage 8 cooperation and patience, and the crew If you have any articles you would who have given generously of their like to submit which don't fit into any of News Items 9 time. these areas, please, by all means, do so. We were not as successful in other They can be accommodated in any is­ A Basket Case 10 thing- mainly in the area of forthcom­ sue. Guidelines are available on request. New Pu~lications 11 ing, unsolicited articles. To address the Remember, The Midden is a volunteer problem I would like to suggest "themes" effort. We can only print the informa­ Permits 12 for each of the next four issues of The tion we are given Please let us know Midden this year. If you have anything what you are doing, thinking, and what ASBC Executive 13 that you feel would be appropriate, you would like to read about. please submit an article. Submissions Calendar 13 must be made by the first of the month previous to the issue. Since so much has happened in the The Editor THANKS YVON! cal production of The Midden.If some­ one from the Society does not volun­ Yvon Lantaigne, who gave The teer this service before the next issue, Midden'its new look this past year, it is very unlikely that we will be able moved to Calgary this summer. Yvon to continue with our publication. brought his expertise and took time Surely there's someone out there with from his busy schedule to produce a computer who is involved in, or The Midden for us on his Macintosh anxious to practise, a desktop publish­ computer every two months. I, most ing programme; or even the old fash­ of all, will miss him. ioned typesetting and paste-up method. If you are concerned about the future of The Midden and would like to help us out in a:ny way, please HELP! get in touch with me right away. As a result of Yvon's leaving, we find ourselves casting about once again joyce johnson for someone to help with the techni- Editor U.B.C. ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL THE SACRED MOUNDS OFSCOWLITZ by Sandra Morrison and Heather Myles 't HE 1992 U.B.C. ARCHAEOL­ ered with maple, birch, and cedar OGY FIELD SCHOOL took SCOWLITZ SITE trees and is choked with a mass of place at the Scowlitz site DhRl 16 stinging nettles and salmonberry T (DhRl 16), which is lo­ 1992 bushes which cloaks the many cated thirty kilometres east of Mis­ features of the site. On one side of sion on Canfor Ltd property, across the terrace the land slopes up­ the Harrison River from the ward to meet the Harrison Knob. Scowlitz Indian Reserve. This pic­ On the other side the edge drops turesque site, covered with acres steeply down to where the clear of lush greenery, consists of thirty blue waters of the Harrison River burial mounds and the remains of @ meet the muddy Fraser. an ancient settlement. It extends Several metres off the shore­ for 200 metres along a terrace line, the water eddies around the which looks down UJX>n the junc­ "Transformer'' rock which, accord­ tion of the Harrison and Fraser ing to Scowlitz legend, is where Rivers. one of their first ancestors fell to The site's position at the N earth. Along the upslope border of confluence of these two rivers the terrace thirty mounds are vis­ provided an excellent area for fish- w-\>-E ible. These range in size from small ing, transJX>rtation, and trade. Pre­ s rock cairns to huge pyramid-like historically, the Scowlitz site must masses of earth. Sizable trees with have been the location of a once 0 deeply penetrating roots grow prosperous and JX>Werful village. from the tops of many of the Its imJX>rtance did not fade during larger mounds. On the river side historic times, when it was used of the terrace is a series of at least by fur traders and prospectors as a Mound 1 twenty-four shallow, rectangular gateway to the Harrison Lake and house depressions, an indication of the presence of an andent vil­ beyond Today, this site holds great Scowlitz site, 1992 imJX>rtance for the Scowlltz people, lage. both as sacred grounds of their Approximately 100 metres ancestors and as a prime fishing loca­ covered a large piece of basketry as well north of this terrace, eroding out of the tion as a complete hafted ground slate knife, bank of the Harrison River, is an exten­ The Sto:lo Tribal Coundl and the the first of its kind retrieved in the sive waterlogged comJX>nent which Scowlitz Band invited U.B.C. archaeolo­ Lower Mainland. This exciting discov­ contains a well-preserved layer of or­ gists, under the direction of Dr. Michael ery, and awareness of the JX>tential in­ ganic materials. This JX>SSible extension Blake, to investigate the site, parts of formation to be gained from the adja­ of the village was not tested during the which were being rapidly eroded away cent village and its burial mounds, project because of the high water level by the river currents. Over the years prompted the decision to return to this Adjacent to the wet site is a small island band members and others had collected site in March for the U.B.C. archaeologi­ (DhR115), 200 metres long and 50 metres stone artifacts and pieces of woven cal field school.