Publication of the Archaeological Society of-British Columbia

ISSN 0047-7222 Vol.22, No.3 June 1990

INSIDE: Historical archaeology goes high tech ... page 1. Federal heritage legislation is on the way ... page 3. Debitage ... page 4. News Bits ... page 5. Diver finds lost weights ... page 6. New publications ... page 11. Permits ... page 12. Summer site seeing ... page 13. The Midden Publication of the Archaeological Society of British Columbia

Editor: Kathryn Bernick

Production Assistants: Toni Crittenden, Phyllis Mason. Subscriptions and Mailing: Helmi Braches

Submissions and exchange publications should be directed Subscription is by membership in the A.S.B.C. (see below). or to the Editor. Contributions on subjects germane to B.C. non-member rates of $12.00 a year (5 issues!. U.S.A. and overseas archaeology are welcomed: maximum length 1,500 words, $14.00 a year. Check or postal money order in Canadian funds no footnotes, and only a brief bibliography (if necessary at payable to the A.S.B.C. Address to: Midden Subcriptions, P.O. Box 520, Station A, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2N3. all). Guidelines available. Telephone inquiries: 873-5958. The contents of The Midden are copyrighted by the A.S.B.C. It is The next issue of The Midden will appear mid-October unlawful to reproduce all or part by any means whatsoever, without 1990. permission of the Society, which is usually gladly given.

Publication of The Midden is made possible in part by financial Contributors this issue: Kathryn Bernick, Erik de assistance from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Bruijn, Lindsay Oliver, Kathi Sherwood. Culture through the British Columbia Heritage Trust and British Columbia Lotteries. TJ:IE COVER: Subsurface radar signals on paper tape of graphic recorder, used to locate burials in historic cemetery.

The Society

The Archaeological Society of President: Affiliated Chapters: British Columbia is dedicated to Terry Spurgeon (464-1984) Fraser Valley. Meetings featuring the protection of archaeological Vice President: illustrated lectures are held on the resources and the spread of Bill Paull (980-5186) third Tuesday of each month archaeological knowledge. Membership Secretary: (September to May) at 7:45 p .m. on Helen Smith (224-1426) the Fraser Valley College campus in Meetings featuring illustrated Abbotsford. President: Thelma lectures are held on' the second Membership year runs September 1 Mcintyre (853-1495). Membership Wednesday of each month (except to August 31. Fees: single - $20.00; Secretary: Andy Purdy (823-4920). July and August) at 8:00 p.m. in the family - $25.00; senior citizen - Victoria. President: Shirley Vancouver Museum Auditorium. $15.00; student $15.00. Cuthbertson (c/o Royal B.C. Visitors and new members are Membership includes Midden Museum). welcome! subscription. Address to: A.S.B.C. Membership Secretary, P.O. Box 520, Station A, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2N3.

NEXT MEETING:

September 12: Topic to be announced. Cpl. Bob Stair sweeps radar antenna across Golden Pioneer Cemetery (EhQf 3}.

