I.R. Wilson Consultants Ltd.

Feature Artifact

Basketry
(Old Songhees Reserve, Victoria, B.C.)

The artifact illustrated here displays preserved basketry. Artifacts of this nature are a rarity on the Northwest coast, occurring only at sites with enhanced preservative qualities (i.e. water-logged deposits). The type of weaving present on this fragment is referred to as open plain twining. The open weave of this type of basketry would have allowed for good ventilation enabling its use for gathering and carrying seafood. Basketry of this type is characteristic of Coast Salish groups and was one of the
most common types of basketry in the Coast Salish area 2,000
years ago.