Me and a friend took our sons out for a dig and pretzels today somewhere in the recess of our neighbourhood. The only archaeology I’d done before was at the bottom of an old well while I was a foreign student some 15 years ago, back when I thought Indiana Jones’ career was something easily replicated (still not entirely convinced to the contrary).
I remember being not all that amazed by the finds at the time, as the cat and rat skeletons, broken plates, rags and knives discovered during that school dig weren’t things that I could viscerally connect to. My fellow students could put them in a more personal context because they were “of that place”. I was not. I was born in Vancouver, and naturally find the short sweep of its modern history to be profoundly more interesting than that of most other places I’ve ever been to.
I should stress that this isn’t “real” archaeology. We’re not going meters down and hunting for evidence of aboriginal life thousands or hundreds of years ago. We’re looking for old bottle caps and rubbish on and just below the surface to get our kids excited about the past. Without training, geophysical surveys or documents leading to a proverbial “x” (we’ll leave such things to the pros digging real archaeological sites), one simply marks a spot and digs a small, inoffensive hole a few inches deep.
At our spot – an old dump – today, we brought up plenty of cool finds dating from the Victorian to the 1960’s. We found an over-abundance of old glass (including an intact bottle buried in mud) and just as much shattered ceramic of many different types. There were also butchered bones galore, and bits of metal that included an iron skeleton key and an old copper latch hook (amazingly, the only plastic we found was on the surface).
Here are a few shots of the day and of the finds my son and I categorised afterwards at home …
If you decide to give it a shot yourselves, make sure it’s in a location that is of no concern to anyone, like your own backyard. If you think you need permission, you probably do, so don’t go digging in a public park or near a known archaeological site. Your kit should include:
– clothes that you don’t mind getting filthy.
– a good pair of boots.
– a shovel for surface breaking.
– a trowel for tickling.
– a spoon for scooping out gunk and removing “artifacts”.
– a toothbrush for cleaning.
– several ziploc bags.
– lots of water for cleaning and drinking.
– a camera for kicks and documenting “finds”.
– a band-aid or three.
Archaeology is very sensitive stuff, so don’t go digging massive holes with reckless abandon. If, in your explorations, you should find anything that you suspect is of any sort of significance, leave it in situ and contact the government’s Archaeology Branch by telephone at 250-953-3334. Also, even if you dig only the tiniest of holes, fill it back up so as to not invite any unfortunates to break their ankles in the middle of the night.
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Andrew, sorry to be a killjoy, but as an archaeologist I can tell you that’s it’s illegal to undertake an archaeological excavation in BC without a permit from the Archaeology Branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Heritage Conservation Act provides severe penalties for destruction or unauthorized disturbance of archaeological sites including imprisonment for up to two years and fines of up to $1,000,000.
Why so harsh? Because excavation is essentially destruction. When sites are excavated they are destroyed forever, so it’s vitally important to excavate and record everything using professional and scientific standards. The relationships between artifacts, various features & environmental aspects of the site are crucial to understanding site formation processes & the site itself. When artifacts are removed without proper recording, all of this information is lost and the artifacts lose their value to inform us about people in the past.
Because BC is so large, most of the archaeological sites in the province have remained unrecorded, so you never know when you may stumble upon a site of great value and importance to the understanding of the history of our province, including that of First Nations. Accordingly, it’s vitally important to only excavate only with permission from the Archaeology Branch.
For more information please see: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/archaeology/archaeology_in_BC.htm
Hi Darlene. Don’t worry. You’re not a killjoy precisely because what we’re doing isn’t archaeology. We’re just teaching our kids a little and exploring. I’ve modified the post to reiterate as much, and included the telephone number of the AB. Cheers.
Buzzkill
What a shame! Even with the restrained and appropriate comments from Darlene, Scout Magazine still doesn’t get it! What you describe is clearly illegal! You’ve done a great disservice to your readership and your students. Your actions are considered archaeology no matter how you choose to label it and you have now (at least partially) destroyed an archaeological site. Shame!
