On Monday, September 13, 2021, shortly after the excavation work commenced on the White Tower Park Stormwater ponds expansion project, an artifact of historical significance was discovered.
The volcanic stone item, described in the resulting archaeologist’s report as a “distal portion of a bifacial projectile point” is triangular in shape and about four centimeters in length.
After further examination, it has been determined that the archaeological find from September 13, 2021, at the White Tower Pond Expansion project was a proximal (base) end of a bifacially flaked blade or spear point, made of a fine-grained volcanic material, dating to at least 1,000 years old. The broken point portion measures 4.3 cm in length and would have been 2-3x that length when complete.
At the request of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and with the support of town staff, archaeologists were monitoring the site excavation when the discovery was made. The site was not previously identified as one of archaeological significance.
According to the archaeologist’s report, the artifact “was located within a soil layer that had been highly disturbed and contained modern refuse, including bricks, glass, and asphalt pieces.” The site is covered with fill that is approximately two meters deep; efforts will now be made to determine where the fill originated.
The Town of Gibsons has consulted with the Squamish Nation on the White Tower Park project since the design phase and staff continue to be engaged with the Nation on appropriate next steps.