Subsurface Radar in an Historic Cemetery Context

by L.]. Oliver

UNTIL RECENTLY, subsurface unit-the only grave visible from proposed-to complete recovery of radar has been applied mainly to off-site-was demarcated by a the pioneer remains with the geological contexts. Archaeologi­ picket fence. assistance of subsurface radar. cally, the technique has been My identification of the remains Subsurface radar, otherwise employed to locate features such as aroused local interest and known as ground penetrating radar, buried walls. In 1989, the Royal evacuation of the cemetery was employs a pulse of electromagnetic Canadian Mounted Police and the proposed, to be followed by re­ energy discharged from an antenna Golden Pioneer Cemetery Project interment of the pioneer remains in to a determined depth. A portion of collaborated in applying subsurface the municipal cemetery once the signal of pre-set duration and radar to locate pioneer graves no osteological analysis had been frequency is then reflected back to longer marked by any visible completed. A brief survey the surface, picked up by an surface feature. conducted in 1987 suggested that antenna, and directed to a receiver Golden Pioneer Cemetery, in six to eight graves were present, station where it is processed. This Golden, British Columbia, was the though none was clearly marked. includes an oscilloscope display and community interment ground from The 1988 field season yielded a a paper-fed graphic recorder. The 1882 to 1894, at which time, total of eight graves, seven of which operator, Cpl. Bob Stair of " E" archival sour.ces note, it was full were not visible prior to removal of Division Identification Support and a new municipal cemetery was overburden. No patterning of grave Service, RCMP, volunteered his opened. The older cemetery was locations or marking features was expertise in subsurface radar largely forgotten until 1986 when a noted when the burials were technology to assist in locating pioneer grave was vandalized by a mapped, but since very little of the unmarked graves in the Golden local person and the remains site had actually been excavated an Pioneer Cemetery. He controlled offered for sale. The vandalized additional field season was both the horizontal scale, that is, the The Midden - 1 speed the antenna moved across the The System 8 Geophysical Survey ground and the paper-feed rate of system was employed in this test, the graphic recorder, and the using a 500 MHz ant~nna. vertical scale, which in this case Subsurface scanning consisted of was depth. moving the 20-inch-wide antenna The amount of reflected signal across the ground, east to west, varies according to the electrical following a grid laid out for the characteristics of the soil or object purpose. Six series of scans were encountered. These characteristics conducted and the paper ta.pes were depend on temperature, pressure, analyzed by Cpl. Stair at the end of frequency, moisture content, and each series. Based on the depths of soil impurities. graves encountered during the The graphic display records previous (1988) field season, a depth strong signals as black, and weak setting of six feet was used. The signals as white; a grey range graphic display indicated several represents noise between the sharply delineated interface surface and interface reflections. In changes, which were assumed to this case, ground interface changes represent grave cuts. The variations were taken to signify grave pits. in depth and sharpness of these Certainly all graves encountered interface changes led Stair to had quantities of rootlets designate them as either "most penetrating vertically down to the promising" or "less promising" of coffin, thereby greatly increasing possible grave·s. There were two moisture content in these areas. controls on the subsurface radar The EhQf 3 site measures 16 m scans: first, the grave pits excavated N-S and 24m E-W. Site preparation during the 1988 season, the consisted of removing vegetation; locations of which were not known mapping and removing surface to Stair; and second, a child's grave matter such as large rocks, scattered delineated by a ring of stones, pickets, and metal cans; and which had been identified but not exposing the survey pins excavated during the previous delineating the 2x2 m units set up in season. 1988. The correlation between targets indicated by the subsurface radar scans and known grave pits was very good. There was a drift between actual and indicated grave pit locations in the direction the scan was made, but the distance was not large enough to be significant. Based on the subsurface radar tapes, two large, previously untested areas were selected for excavation in 1989. Test area 1 (6-8 m E, 2-8 m N) yielded four burials with coffins, three of these at a depth of only 1 m and contained in an area designated "most promising"; the fourth, in a "less promising'' area, was considerably deeper. Test area 2 ( 18-22 mE, 8-12 m N) yielded two burials in an area designated ''most promising'' -time Subsurface radar signal processing station: oscilloscope (l}, paper-fed prevented the investigation of a graphic recorder (r}. possible third burial reported for this unit.

2 - The Midden Subsurface radar scans produced anomaly on the paper tapes. On the excellent results in this trial, with other hand, the results of the all previously excavated graves collaboration between the RCMP being detected. Six burials were and the Golden Pioneer Cemetery recovered from grave pit areas Project were extremely encourag­ indicated by the technique and two ing, with a good correlation additional burials were recovered between located targets and actual outside the scanned area. The total graves. Both time and labour were number of burials from the Golden saved during the 1989 field season Pioneer Cemetery is now 15, with through the application . of approximately 20% of the site subsurface radar, and a better excavated. At least five other small understanding of the nature of the areas designated as "less site was gained. D promising'' from subsurface radar * * * tapes remain untested. The failure The Golden Pioneer Cemetery Project was of the subsurface radar to detect a funded by the B.C. Heritage Trust. Dr. Mark known child burial, probably Skinner of Simon Fraser University directed the project with Lindsay Oliver as Principal relates to the depth of the pit, Investigator. approximately 8' to the outer coffin base and therefore beyond the anticipated depth set for radar L.J. Oliver, an MA candidate in the penetration. Archaeology Dept., Simon Fraser University, has worked with both . In 1982 and 1983, attempts to modern and prehistoric skeletal locate graves at a 16th century material. She holds a permit from the Basque whaling station in Red Bay, Archaeology Branch to investigate Labrador were unsuccessful since "found human remains" and is on there was not sufficient contrast contract with the B. C. Coroner's between the grave and beach office. materials to appear as a distinct

Ottawa announces forthcoming legislation

FEDERAL LEGISLATION to protect and collections management, set location when necessary to protect archaeological resources is standards for impact assessment, the resources; currently being drafted and, conduct emergency rescue, and • public involvement and official according to information released select repositories and criteria for recognition for reporting archaeo­ last month by the minister mandatory reporting of finds; logical discoveries; responsible, the Hon. Marcel • special provisions regarding • enforcement powers and Masse, it will be a vast burial sites; penalties for offenses. improvement over the current state • amendments to the Cultural A newly created Office for of affairs. Property Export and Import Act Archaeological Resource Manage­ Highlights will include: giving the review board the power ment will oversee the process of • non-retroactive government to deny a permit for permanent enacting the legislation, expected ownership of archaeological objects export of archaeological objects, late this year, and subsequently will found on federal lands, except without compensation; set up the new programs and reserves; • amendments to the Canada policies. D • a resource management Shipping Act to deal with capability that would issue permits archaeological wreck; and certify professional fieldwork • restricted information on site

