Boardwalk is the best known of 11 sites located in Prince Rupert Harbor, British Columbia, Canada. The area is one of the most important of the northern Northwest Coast. Boardwalk was occupied from ca. 2000 BC to the Modern period, and it is noteworthy for the presence of rich burials with evidence of social ranking.
The site was excavated first in the 1960s and, more recently, in early 2000 by the University of Toronto. These investigations confirmed that the main occupation of the site spanned from the end of the Early and Middle Pacific period, ca 2000 BC, to the early Modern period.
Boardwalk in the Early Middle Pacific Period
Excavations at Boardwalk produced a series of archaeological evidence composed of a shell midden, burials and plank houses. Recent investigations have shown that people living at Boardwalk relied since very early times on salmon fishing, more than land mammal hunting. People probably exploited the nearby Skeena River for salmon as early as 2000 BC, according to faunal remains recovered at the site.
Archaeologists believe that in this period, Boardwalk was one of many small villages in Prince Rupert Harbor, probably occupied seasonally, with plank houses organized in two rows.
Boardwalk in the Late Middle Pacific Period
By 1200 BC, the site was reoccupied after a period of abandonment, possibly due to climatic changes and local conflicts. During this time, the site grew and was probably occupied year-around. Salmon was the most important resource. It was caught in the river and dries and stored at the site, but, as typical for other complex hunter-gatherers groups in the Northwest Coast, other marine and land resources were exploited too.
Archaeologists propose that, as it is documented for historic times, some Boardwalk inhabitants could have controlled the richest salmon areas of the river, along with much of the trade of marine mammals, like seals and sea otters, creating wealth and social differentiation.
Broadwalk Cemetery and Wealth Markers
Excavations at Boardwalk brought to light more than 200 burials with evidence of marked social stratification and high level of warfare, starting around 500 BC - or even earlier - until AD 200/300. Grave goods included shell artifacts, amber beads, labrets, copper items, which - especially the last two elements - were symbols of high status among Northwest Coast populations.
Further evidence of social ranking is represented by a burial cache where a whalebone club, with a handle portraying a human figure, was found and dated to about 2000 years ago. In historic times, these objects were traditionally traded along the Northwest Coast and were symbols of high status. Smaller examples of clubs, recovered from other burials, were probably worn as pendants.
Economy and Resources at Broadwalk
In contrast to what emerged from the 1960s excavations, recent research has shown that fish, especially salmon, represented the basic staple for Boardwalk inhabitants throughout its history. This basic resource was integrated with other fish, as well as land and sea mammals and birds. Furthermore, an important component of Boardwalk subsistence was shellfish, as it is evident from the large shell midden deposit discovered at the site.
Salmon and herring were the most exploited fish. Deer, sea otters, seals, were hunted for their meat and fur, whereas beavers and porcupines were often hunted for their teeth, used to create tools. Dogs were also common at Boardwalk. Birds included mainly geese and ducks.
By 1200 BC, there also was an increase in birds remains, like eagle and ravens whose feathers were probably used for clothing and ceremonial paraphernalia.
Sources
This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Northwest Coast Archaeology, and the Dictionary of Archaeology.
Ames, Kenneth M., and Herbert D.G. Maschner, 1999, Peoples of the Northwest Coast. Their Archaeology and Prehistory. Thames and Hudson, London
Stewart Kathlyn M., Frances L. Stewart, and Gary Coupland, 2009, Boardwalk, Northern Northwest Coast, Canada. A New Face to an Old Site. Canadian Journal of Archaeology, 33, pp, 205-233.