Overview

With evidence of human habitation dating back to the last ice age, British Columbia boasts a fascinating array of archaeological sites. In this thoroughly up-to-date survey, professional archaeologist Robert Muckle takes readers to some exciting locations to explain what archaeology is (and isn't), how research is undertaken in BC, 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 in the province, including footprints left in mud on Calvert Island 13,000 years ago, the remains of a First Nations village near Lillooet, and the body of a man frozen in ice for centuries in the Tatshenshini region. He also explores more recent phenomena, such as a First World War 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 is an engrossing look at how archaeology, by telling the stories of our past, connects us to 15,000 years of human occupation on this land.

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9780774881081

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Reviews

""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.""-- ""From the foreword by archaeologist Karen Rose Thomas"" ""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!""-- ""Andrew Kinkella, Department of Anthropology, Moorpark College, and host of The Pseudo-Archaeology Podcast"" ""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.""-- ""Michael Kluckner, author of Vanishing 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.""-- ""Brian Pegg, Department of Anthropology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University""

Author Information

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.

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