The Midden- 3 Debitage

Arnoud Stryd lost his partner ASBC member Anne Underhill, This spring's crop of M.A. earlier this year when Stephen who is just finishing her Ph.D. at graduates includes one from UBC' s Lawhead quit archaeology and UBC specializing in the archaeology Dept. of Anthropology and Areas for other things. The of China, departs shortly for the Sociology- Margaret Holm with a company has closed its Kamloops east-she'll be teaching next year at thesis entitled Prehistoric Northwest office and now operates entirely Franklin and Marshall College in Coast Art: A Stylistic Analysis, and from its base in Coquitlam . . . Lancaster, Penna .. . New positions three from SFU' s Dept. of Members of the Canadian teaching archaeology at B.C. Anthropology: Elisabet Bedard­ • Archaeological Association recently colleges drew numerous applica­ The Historic and Ethnographic elected UBC professor David tions this spring. Cathy Carlson, Background at Fort d'Epinette (HaRe Pokotylo as their vice president, who's been away doing graduate 27r Considerations for the thereby supporting his stated work in Maine, captured the Archaeological Determination of commitment to promoting public Cariboo College (Kamloops) job ... Ethnicity; Luisa Beram-Capital archaeology. Let's hope they fare SFU's David Burley has worked in Regional District Parks: A Case better than the Heritage Canada nearly every region of Canada-he Study in Archaeological Resource Foundation, which just folded its now opts for the exotic, with a Management; and William magazine Canadian Heritage .. . The SSHRC grant to do research in Quackenbush-Taste of Canadians theme of the Chacmool Con­ Tonga. Other SFU professors are and Dogs: The History and ference to be held in Calgary, Nov. taking off in the opposite direction­ Archaeology McLeod's Lake Post, 8-11, 1990, is Ancient Images, Knut Fladmark and Jon Driver, British Columbia, G{Rs 2. Ancient Thought: The Archaeology of also with SSHRC funding, head this Idealogy. summer to Charlie Lake Cave near * * • • • • Fort St. John.

Archaeological conservation rates low priority

A RECENT EVALUATION of B.C. applicants because they have no job site and marine material, and large museum conservation needs prospects as professional conserva­ industrial and agricultural ma­ recommends establishment of a tors in this province. chinery, which are unique B.C. government-funded network of Tanner-Kaplash stressed that the needs with little or no services regional labs overseen by a broad­ efficiency of available conservators available at present. based advisory body. must be stretched. She suggested Tanner-Kaplash believes that the Museum consultant . Dr. Sonja establishment of a community federal government will come Tanner-Kaplash spoke in April to a college museum technician pro­ through with funding-if it is meeting of the informally organized gram that emphasized conservation matched by the province. She also Pacific Conservators Group about and that guaranteed places for believes that Victoria will support a the study she was conducting for Natives working in band museums conservation program. Conserva­ the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and cultural centers. She also tors in the audience were Recreation and Culture. She advised conservators to work considerably less optimistic. related that British Columbia has toward recognition of a junior The report was to be submitted in not received its fair share of position within their profession. mid-May with no indication of conservation assistance from the The proposed regional labs would when Victoria might respond to it. federal government and that the be phased in following detailed As far as archaeology goes, even the lack of facilities and jobs for assessment of existing facilities. best scenario would not fill the most conservators in B.C. has They would be generalist treatment pressing needs-wet site and exacerbated a bad situation. For centers catering to common needs. marine material-in the foreseeable example, conservation training Eventually, two or three would future. 0 programs in eastern Canada (there develop specialities in the are none locally) do not accept B.C. conservation of totem poles, wet

4- The Midden Nevvs Bits

ASBCjoins international Housing Project goes ahead The Archaeological Society of Dr. Gary Coupland (Univ. of British Columbia has become an Toronto) will spend three months official affiliate of the Society for this summer with a crew of eight American Archaeology. The newly excavating a prehistoric village created organizational affiliate (GcTo 6} in Prince Rupert Harbour. status is designed to promote He plans to dig some of the 15 interaction between professional house depressions at the site, as and avocational archaeologists. well as surrounding midden areas, for information on household Date meets expectations organization and subsistence. While monitoring construction at the north end of the Crescent Beach Victoria protects wreck site (DgRr 1} earlier this year, Areas British Columbia has a new Ltd. archaeologists identified a designated heritage site, the 25 m series of circular hearth-like sternwheeler City of Ainsworth at features on an ancient beach the bottom of Kootenay Lake. The margin. A relatively recent vessel, which sank in a storm in radiocarbon date of 960 ± 70 BP 1898, was spotted this spring in 365 confirms previous reconstructions feet of water by divers from the of the occupation area shifting Underwater Archaeological Society northward with the advancing of British Columbia. shoreline.

