In a recent edition of Dig It, my colleague Joanne Hammond discussed the presence of a very significant concentration of archaeological sites in and around Kamloops and how these sites pertain to the occupation of the region since the last Ice Age by Secwepemc people (“The Proof is Under the Pavement,” July 24, 2019).
Her article was accompanied by a single photo of the South Thompson river valley, overlain with red circles and ovals.
These polygons represent archeological sites and her intent was to illustrate their ubiquity in our city, often buried just out if sight, in locations both predictable and surprising.
To any B.C. archeologist, these red polygons would be immediately recognizable.
In British Columbia, the protection and management of archeological sites is the responsibility of the Archaeology Branch — an office of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
The Archaeology Branch has a variety of roles, but two of the most important relate to the issuance of permits and maintenance of a provincial registry of recorded archaeological sites.
This registry is accessed by archeologists through an on-line portal called RAAD (that is, Remote Access to Archaeological Data).
On RAAD, archeological sites are represented by red polygons.
RAAD is maintained by the Inventory Section of the Archaeology Branch. It maintains the provincial registry, which contains records for each of the more than 50,000 recorded sites in the province.
When an archeologist discovers a previously unrecorded archeological site, or revisits a recorded one, they are required to submit a B.C. archeological site inventory form.
Site forms contain a variety of information that archeologists collect when they record archeological sites.
This includes everything from basic location information and related maps to summary data regarding the age and functions of a site, its environmental context, condition and significance.
Together, these site forms comprise an inventory of archeological sites, which can then be accessed through RAAD.
Access to RAAD is limited to professional archeologists who require data about previous archeological studies and other eligible professionals who require information about archeological sites for land-use planning or development approvals processes. The information on RAAD is not available to the general public.
As the Archaeology Branch website explains, RAAD access is tightly controlled because of “the sensitive nature of archeological sites.”
Why is access to archeological site data limited and controlled?
The secrecy around archeological sites and their locations is intended to help protect sites from damage by pothunters.
A pothunter is an amateur artifact collector who lack the formal training of professional archeologists.
They collect artifacts from sites without the requisite permits and without recording the types of observations of their discoveries, which would allow archeologists to make reasoned inferences about past human behaviour.
Moreover, they often target the kinds of artifacts that would otherwise be most useful to archeologists: artifacts diagnostic of particular time periods or particular activities, such as: stone arrowheads, dart points, spearheads and knives.
Also, pothunters often dig pits into sites in their quest for artifacts, obliterating the context and associations of their finds.
This reduces the historical importance of the artifact from that of one piece within a prehistoric puzzle to that of mere curio.
At its worst, pothunting occurs at an industrial scale, with artifacts at times offered for sale online.
Collecting artifacts from archeological sites without a permit from the Archaeology Branch is illegal, as it violates the B.C. Heritage Conservation Act.
Pothunters may be subject to a fine or even imprisonment under the terms of the Act.
In a sense, pothunters are the frenemies of archeologists.
Their hobby damages archeological sites and limits the information potential for archeologists.
Yet, having an interest in artifacts and what those artifacts represent is commendable. It’s the same curiosity about the past, which motivates archeologists, after all.
If you’re a pothunter, please leave the artifacts you find where you find them and instead share your discoveries with the professional archeological community.
Your interest and passion for artifacts is understandable. Consider joining the recently formed Kamloops chapter of the Archaeological Society of B.C. (ASBC)
More information about the ASBC is available online at asbc.ca.
If you’re considering buying, selling or developing a property, and you are interested in knowing whether there is a recorded archeological site on that property, you can request the information from the Archaeology Branch through their website at archdatarequest.nrs.gov.bc.ca/. Realtors may also obtain this information for properties, which they list for sale.