Unfortunately Andrew, I have to say that Darlene really is right. Unless you had already contacted the government’s Archaeology Branch and got a permit for your work than what you were doing is illegal, and to demonstrate that to children (while pretty fricken cool, as a kid who always wanted to do Archaeology and now studies it in University) is wrong.
Just as an example, if something had been brought to the surface on the site you were digging by the process of weathering (by water, most likely) that was much, much older then your guesstimate of the Victorian Era (such as anything from the Settler’s era of Canada or before) then you may have destroyed it.
If you had wanted to do this with your children then there are organizations who runs camps and events where they get the permits for an area and do medium scale digs with the children and family. This is ideal, because not only are they run by a trained Archaeologist (who can deal with any finds that are stumbled upon) but kids can be given a direct context for their finds and possibly become much more engrossed and interested in the history.
Please in the future review your local laws about digging like this in your area, but definitely look into the camps and events if you’d like more fun!
Archaeology is not just about Native peoples, but about people as a whole, who they were and how they interacted with each other and the environment, and that includes “old garbage dumps” or what you can call a modern midden. You are teaching your kids to loot. If you would like to know more about actual archaeology then go to the museum or UBC as they have an excellent program.
I’m sorry, Andrew, but the fact is that you are breaking the law. No matter how you dress it up, the fact is you are out there digging holes and searching for artifacts. I understand that your intentions were good, but that doesn’t change the facts.
Not really Alex. If someone were, unknowingly, breaking the law in regard to your profession you’d speak up. As an indigenous archaeologist I’m very glad Darlene said something.
It’s an awesome idea to ignited passion and curiosity in our young people. I adore the sentiment but it’s worth mentioning the legal side of things to make sure people are aware. Hardly being a buzzkill.
Golly, folks! Wanting to be a responsible citizen, I duly contacted the good people at the Archaeology Branch and asked if digging in contemporary dumps and within my own backyard was OK. The short answer was yes, as long as it isn’t a known archaeological site. I am not teaching my kids to “loot”. If they bring up a sherd from a 1950’s diner set, they are cleaning it, photographing it, and doing their best to date it. I absolutely respect your zeal and even share it, but the accusatory vitriol is wholly unnecessary.
Perhaps you can have your literate students read Section 13 of the BC Heritage Conservation Act to you: http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_96187_01#section13
Jason, your holier than thou histrionics are neither becoming nor constructive, so if you’re going to try and be informative and helpful, do your best to tuck your geo-phys shirt back in. I read Section 13. Please point out where I contravene it by digging in my backyard or rummaging through a dump.
I am an archaeologist, and I really don’t find what he has done as a big deal, as he had stated, it was in a dump and backyard. How often are artifacts discovered when the average citizen brings in something they have dug from a garden or found while walking Rover in the woods? I know from my experiences working at the museum having the keen interest of discovering new sites just because of an accidental find. But that is not the argument. Is it illegal to dig in archaeological zones? Yes. In public areas of known disturbance such as one’s backyard? I should say not. I commend Andrew for bringing the joy of history to his kids and being a great dad in having a fun day with them. He sounds like he is well informed on the process of what he can and can’t do, but nitpicking over the what-if’s and finger wagging over destroying Canadian history shows a touch of arrogance on our part. Maybe the point should be this:
“Great job, Andrew! You made a fun day with for the kids and gave them a taste of what it’s like to be an archaeologist if they so choose when they get older. By that time they will go through 4 or more years of university being told that they can’t dig somewhere unless they are told and are given a permit (A major let down and a total bore of a semester, albit necessary). And if they are EXTREMELY lucky they may find a company who will hire them for the season, where they will sit in a 1×1 metre pit that they have been picking at for 8 days in 38 degree heat and fodder for blackflies and ticks. And they may look back fondly on this memory with their dad and think ‘wow, this was a lot easier with a shovel in a dump.'”