The case of the Large Bone THE MYSTERIOUS sea mammal examined the bone and said, bone from the DkSf 4 Comox however, that it looks more like Harbour site (see the April 1990 bison than walrus. Midden, Vol.22:2:9), tqrns out not to The Smithsonian experts told be walrus after all. Simonsen that it's the largest Bjorn Simonsen told The Midden Steller's sea lion vertebra they'd that faunal experts at the ever seen. Recorded adult male Smithsonian Institution in Washing­ Steller's (or northern) sea lions ton D.C. have now identified it as average about 3 m long and weigh the vertebra of a large male Steller's as much as one ton. They are sea lion. present along the B.C. coast, The specimen aroused interest including the Comox area. when it was identified as walrus by The mystery question this month the Zooarchaeological Identification is, How does a bison resemble a Centre in Ottawa since no walrus walrus/sea lion? Perhaps the next remains had ever been found so far set of experts will find another, south. Walrus specialists in Alaska large answer. 0

The Midden · 5 Evidence /'

J ' for Aboriginal Fish

' • Porlier Pass

by Erik de Bruijn

THE HISTORIC AND ARCHAEO­ With the exception of stone weights LOGICAL record demonstrates the and anchors, much of the importance of fishing among the equipment used in fishing was subsistence activities of aboriginal made of organic materials such as peoples on the Northwest Coast. bone, wood, shell and plant fiber, Ethnographic accounts of the 18th which only survive under favorable and 19th centuries together with conditions, and may not be found. information obtained through Moreover, some of the tools and archaeological excavations provide equipment that may have been us with knowledge about probable used in fishing or fish processing fishing locations, methods, and were also used for other subsistence technology. Methods included the activities. Thus, it has not always use of weirs and traps, trolling, been possible to conclusively jigging, trawling, spearing, dip determine that fishing activities netting, reef netting, and gill took place at a certain location. netting. In her books Artifacts of the Although underwater investiga­ Northwest Coast Indians and Indian tion can provide assistance in Fishing: Early Methods on the identifying fishing sites, especially Northwest Coast, Hilary Stewart those sites at which methods describes and illustrates much of making use of weights and anchors what we know about the different were employed, archaeologists fishing techniques and equipment. studying aboriginal sites have not, A great deal still remains to be for the most part, proceeded deeper l discovered, however, especially than the intertidal zone. The main about the exact locations of fishing focus of underwater archaeology in sites. Early accounts are often not British Columbia has been on specific enough to enable us to historic shipwrecks. With the place mentioned sites. The exception of preliminary explora­ archaeological record may not be tion of a reef netting site at Point complete, or may be inconclusive. Roberts (Rozen 1981), the only 6 - The Midden N ~~IO ~ Dionisio Poin ~

Vernaci •

Is Ian d

0 500 I I ! I I f METRES

Parlier Pass with intertidal zone (stippled} and 10m depth contour.

