Once upon This Land
Once upon This Land
Archaeology in British Columbia and the Stories It Tells
With evidence of human habitation dating back fifteen thousand years to the last ice age, British Columbia boasts a fascinating array of famous and lesser-known archaeological sites. Across the province, archaeologists are changing how archaeology is practised by working in partnership with Indigenous and other descendant communities to document important cultural sites. In this up-to-date overview, professional archaeologist Robert Muckle visits sites around the province to explain what archaeology is (and isn’t), how research is undertaken in this province, and what it contributes to our broader understanding of human history.
Once upon This Land introduces readers to some of the most notable archaeological investigations, including footprints left in mud on Calvert Island thirteen thousand years ago, the remains of a large First Nations village near Lillooet, and the body of a man frozen in ice for centuries in the Tatshenshini region. He also investigates more recent phenomena, such as a fur-trade fort, remains of the gold rush, a World War I internment camp near Fernie, a Japanese logging camp in North Vancouver, shipwrecks, airplane crashes, and even the remnants of COVID-19 left behind in urban landfills.
This unique book will appeal to readers who want to understand how and where archaeology happens in British Columbia, including those interested in a career in the field. It is also for those who would like to explore and know more about the province’s archaeological sites and history.
Bob Muckle’s beginner’s guide to archaeology in what is now British Columbia requires no experience with the discipline to grasp vocabulary and ideas currently used by archaeologists. His clear, plain-language narrative peels back the layers of earth to reveal a story contained in the soil of this province.
History in BC begins with our Indigenous history. In Once upon This Land, distinguished archaeologist Bob Muckle reads the clues from ancient footsteps, clam gardens, and obsidian quarries. There are other finds too, from shipwrecks to internment camp escape tunnels, and artifacts revealed by retreating glaciers. It’s a riveting read that spans fifteen thousand years of human history and tells the stories beneath our feet.
This is an engaging and accessible treasure trove of stories told by artifacts, shipwrecks, radiocarbon dating, trash, and even wildfires. Robert Muckle blends Indigenous knowledge with scientific analysis, giving context to thousands of years of human history in British Columbia.
I have always wished for an archaeology of BC book like this that I could use in teaching my own classes. While the writing style is accessible and never condescending, Once upon This Land will help inquisitive readers appreciate just how complex and vast the archaeological history of the northwest part of North America really is.
The way that Bob explains common misconceptions in archaeology is so straightforward and easy to understand that I wish I’d come up with it!
May this book offer all who read it a glimmer of understanding of the fourteen thousand years of documented relationships between Indigenous peoples and the land which has sustained us.
Robert J. Muckle is a registered professional archaeologist who taught for many years in the Department of Anthropology at Capilano University. He has written several books, including The First Nations of British Columbia: An Anthropological Overview, Forgotten Things: The Story of the Seymour Valley Archaeology Project, and Indigenous Peoples of North America. He lives in the Greater Vancouver region.
