Authenticity of carved stone pillar found on Victoria beach under review
The authenticity of a carved stone pillar found at low tide on a beach in Victoria last summer is now under review, according to the Royal B.C. Museum.
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Posted: Jan 31, 2021 12:16 PM PT | Last Updated: January 31
The pillar is carved with the features of a face and weighs 100 kilograms.(Grant Keddie/The Canadian Press)
The authenticity of a carved stone pillar found at low tide on a beach in Victoria last summer is now under review, according to the Royal B.C. Museum.
Earlier in the week the museum said the 100-kilogram stone pillar had been confirmed to be an Indigenous artifact.
Grant Keddie/Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum has confirmed that a 100-kilogram carved stone pillar found on a Victoria beach last summer is an Indigenous artifact.
In a release, archaeology curator Grant Keddie said the museum would work with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations to determine the most suitable home for the discovery.
“It’s an exciting find and a clear reminder of the long history of our people living in this region,” said Chief Ron Sam of the Songhees Nation. “We are looking forward to learning much more about the stone.”
Keddie said the stone was brought to his attention on July 12, when a local resident sent him photos of it lying on the beach below Beacon Hill Park.
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VICTORIA - The Royal B.C. Museum says it has confirmed a carved stone pillar found at low tide on a beach in Victoria last summer is an Indigenous artifact.
After examining the stone, consulting with local communities and looking at anthropological records, archeology curator Grant Keddie came to the conclusion the artifact could be a ritual stone pillar, likely related to events such as the first salmon ceremony, used in puberty rites or related to ceremonies involving the feeding of the dead.
The museum said it will work with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations to determine the most suitable home temporary or permanent for the find.
The artifact is a large slab of sandstone, a type of rock not found in this area, and does not appear to have been carved with steel tools, according to Keddie. He said special rocks were used by the Lekwungen people to influence the weather and ensure safety in venturing out in pursuit of food or to create unsafe conditions for one’s enemy.