substantial use of underwater pass contains a number of shallow identified at many of these coves investigation has been as part of a reefs and drying rocks, the most and bays on both sides of the pass. comprehensive study of Straits hazardous of which are now An Indian reserve is situated along Salish reef netting (Easton 1985a, marked by navigational aids. Like the northwest shore of Galiano 1985b, 1986). Working from very the other inter-island passes of the Island, extending from Alcala Point general ethnographic descriptions, Gulf Islands, Parlier Pass is a high­ to east of Race Point, and native divers found the exact spots where current area, with tidal streams people continue to utilize the the nets had been set by locating reaching speeds of 9 knots on the marine resources available in the stones that had been used to flood and 8 knots on the ebb. These Portier Pass. anchor the corners of the nets. currents deliver a steady supply of Excavations have been carried out Underwater investigation can nutrients that directly or indirectly at Dionisio Point (DgRv 3/ where materially assist in recovering support a great abundance of Mitchell found cultural remains information about fishing sites in marine life, today attracting the attributable to three components: the course of . a planned recreational diver as well as the Dionisio Point I, related to the archaeological study. In addition, sport and commercial fisherman. Lithic culture type, which he chance finds by divers can provide Fish species include salmon, considers as lasting from about 7000 new evidence for fishing activities lingcod, various kinds of rockfish, BC to 5500 or 5000 BC; Dionisio and, thus, be a stimulus for further flatfish, and herring. At certain Point Ila, related to the Marpole archaeological research. Two such times of the year, marine mammals, culture type, which he dates from finds from Parlier Pass are including seals, sea lions, and even about 500 or 400 BC to around AD described in this article and are killer whales, frequent the waters of 500 or 600; and Dionisio Point lib, compared to similar artifacts found the pass. . assigned to the Gulf of Georgia in the course of controlled A number of deeply indented culture type, which he sees in excavations on land. coves and bays on the north end of existence by about AD 1000, and Galiano Island and the south end of possibly as much as 500 years Porlier Pass Valdes Island provide shelter from earlier. This indicates considerable Parlier Pass separates Valdes and prevailing winds and from the antiquity for human occupation at Galiano islands, two of the Gulf currents, and permit easy access for the north end of Galiano Island. Islands lying east of Vancouver canoes to the waters of the pass. Alcala Point Resort is the centre Island, in the Strait of Georgia. The Archaeological sites have been for diving activities in Parlier Pass. The Midden - 7 It is located at Alcala Point perforation at the narrow end, at a immediately south of the reserve. reef netting site off North Pender The foreshore is generally a low Island in Bedwell Harbour. Other cliff or steep sandstone slope, but a end-perforated stones of varying small, sandy cove provides easy sizes and compositions haye been access to the water. A substantially recovered from sites throughout the disturbed midden runs across the Georgia Strait area. Some examples property parallel to the shore. are illustrated by Stewart (1977:31, Surface examination shows some 1981:79). shell, occasional salmon vertebrae, A comparable sandstone speci­ and fire-cracked rock in a matrix of men (Mitchell 1971: Figs. 84 and black soil. 85a) weighing 7.42 kg was found at Montague Harbour, (D{Ru 13}, at Perforated Stone Anchor the southern end of Galiano Island. At Alcala Point, an anchor stone It came from the Montague was found lying underwater at a Harbour II component, which depth of 11 m, on a sloping shelf of Mitchell attributes to the Marpole broken, tumbled rock beside a culture type. A smaller granitic vertical sandstone cliff extending to example (Burley 1981:Fig. 32a) the surface. No other stones weighing 472.3 g comes from the appeared to be culturally modified. False Narrows I component at The upper surface was encrusted Senewelets, (DgRw 4}, the False with marine growth that almost Narrows midden on Gabriola obscured the perforation. It Island. Burley places this com­ measures 36.2x27.5x8.8 em and ponent in a mid-Marpole time weighs 10.8 kg. The stone is a range, between approximately 100 roughly triangular flat sandstone BC and AD 100. Mitchell considers cobble of varying thickness with a perforated stones, both large and pecked biconical perforation 11.5 small, as a distinctive archaeological em from the apex. The perforation feature of the Marpole culture type, cones are oval, 8.3x7.8 em on one but Burley notes that they can surface, 8.7x8.0 em on the other. occur in more recent contexts. Such Each perforation cone is 3.5 em occurrence could reflect re-use of deep, and the diameter of the actual earlier specimens rather than perforation is 2.5 em. If the apex is manufacture in later periods. A held towards one's body, each cone more common practice in the slopes towards the lower right historic Coast Salish period seems corner, indicating that the maker to be the use of unmodified stones completed one cone, then turned as anchors or weights. Such stones the slab about its long axis to start are often not recognized as artifacts, the cone on the opposing surface. unless, as at the Little Qualicum The lateral edges and apex of one River site (DiSc 1}, they are found surtace may have been pecked as with their associated cordage still well, but this shaping could be preserved. natural. It is obvious that perforated I observed a similar underwater anchor stones were meant to be specimen at the south end of retrieved and re-used, for consi­ Denman Island at a depth of Perforated anchor stone found near derable time would have been approximately 10 m, and Easton Alcala Point, Parlier Pass. invested in their manufacture. Underwater finds, thus, represent Photo by Erik de Bruijn. (1985a:80) reports seeing a pear­ shaped stone approximately accidental losses in the course of 0.90x0.45 m with a possible pecked use, rather than abandonment or