Don’t let these comments get you down, Andrew. Just be sure to stay away from river systems and middle of nowheres (or if unsure, the Museum will tell you where to avoid) the next time you guys go exploring. And have a great day.
Thank you kindly, Christian. I was beginning to feel like I was a criminal and my children accessories. There are few things more cloyingly annoying than the assumed dictatorship of expertise. Your reasoned sentiment is appreciated.
No worries. I expect of a bit of a backlash from my comrades about it, but I’ve been in the industry enough to be a bit more relaxed and not as dusty as the dirt I dig. When in doubt on where to go next time if you so choose, someone is always available to give you some pointers (so to avoid the situation above). I do suggest that you try volunteering for an actual legal “have a Heritage Permit” dig. It may put a damper on your enthusiasm when you see the tedious yet very important process we have to go through in order to record everything, but at least when you do find something, it’s just as exciting, especially if it hasn’t been held in over 3000 years. Just don’t look too badly on us. It’s difficult finding work in archaeology, and sometimes one just gets into the habit of being “cloyingly annoying” in our “assumed dictatorship of expertise.” Sometimes I think it’s a job requirement.
Thanks, Christian. I actually studied archaeology and history at the universities of Cape Town and Toronto, so I’m marginally well versed in the importance of preservation, enough to want to impart some of my enthusiasm to my kids without blindly hacking through the soil with a pickaxe. The point of the exercise was to teach them about stratigraphy, context, artifact identification (“It’s a Pepsi bottle, son”) and respect for the past. I certainly don’t look “too badly” on you or any other archaeologist keen to record and protect our heritage, so please excuse my bile when it rises at the hubris of those academics who claim moral ownership over my backyard.
I’m bitterly disappointed that, what had at first seemed to be a seedy, neigh criminal enterprise fraught with moral failings, the wholesale destruction of our local history, the contamination of our youth, and perhaps the eradication of what precious little topsoil there is left in the biosphere has been turned into something perfectly reasonable, neat, and maybe even informative.
I thought you were cool, scoutmagizine.
🙂 I try.
LOL@ Jason.
Andrew. I take no offense. It was the hubris that made me want to comment when I usually keep mum. I plan on retiring soon from archaeology, maybe I’ll take up something less tense in my old age…like landscaping.
Good on you for taking it up in the first place!
@ jason/ darlene et al.
i’m curious: when a property development firm breaks ground in some random area are the trillions of cubic feet of earth displaced being rummaged through with a fine tooth comb just IN CASE there may have been something of archaeological significance?
i think not.
the fact that perhaps some historical artifacts were unearthed on this field trip and you now know about it means that you owe him your thanks, not your finger wagging.
do you suggest that the thousands of people throughout history who have happened upon finds of historical significance be equally chastised?
Well, to be fair, when a property development firm is about to break ground, it goes through a very tiring and very lengthy process, one of which includes an archaeological assessment that requires if not all then at least the first of the following: An archaeological assessment through research, then shovel testing (if research showed potential), then site testing to possible full mitigation. Most developments that I’ve been involved in just needed the research and an archaeologist on hand to watch the CAT do it’s job just to make sure our research hadn’t missed anything. Sadly it’s the law now that any wide scale project needs an archaeological assessment. And as you can see above, it’s something that people can take very seriously. It’s their job.
But I need also to remind those of us here the beginning teachings of archaeology when we as bright starry eyed pitlings just starting out and found our first white refined earthenware – if it’s less than 100 years old, it’s modern. And we don’t keep it. We leave it for archaeology camps and scout magazine.
Andrew,I invite you and the boys to dig my my yard anytime.
It is commendable to be spending constructive time with your children and following up by researching items that were discovered. Maybe a trip to the Vancouver Muesum in Kits
would be fun for them to see how they display similiar items.
How many of us can honestly say we have taken as much care to explain history to our children?
Very kind. Will likely take you up on that!