Prerogatives, Sea Level, and the Strength of Persistent Places: Archaeological Evidence for Long-Term Occupation of the Central Coast of British Columbia

Abstract

This article considers the phenomenon of archaeological sites with very long occupational records on the central BC coast. This area includes the well documented archaeological site of Namu (ElSx-1), which was occupied repeatedly for at least the last ten thousand years (Cannon 1991, 2000, 2002, 2003; Carlson 1996; Rahemtulla 2006). Cannon (2003) argues that Namu and other sites on the central coast reveal a pattern of cultural continuity that is long-term and persistent. This article presents recently acquired archaeological data from the outer shore islands to the west of Namu, demonstrating that other archaeological sites on the central coast have records of human occupation and use that are of similar spans. In our interpretation of the long-term processes that contributed to the formation of these persistent places, a combination of both social and environmental factors is considered. In particular, the ethnographically described systems of prerogatives – exclusive rights and privileges held and inherited by a person, class, or village – are explored in relation to how they could have contributed to long-term patterns of settlement. In addition to this, a specific environmental factor is considered: the stability of sea level in the region. This provided a relatively stable shoreline along which the accumulation of archaeological deposits could occur over many millennia. The central coast of British Columbia is today a relatively remote region, accessible only by boat or aircraft. Research presented here was gathered as a part of the Hakai Ancient Landscapes Archaeology Project and work carried out by the University of Northern British Columbia’s archaeology field school. The study area for this project, situated in the