8 - The Midden discard. . These stones probably served a number of functions. They could be used to anchor the ends of a net, to prevent a fishtrap from moving, to hold down a line of halibut hooks, or to anchor a canoe. An ethnographically described use was as a sea anchor or drag when sturgeon fishing to prevent the fish from towing the canoe too far, but the waters of Parlier Pass are not a likely habitat for sturgeon. Another ~ cm~L•...... 8 possible use is as a weight for a line set with baited throat gorges to T-Grooved stone weight found near Black Rock, Parlier Pass. catch bottom fish. It would seem to Drawing by Kathi Sherwood. be unnecessary to use such a heavy stone for this purpose·. It is unlikely that the Alcala Point width varies from 1.4 em to 2.0 em, and 1210 ± 130 BC. This stone had a specimen was being used as a canoe and groove depth varies from 0.4 complete encircling groove and anchor. It was found so close to the em to 1.0 em. appeared to have broken at a shore that either current or wind Grooved, T-grooved, and notched second, parallel, encircling groove . would have quickly swung a canoe stones are reported from compo­ 4.0 em from the first groove. A third against the rocks. Moreover, a nents at a number of sites in the groove, perpendicular to and sheltered cove is close at hand to Georgia Strait area. Stewart intersecting with the first groove, land or launch canoes. A more (1977:31, 1981:79) illustrates several encircled one end. Additional probable use was as a net anchor specimens. A fragmentary one with sandstone weights came from the for a net set perpendicular to the a single groove is reported from the Montague Harbour II component, shore to intercept fish moving with Dionisio Point lib component (Gulf however, only one example had a the current across the inshore part of Georgia culture type), though continuous groove encircling the of the series of reefs that extends Mitchell notes that it may not middle and none was T-groovedJ from Alcala Point to Cayetano Point belong to this component as it was Four T-grooved sandstone on Valdes Island. found considerably deeper and in a weights are reported from the different soil layer than other Georgeson Bay I component at the T -Grooved Stone Weight artifacts. Three T-grooved sand­ Georgeson Bay site, (D{Ru 24} on My second underwater find is a stone cobbles, one weighing 1.24 Active Pass at the south end of roughly re~tangular sandstone kg, another 0.866 kg, were found at Galiano Island, although only two cobble from a depth of 15 m on a Senewelets (DgRw 4}. They are are illustrated (Haggarty and level sand and shell bottom about 7 associated with the False Narrows Sendey 1976:Fig. 15). This m southwest of Black Rock reef, II component, which Burley component is dated between 1100 which lies about 200 m southeast of identifies as transitional late BC and 820 BC, and is associated Cayetano Point. The upper surface Marpole with an associated with the Locarno Beach culture was covered with marine growth; radiocarbon date of AD 240 ± 90. type. Mitchell lists grooved or the bottom surface shows signs of One fragmentary T-grooved stone notched sinkers as a distinctive natural deterioration. No other made of weathered sandstone was archaeological feature of this stones were in the immediate found along with other notched and culture type. vicinity. The stone measures grooved stones at Montague The Parlier Pass specimen fits 14.5xl1.5x7.5 em and weighs 1.75 Harbour (D{Ru 13} in the Montague comfortably within the range of kg. A pecked groove encircles the Harbour I component (Mitchell dimensions that Haggarty and middle. A second pecked groove 1971:Fig. '51c) which is identified Sendey give for the four T-grooved encircles one of the ends and is with the Locarno Beach culture stones from Georgeson Bay: length perpendicular to and intersects the type and has two associated 13.9-17.8 em, width 10.0-13.6 em, groove around the middle. Groove radiocarbon dates, 940 ± 140 BC, thickness 7.10-10.6 em, weight

The Midden- 9 1.724-2.309 kg. In weight and (Georgeson Bay and Montague general shape it most closely Harbour). resembles the specimen, which, The most likely use of the Porlier like the fragmentary one from the Pass T-grooved stone was as a Montague Harbour I component, bottom weight for a net set along or has two parallel grooves encircling on the reef at Black Rock. Loss the middle. while fishing on the ebb could This type of weight was also account for its location on the sand meant to be retrieved and re-used. southwest of the reef face. Again, a considerable amount · of labor would have been involved in Conclusions its manufacture, and it can be These two artifacts suggest that assumed that underwater finds are peoples of both the Locarno Beach the result of accidental loss in the and Marpole culture types fished course of use. Post-contact parallels the waters of Porlier Pass, and that suggest a number of possible uses. this exploitation may have begun as The most obvious, as a weight tied early as 3,000 years ago. Their by cedar cord or cherry bark locations underwater clearly lashings to the bottom edge of a fish identify them as artifacts associated net suspended from wooden floats. with the utilization of marine Courtland Smith gives a weight of 3 resources. Further exploration of pounds (1.36 kg) for sinkers on the reefs lying within the 10 m seine nets 100 ft (30.5 m) long and contour line, especially those 12 ft (3.66 m) deep used on the located close to recorded sites· on Columbia River by the post-contact shore, may yield further infor­ Wishram. mation about aboriginal fishing activities in this area. D Haggarty and Sendey, noting that seal netting is ethnographically References attested and that seals frequent the Burley, David V. 1989. Senewelets: Culture History of the reef in front of the D{Ru 24 site, Nanaimo Coast Salish and the False Narrows Midden. RBCM, suggest that the large number of Victoria. grooved and notched weights Easton, Norman A. 1985a. The Underwater Archaeology of Straits Salish Reef-Netting. M.A. thesis, Dept. of recovered from the Georgeson Bay I Anthropology, Univ. of Victoria. component may have been used to Easton, N. Alexander. 1985b. The Underwater Archaeology of Straits Salish Reef-Netting. The Midden 17: 1:9-12. anchor seal nets near the reef. This Easton, N. Alexander. 1986. Underwater Archaeology of raises the possibility that the Porlier Reef-Netting II : Becher Bay. The Midden 18:4:3-5. Pass specimen may be associated Haggarty, james C. and john H.W. Sendey. 1976. Test Excavations at the Georgeson Bay Site, Gulf of Georgia Region, with similar activity at Black Rock British Columbia. BCPM, Victoria. reef. Mitchell does report a few Mitchell, Donald H. 1971a. Archaeology of the Gulf of Georgia Area, a natural Region and its Culture Types. Syesis 4, fragments of sea mammal bone, supp.l. which he thinks are probably seal, Mitchell, Donald H. 1971b. The Dionisio Point Site and from the Dionisio Point Ila Gulf Island Cultural History. Syesis 4:145-168. Rozen, David L. 1981. Underwater Archaeology at Point component, but provides no Roberts, Wash. The Midden 13:1:9-10. information about faunal remains Stewart, Hilary. 1977. Indian Fishing: Early Methods on the from the much earlier Dionisio Northwest Coast. Douglas & Mcintyre, Vancouver. Stewart, Hilary. 1981. Artifacts of the Northwest Coast Point I component. Indians. Revised ed. Hancock House, North Vancouver. Another use for a T-grooved weight is as a sinker for a halibut line suspended from a float. The ASBC member Erik de Bruijn is stone was tied some distance below Assistant University Librarian at the the steam-bent wooden hooks and University of British Columbia, a helped to keep the hooks off the scuba diver, and an avocational bottom. However, no faunal archaeologist. He has worked at evidence is available to corroborate excavations in British Columbia, halibut fishing in Porlier Pass, nor is Greece, Israel, and jordan, and is any available from the other pursuing studies towards a degree in excavated sites on Galiano Island classical archaeology as time permits.

