STEATITE PLAQUE AND A CARVED TOOTH FROM SEMIAHMOO SPIT By Don Welsh This steatite plaque (Figure 1) and carved bear tooth (Figure 2) were excavated in site 45WH 17 Semiahmoo Spit. The following article attempts, in retrospect, to provide ethnographic and archaeological context to these most interesting artifacts. The steatite plaque was uncovered in pit 16-F-73 cut one, quad B during the Sehome High School field school, directed by the late Milton Clothier," from 1970 to 1973. I would like to thank his widow for providing the manuscript of the excavation report. Although requested, no one seems to know what happened to the artifacts, the site map, or excavation plans. So there is a repository number for artifacts but no one knows where they repose, the definite location of the pit in which they were recovered or in fact where the pits were located within the site. The Semiahmoo Spit Site Semiahmoo Spit, ( 45-WH-17), is a large complex shell midden site situated at the base of Semiahmoo Spit where it c ontacts the Birch Point uplands (Figure 3). Semiahmoo Spit, just south of the Canada/U.S. border, is a sand spit trending northeast and separating Drayton Harbor (on the east) from Semiahmoo Bay (on the west). Wayne Suttles recorded this location, from interviews with Julius Charles and Lucy Celestine, as the Semiahmoo winter Figure 1. Steatite Plaque From Clothier 1973 (accession# 245-73-1) . village S' eel uch on the west side of the spit and Nuwnuwulich on the east side. S'eeluch was allegedly a high class village while Nuwnuwulich was second class. The burial ground was reported to have been where the two villages met. A large rock, nine feet high, was mentioned near the houses at S' eeluch it was used to promote good weather by throwing water on it or hitting it with a paddle. From the burial ground to the end of the spit were family owned duck net locations (Suttles nd: 7-8). The Figure 2. Carved Tooth (full size) (accession# 69-73-4). 14 The Midden 36/1 &2 shell heap was seven metres deep and Beach Culture, Marpole Culture and Possible Cultural Affiliation of formed a large, generally triangular, Gulf of Georgia Culture in Mitchell's the Plaque ridge from the spit base and was Gulf of Georgia sequence (see Gaston These conclusions imply that the presumably between the two rows of 1975: 107) and these terms will be used sculptured plaque could have ori ginated houses. The main midden ridge is 100 preferentially here. during Marpole Culture or earlier in metres by 70 metres and a secondary Jeannette Gaston reported the results Locarno Beach (or even earlier) beach ridge, measuring 400 metres by of her excavations in this site in 1975. deposits but it is unlikely to be from 10 metres and with varying depth, She found the site appeared to have an the more recent proto-historic covers much of the spit. occupational gap during the Marpole occupation given the part of the site The spit has grown to the northwest Culture. She reported Clothier's from which it came. The proto-historic over time and separates two ecological excavation included Charles Culture, occupation is closely related to zones- an active wave-washed spit (on some Locarno Beach Culture and a bit ethnographic descriptions of the the .Serpiahmoo Bay side) and a of Marpole Culture. This was the only Semiahmoo village of this location.that sheltered bay (on the Drayton Harbor Marpole manifestation excavated at the placed the low class village on this side, side). Large beds of butter clams and site. Most of Gaston's excavation was east of the shell heap where, horse clams exist on the wave swept in deposits dating from the proto­ presumably, the Marpole oc ~ up ation side. .There is the suggestion that these historic Gulf of Georgia Culture. She recorded by Clothier also occurred. beds were family owned in the same reported Clothier's date of 4100±500 Therefore unresolved archaeological way as ,the duck nets. Trolling for years (WWSC, no number), and questions remain. salmon purportedly ran from Birch obtained another date of 2875±65 years Very little sculptural artwork has Point (South Bluff) to Ocean Park (UW332) at the bottom strata. She noted originated from this site. As much of 1 (North Bluff) • Silver smelts were also that it was from a si milar layer to this type of artwork is attributed to fished for by means of paddles - used Clothier's earlier date (Gaston 197 5: Marpole Culture, the lack thereof may to throw the massed spawning smelts 106). correspond with an occupational hiatus out of the water. Deer and elk were Grabert et al published further during the Marpole time period. At the available in the surrounding area excavations and more dates in 1978. same time, across the bay on Point (S uttles 1951: 27- 30). It come's as no In this