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UNCOVERING the SECRETS of SCLADINA CAVE by Shari Bishop Bowes 2014 FALL/WINTER 11 Feature

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UNCOVERING the SECRETS of SCLADINA CAVE by Shari Bishop Bowes 2014 FALL/WINTER 11 Feature feature “WHO ARE WE, WHERE DID WE COME FROM, ANDIT MEAN WHAT TO BE DOES US?” These are questions that fascinate many of us, if we pause to think about them, but for Rhy McMillan (BA with Distinction, Anthropology & Earth Science ’13) they have taken him on a serendipitous journey in education and research and to the depths of a world famous cave in Belgium. UNCOVERING THE SECRETS OF SCLADINA CAVE By Shari Bishop Bowes 2014 FALL/WINTER 11 feature Kyle Hall (front), a VIU student on a summer 2014 Study Abroad trip to Scladina Cave in Belgium, inspects a sample with Rhy McMillan. t all began on a blustery December day with a doctoral degree – he’ll continue Iin 2009, as McMillan leaned on his the work he began as a VIU undergrad surfboard, watching waves crest on Long in Scladina Cave in Belgium. Beach near his home in Ucluelet, BC. The site of the discovery of some of Recently returned home from a year of the world’s oldest Neanderthal DNA on touring playing his music, he’d decided record – approximately 100,000 years it was time for a new direction in life. old – Scladina Cave opened a world of Answering his cell phone, he opportunity for McMillan in advancing Rhy McMillan makes got the news he’d been accepted his studies in geology and archaeology. his short “commute” to to study for his Bachelor of Arts This year he was designated an Scladina Cave from his degree at VIU. He packed and honourary research associate at the temporary home in the moved to Nanaimo the same day. Centre archéologique de la grotte work camp on site. With hardly a clue at where his Scladina (ASBL Andennaise), the “IT WAS SOMETHING I KNEW I WANTED TO DO – TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN.” university experience might take him, organization that oversees research McMillan registered in Anthropology at Scladina Cave. He is involved in 112, one of the courses still available editing and translation, as well as after his last minute registration. Within writing for the Scladina Monograph, the first hour of the class, Professor Dee an academic publication chronicling Cullon had McMillan thinking critically the discovery of an eight-year-old about who we are as humans, inspiring Neanderthal child at the site. him to begin his academic journey. “Scladina is a time capsule, a “Ever since then, thanks to Dee, beautiful little well protected site,” he it was something I knew I wanted says. “It has contents that have been to do – to find out more about what dated to about 130,000 years – with it means to be human,” he says. undated materials likely much older – Since that defining moment, McMillan and was completely filled up within has let his interests, skills and passions the last 10,000 years. This means shape a path that is today fully occupied everything inside has been protected by the disciplines of archaeology and since before modern times – nobody geoscience. Entering UBC’s Master of was able to access it until scientific Science in Geologic Science program in excavation began in 1978. And we fall 2014 – which he plans to follow up haven’t excavated to the end of the cave 12 feature Follow Rhy on Twitter @GeoArchaeo or read his blog: geoarchaeo.com “SCLADINA IS A TIME CAPSULE; CONTENTS HAVE BEEN DATED TO 130,000 YEARS.” yet – we don’t know exactly where it goes. representing different time periods. students I have ever encountered,” Roy For me, that’s the most beautiful part.” Objects found together in one says. “He is excited about learning and In his second undergrad internship at layer of sediment might have been he has used every opportunity offered Scladina Cave, McMillan began to focus deposited during different events. This to him to create his own future.” his work on taphonomy – the study of the problem goes both ways – objects that McMillan says Roy, along with retired processes affecting an organism between are found in separate contexts might Professor Gay Frederick, encouraged the the time of its death and the time we find have been originally deposited by the interdisciplinary approach he has taken it in the archaeological/geological record. same event, and therefore represent in his studies, combining archeology and His particular interest is the the same age, even though they are geological science. “Cheryl’s been nothing differential fossilization of bone, and not excavated from the same layer. but supportive – she was one of the first the development of a new standard used One particular find at Scladina that people to treat me like a colleague.” when chemically analyzing bone material. has involved McMillan is the discovery Working with UBC’s Multidisciplinary “Because I have training in both of a brittle, graphite substance that may Applied Geochemistry Network, archaeology and earth science, one well be evidence of a colorant – or a very McMillan is excited to continue his of my main objectives is to help early pencil – used by Neandertals. research examining the fossilization of archaeologists better understand, describe “Not only is the use of graphite bone and how this may impact future and explain the relationships between as a colorant by Neandertals new work on sites like the Scladina Cave. groups of valuable objects by using and exciting, these could be the first “The bottom line is, most of the geoscience,” McMillan says. “This means pencils ever used,” McMillan says. chronology information we use as understanding, through methods I’m The initial encouragement to archaeologists comes from studying helping to develop, the objects’ various undertake the VIU Study Abroad objects that have undergone at least some states of preservation and alteration, trip to Scladina came from Professor degree of taphonomic alteration – the and using this data to help us better Cheryl Roy, who has been an unfailing processes that occur after an organism understand how they are related.” mentor and colleague for McMillan. dies and before we find it,” he says. Working with the new method he’s And with Roy now poised to retire from “I don’t think we understand and use developing for analyzing tiny samples her position leading student research the taphonomic information that is of fossilized bone at the UBC Pacific at Scladina, her former student is now available to the degree that we should Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical preparing to take over that role. when analyzing archaeological bone.” Research, McMillan says he’s trying Roy is happy to see one of her most McMillan believes there is much to be to help solve a problem that occurs promising students continuing his learned from advancing the relationship when objects are re-deposited and research and sharing his skills with future between archaeology and geology, and he mixed into overlying sediments by VIU students working at Scladina Cave. plans to be part of doing just that. erosion, causing a mélange of objects “Rhy is one of the most enthusiastic 2014 FALL/WINTER 13.
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