10 ·The Midden ______Ne\V Publications

The Question of Asiatic Objects on the North Pacific Coast of America: Historic or Prehistoric? by Grant Keddie. 1990. Royal B.C. Museum, Victoria. Contributions to Human History No.3. 26 pp., ills. , bibl. $5.00 A scholarly discussion of the evidence of Chinese coins for contact between the peoples of Asia and North America.

Federal Archeology: The Current Program compiled by Bennie C. Keel, Francis P. McManamon, and GeorgeS. Smith. 1989. Annual Report to Congress on the Federal Archeology Program FY 1985 and FY 1986. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service. 56 pp. plus 155 p. app. $US 10.00 from Supt. of Documents, Government Printing Office, Wash., D.C. 20402-9325. Management report of archaeological inventory, law enforcement, and public education programs conducted by and for the U.S. federal government-types of activ~ties, costs, agencies involved, etc. Numerous tables.

Little Bit Know Something: Stories in a Language of Anthropology by Robin Ridington. 1990. Douglas & Mcintyre, Vancouver. 281 pp., bibl., index. $16.95 (paper). A collection of 15 previously published articles about the Beaver (Dene) Indians of northeastern British Columbia.

CJA features B.C. Writing Awards THE RECENTLY published issue of 1989 WINNERS of the Canadian Wanuskewin: Revealing What Prairie the Canadian Journal of Archaeological Association's public Life Was Like 6,000 Years Ago, in the Archaeology (Vol. 13, 1989) writing competition include two Western Producer Supplement, contains a number of articles on entries in the same issue of the September 21 , 1989, pp.8-9. 0 B.C. topics: The Pink Mountain Site same magazine. Rhoda Metcalfe (HhRr 1}: An Early Prehistoric picked up the award for the best Campsite in Northeastern B. C. by Ian magazine article about Canadian R. Wilson (pp.51-67); Subsistence archaeology with her piece Soggy Resource Variability' and Culture Unearthing a Legacy in the Change During the Middle-Late November/December (1989) issue archaeology Prehistoric Cultural Transition on the of Up Here, pp.36-39. The award anyone? Canadian Plateau by Ian Kuijt for the best article by a professional (pp.97-118); Archaeological and archaeologist went to Jean-Luc If you know of a wet site in the Ethnographic Correlates of Pilon for The Riddle of Thunder Lower Mainland that might not be Seasonality: Problems and Solutions River, also in the November/ recorded, Kitty Bernick would like on the Northwest Coast by Pamela J. December (1989) issue of Up Here, to hear about it-she's collecting all Ford (pp.133-150); Lachane Basketry pp.40-42. available information on water­ and Cordage,: A Technical, Functional The newspaper journalism award logged sites and perishable artifacts and Comparative Study by Dale R. was split between two entries: in the greater Vancouver - Fraser Croes (pp. 165-205); and Visual Mark Bourrie' s Archaeologists Losing Valley area. Phone her at 873-5958. Punning and the Whale's Tail: AMS Battle with Site Looters, which Address: c/o Laboratory of Dating of a Marpole-Age Art Object appeared in the Toronto Star July Archaeology, Dept. of Anthro­ by Alan D. McMillan and D.E. 2, 1989; and a co-authored piece by pology and Sociology, UBC, Nelson (pp.212-218) . 0 Robin Karpan and Arlene Karpan- Vancouver V6T 2B2. The Midden - 11 Permits

Permits issued by the B.C. Archaeology Branch April through May 1990:

