A piece of wood recovered during shoreline excavation work in Old Massett initially raised hopes of a significant archaeological discovery, but analysis has now ruled out the possibility that it is a historic Haida pole.
The find occurred on March 20, during construction of a new pavilion for the Old Massett Village Council. Excavation crews were working on the dune area along the shoreline when they uncovered what appeared to be a large wooden object, deeply weathered and partially buried in beach sands and historic debris.
Archaeology monitoring staff and the Council of the Haida Nation’s archaeologist were on site throughout the excavation, which ran from March 17 to 24. When the wood was brought to the surface, it was immediately flagged for further review and set aside on pallets to allow wind and rain to gently remove sand without damaging the fragile material.
The possibility that the object was a carved pole drew attention from local community members and carvers, many of whom visited the site and viewed photographs. Some believed the object bore features consistent with Haida carving. However, a detailed update provided by CHN archaeologist Jenny Cohen on April 24 confirmed that the wood had been identified as hemlock with saw-cut marks, evidence that it was more likely a modern object, not of archaeological origin.
“More or less, that rules out the possibility of it being a pole or archaeological,” Cohen said.
The excavation work at the pavilion site included both shallow inland digging and deeper trenching closer to the shoreline. Along the shore, workers encountered heavily disturbed fill containing plastic, fishing nets, old car and boat parts, and other debris likely deposited over the past 60 years.
Elsewhere on site, previously disturbed shell midden was discovered a few metres inland. CHN’s archaeology crew raked through this sediment to recover any remaining cultural materials. A number of artifacts were collected and are currently being held at the CHN office pending analysis. These include blue trade beads, white glass buttons, ceramic tobacco pipes from the 1800s, various glass and ceramic fragments, worked bone, painted stone, and ground stone tools.
While the suspected pole has turned out to be a false alarm, the archaeological investigation is ongoing. Cohen noted that it will likely take several more months before analysis of the artifacts is complete and further conclusions can be drawn about the site’s historical significance.
The remaining culvert at the construction site is expected to be excavated in the coming weeks.
Community members with questions or an interest in the ongoing work are encouraged to contact the Council of the Haida Nation at [email protected].
