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Members of the archeology team, from left to right, John Maxwell, Alisha Gauvreau, and Seonaid Duffield work on excavating the site.

14,000 Old Heiltsuk Village Site Found in British Columbia. Could it be the Oldest in North America?

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An ancient archaeological discovery on Triquet Island on B.C.'s Central Coast affirms the Heiltsuk Nation’s oral tales. The newly found village site is estimated to be three times as old as the Great Pyramid at Giza and among the most ancient human settlements in North America, as the researchers from the Hakai Institute suggest.

New Find Affirms Oral Tales About Heiltsuk Nation

"Heiltsuk oral history talks of a strip of land in that area where the excavation took place. It was a place that never froze during the ice age and it was a place where our ancestors flocked to for survival," William Housty, a member of the board of directors for the Heiltsuk Resource Management Department, told CBC News. According to an analysis of charcoal recovered from a hearth around 2.5 meters (8.2 ft.) below the surface, it is believed that the site has been inhabited for about 14,000 years, a fact that makes it one of the most ancient First Nations settlements unearthed. "This find is very important because it reaffirms a lot of the history that our people have been talking about for thousands of years," Housty added.

Josh Vickers, of the Heiltsuk First Nation and the archeological team, holds up a rare 6,500-year-old carved wooden bi-point.

Josh Vickers, of the Heiltsuk First Nation and the archeological team, holds up a rare 6,500-year-old carved wooden bi-point. (Joanne McSporran)

Find Could Give New Meaning to the First Nations Concept of Time Immemorial

The excavation on Triquet Island (an island within British Columbia, Canada) has produced exceptionally unique artifacts, including a wooden projectile-launching device called an atlatl, compound fish hooks, and a hand drill used for lighting fires, as Alisha Gauvreau, a PhD student at the University of Victoria that contributed to uncover the find, told Vancouver Sun.  Gauvreau claims the site could give a new meaning to the First Nations concept of time immemorial. “When First Nations talk about time immemorial, it just goes to show how far back the occupation of this land goes back in deep time," she told CBC News.

Alisha Gauvreau holds up the 6,000-year-old hand-drill (fire-lighting tool)

Alisha Gauvreau holds up the 6,000-year-old hand-drill (fire-lighting tool). (Alisha Gauvreau)

Gauvreau, obviously excited with the results of the excavation so far, explains how the new findings could change history, specifically North American history. According to the most acceptable theory, it is believed that the first people who “invaded” the Americas, came from Asia over an Alaskan land bridge through an ice-free corridor east of the Rockies and from them found their way to what is now Canada. Gauvreau now suggests that this theory could be false, "The alternative theory, which is supported by our data as well as evidence that has come from stone tools and other carbon dating, is people were capable of travelling by boat. From our site, it is apparent that they were rather adept sea mammal hunters," she told CBC News.

The conjoined ice sheets from the Rockies (the Cordillera ice sheet) and eastern Canada (the Laurentide ice sheet) blocked Alaska.

The conjoined ice sheets from the Rockies (the Cordillera ice sheet) and eastern Canada (the Laurentide ice sheet) blocked Alaska. (University of Maryland)

Evidence Could Help in Future Negotiations

Concluding, Housty points out the scientific significance of the new find and how it could play a crucial role in the future negotiations over land title and rights. As he said to CBC:

"When we do go into negotiations, our oral history is what we go to the table with. So now we don't just have oral history, we have this archeological information. It's not just an arbitrary thing that anyone's making up ... We have a history supported from Western science and archeology."

The Heiltsuk Nation says the archaeological find which supports their oral history will help support their claims for land title and rights.

The Heiltsuk Nation says the archaeological find which supports their oral history will help support their claims for land title and rights. (Heiltsuk Nation)

Gauvreau presented her team's findings at the Society for American Archeology conference in Vancouver earlier this week.

Top Image: Members of the archeology team, from left to right, John Maxwell, Alisha Gauvreau, and Seonaid Duffield work on excavating the site. Source: Joanne McSporran

By Theodoros Karasavvas

 

Comments

That's simply not true dude. The date gets pushed back all the time as new archeological discoveries are made. It's evidence based. Doesn't mean the oral histories are wrong. They are different paths of knowledge.

Every new find proves the old, oldest date for man inhabiting North America was false. The truth is, they are all just "ego dates". The oldest evidence of the first human's is most likely long gone or in a place we shall never detect. There is no reason to believe man has not at some level walked in the Americas for over 200,000 years. When ever a ancient date is discovered it is called into question and ignored for the sake of propriety.

Thoroughly enjoyed the article on Triquet Island. Very informative and upholds some my beliefs.

Theodoros Karasavvas's picture

Theodoros

Theodoros Karasavvas, J.D.-M.A. has a cum laude degree in Law from the University of Athens, a Masters Degree in Legal History from the University of Pisa, and a First Certificate in English from Cambridge University. When called upon to do... Read More

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