1990-30 John Dewhirst: inventory, residential subdivision at Gainsburg Road, Deep Bay (NW of Bowser). 1990-31 Arnoud Stryd: monitoring and emergency impact management, residential construction, Crescent Beach (DgRrlJ. 1990-32 Arnoud Stryd: inventory of traditional Squamish territory. 1990-33 Richard Brolly: impact assessment, subdivision at Fintry, Okanagan Lake. 1990-34 Richard Brolly: impact assessment, subclivision at Westbank. 1990-35 Richard Brolly: impact assessment, subdivision at Caesar's Landing, Okanagan Lake. 1990-36 John Dewhirst: inventory, Duncan property, Denman Island (DjSe 2). 1990-37 Bjorn Simonsen: inventory, proposed Graig Bay Estates development near Parksville. 1990-38 Arnoud Stryd: impact assessment, subdivision on Bowen Island.

1990-39 Bjorn Simonsen: inventory, Finneron property, Com ox {DkS( 4). 1990-40 Ian Wilson: inventory, sections of PNG pipeline west of Telkwa. 1990-41 Ian Wilson: inventory, Public Works Canada's small boat harbour facility locations at Shingle and Alliford bays, Moresby Island. 1990-42 Ian Wilson: monitoring and emergency impact management of backhoe trenching at historic R.B. McLean Lumber Co. 1990-43 Ian Wilson: impact assessment, Noreen's proposed gravel pit between Sikanni Chief and Buckinghorse rivers.

1990-44 Richard Brolly: impact assessment, Bedwell Harbour Hotel proposed expansion near DeRt 4, South Pender Island. 1990-45 Gordon Mohs: field reconnaissance, Fraser Valley. 1990-46 Jean Bussey: inventory, Soo River electrical generating facility and transmission line, Whistler area. 1990-47 Ian Wilson: impact assessment, Departure Bay, Nanaimo. 1990-48 Wayne Choquette: inventory, mouth of Janes Creek, Windermere Lake, Kootenay District. 1990-49 Wayne Choquette: impact assessment, subdivision on west side of Columbia Lake, Kootenay District.

1990-50 Jon Driver: excavations at Charlie Lake Cave, HbR(39. 1990-51 Wayne Choquette: impact assessment, proposed improvements at Kalamalka West and Bear Creek provincial parks.

1990-52 Arnoud Stryd: monitoring and emergency impact management, Crescent Beach {DgRr 1). 1990-53 _Ian Wilson: impact assessment, McMahon cogeneration facility, Taylor. 1990-54 Richard Brolly: impact assessment, subdivision near Lillooet.

PERMITS • PERMITS • PERMITS • PERMITS • PERMITS • PERMITS

12- The Midden ______This Summer

Visit a Dig...

• Galiano Island. Norm Easton (Yukon College) and volunteers from the ASBC and the UASBC are investigating the Montague Harbour site (D{Ru 13} to see whether the midden deposits extend under the intertidal zone out into the water. Underwater and on-land excavation, June 1-24, 1990, in Montague Harbour park on Galiano Island. Visitors welcome 7 days a week. For details of ASBC tour on Saturday, June 16, please phone Guy Mageau at 980-2012.

• Fort Langley. Excavations by Lower Mainland college fieldschool (Capilano, Douglas, Fraser Valley, Langara) in Fort Langley National Historic Park, in conjunction with the Canadian Parks Service. Visitors to the park (there is an admission charge!) are welcome to watch the students dig-they'll be at it most weekdays, May 7 to June 28, 1990. Special ASBC tour on Saturday, June 16-meet near the entrance about 9:30am. If you need a ride or want more information, phone Guy Mageau at 980-2012.

• Bella Coola. Phil Hobler and the SFU fieldschool together with the local band are excavating for a third and final season at Snxlhh (near the new village site) and at Stewie (in the upper valley, in Tweedsmuir Park). June 1- August 3, 1990. Visitors welcome-ask for directions at the Bella Coola Cultural Centr.e.

• Crescent Beach. R.G. Matson returns to South Delta for a second season of research at DgRr 1. His crew will be working July 3- August 31, 1990, alongside UBC's fieldschool, taught this year by Richard Pearson. Visitors are welcome on weekday afternoons. The site is in Crescent Beach on Bayview St., just before the railway tracks.

See a Show ...

• BLOOD FROM STONE: Making and Using Stone Tools in Prehistoric British Columbia- a UBC Museum of Anthropology travelling exhibit. Showing at the Fraser- Fort George Regional Museum: June 4- July 27, 1990. Vernon Museum: September 3 through October 15, 1990.

• PETROGLYPHS & PICTOGRAPHS- a Royal B.C. Museum travelling exhibit coming to Pentieton Museum: May 11 through July 2, 1990. Fraser- Fort George Regional Museum: September 28 to November 12, 1990.

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