report, Clothier's excavations Roberts at the Whalen Farm and Beach surprise that the faunal analysis of the were reported to have been on the east Grove sites, Marpole house remains excavated matrix stresses ungulates side of the midden ridge. A string of have been reported with significant (deer and elk), fish, birds (ducks and carbon dates were obtained: 350±50 numbers of sculptures. The Semiahmoo diving birds rather than geese or years (UW 461); 5 80±60 years Spit site may have remained relatively swans), and shellfish. The only surprise (UW462); 830±60 (UW458); 2370±70 unsettled during this time although it is the amount of Stellar's sea lion bones, years (UW457); 2715±55 years appears to have been used at least as a the hunting of which was not mentioned (UW463); 2830±65 years (UW459); resource utilization site. This must in the ethnographies. and 3015±65 years (UW460). These remain speculative until the Marpole . dates are all in uncalibrated aspect of this site has been further Excavations at Semiahmoo Spit radiocarbon years. investigated. Although the exact location of The opinion of the Western It must be noted here that little Clothier's 1973 excavation is not Washington University archaeologists evidence of house structures was found known, he mentioned a large glacial was that Marpole was not well in the test units on the outside of the erratic on the Drayton Harbor side of represented at this site (Gaston 1975: shell heap where the ethnographic the spit which he used as a datum. This 106-108; Grabert, Cressman and description would have them. The may be the rock mentioned in Suttles' Wolverton 1978: 211-217). Marpole excavators also noted that there was ethnography as being near the houses Culture's manifestation appears to be considerable historic disturbance in this of the high status village on the to the east of the main shellheap, in area that likely destroyed the evidence. Semiahmoo Bay side of the spit. As no the area excavated by Clothier (Gaston Their choice of excavating a number of erratic is currently visible at the site, it 1975: 106). Since this area was outside pits across the area proposed for the cannot be used to locate the Clothier the Blaine sewage plant proposal, it sewer plant may have also affected the excavation area. At the time of was not reexamined by Western visibility of house floors. A long trench Clothier's excavations only one carbon Washi ngton University archaeologists with a continuous profile or shallow date had been secured (41 00±500 years) for dateable material. Although the excavation of a wide area is more likely which came from a hearth on the basal Western Washington University to reveal house outlines. Considerable gravel of the site. Clothier divided archaeologists concluded that Marpole post moulds, both large and small, are occupation of the site into four was not well represented in the areas expected in house deposits, as for divisions: Serniahmoo· I, Serniahmoo II, they excavated, they also qualified this instance at the Tsawwassen Site where Semiahmoo III and Semiahmoo IV. statement with the opinion that it could excavations entered house locations These are identical in dates and cultural still be located elsewhere in the site. recorded ethnographically by Homer material to: Charles Culture, Locarno Barnett. In the case of Semiahmoo Spit, The Midden 36/1 &2 15 only one post mould was noted in the Tribe today it includes members of share the general shape of the mouth; excavation units. It is possible that the Semiahmoo ancestry and has legal they differ in that the archaeological excavations missed the historic house jurisdiction over American Semiahmoo plaque has teeth and a curvilinear sites. It is also possible that this site territory. The Semiahmoo First Nation formline incised into the cheek. was used seasonally but did not in Canada represents people of The second similar image is the much constitute a winter village with Semiahmoo ancestry and has legal older Lummi bear mask from 1800 that permanent plank houses. This later jurisdiction over Canadian Semiahmoo is conserved in the San Diego Museum suggestion, however, contradicts the territory. Both groups claim ancestral of Man (Figure 5) (McQuiston and ethnographic data, which is quite ties to Semiahmoo Spit. Museum McQuiston: 36-37). Details of this extensive for this site. records do not necessarily reflect this mask's acquisition are missing but the same degree of legal hair splitting. It date of assumed manufacture predates The Image on the Plaque is safe to say that both were and are in the legal division of the Semiahmoo and Th~ im.age on the plaque was incised close cultural contact and share local the subsequent merger of one divi~ion into a flat piece of soapstone and art styles.