Kilgii Gwaay—A 10,700 year old Wet Site Revisited on the Southern Haida Gwaii, B.C., Canada

 By Dale Croes

 Dale Croes, Wet Archaeological Site Specialist, was invited by Parks Canada to volunteer on an expanded investigation of the oldest and most important Northwest Coast wet site discovery. It took place during the lowest tides of the year last June 2012.

Kilgii Gwaay, dating to 10,700 years ago, contains a rich assemblage of stone tools, preserved bone artifacts and fauna and, so important to wet site specialists, wood/fiber artifacts.  The site is in the intertidal zone, so last spring during the lowest tide of the year, the crew visited this protected embayment on small Ellen island (Figure 1) on the southernmost Haida Gwaii (formerly call the Queen Charlette Islands), northern B.C. Canada. See illustrated report here:  Kilgii Gwaay Archaeological Wet Site–Spring 2012 Exceptional Faculty Award Report