In North America trade was a common practice between Indigenous groups long before the European fish and fur trade industry in the early 16th century. Trade reflects many aspects of culture, and understanding ancient trade and exchange is an important goal in archaeology.
Market economies were not foreign to Indigenous peoples and they traded goods over large territories. This is reflected in the archaeological record. Excavations conducted at ancient sites in the Interior Plateau of BC often recover shell artifacts. Some of the shell artifacts include items made from dentalium or scallop pectin shells. Most dentalium entering the Indigenous trade network originated along the west coast of BC.
The Secwépemc, located in the Interior Plateau would access dentalium shells from coastal peoples through a complicated network that involved trading highly sought after dried salmon and salmon oil in exchange for dentalium shells. Dentalium shells were a form of currency for cross-cultural trade. In addition to their use as currency they also served as decorative wealth on ceremonial dress.
Shell and bone preserve well in ancient sites. Pendant artifacts consisting of dentalium tubular beads often illustrate unique designs carved on them. Pendants were also made from pectin shells with drilled perforations. The distribution and variety of materials found at the ancient sites within the Interior, which are not found locally, implies that the Secwépemc and their ancestors were optimally positioned geographically to participate in the extensive trade networks.
Photo: Dentalium Shell Beads
Evidence of nephrite or jade artifacts have also been recorded in the Interior. Nephrite is a very hard material and used for groundstone cutting tools. Celt artifacts made from nephrite were highly valued as property, but occasionally used as chisels and wedges intended for woodworking purposes. The sources for Nephrite, for example, northwestern BC and Alaska, are locations that are a great distance from the Interior groups. Trade practices would often occur during social interaction with other groups providing an opportunity to exchange these materials.
Furthermore, obsidian material found in the interior can be traced to source areas through methods of chemical analysis that define the ‘fingerprints’ unique to specific locations. For example, one of the projects that the Little Shuswap worked on in Squilax area near Chase, recovered a microblade fragment made from obsidian. The artifact was submitted for x-ray fluorescence analysis, sourcing the obsidian material from Anahim Peak, which is 500 kilometres northwest of the project area. Obsidian is highly prized because the material is excellent for toolmaking, and it produces a razor-sharp edge.
Photo: Replica of an Obsidian Projectile Point
As discussed in earlier Dig It columns, plant goods, wood and animal skins do not preserve well at ancient sites. However, many of these items made from these products were traded and were culturally valued. For instance, bitterroot is a perennial plant that grows in dry habitats of the Interior region and an important source of food for Secwépemc peoples. The roots were harvested using a digging stick and the roots were steamed, pit-cooked, boiled, or dried. The dried roots were generally stored for winter supplies and traded with neighbouring Nations in exchange for animal skins for example. There are reports of ten bundles of bitterroot that were equivalent in trade for one large dressed buckskin.
Photo: Dentalia
Trade reveals the economic aspects of ancient cultures, as well as social and political relationships. Prior to contact, Indigenous peoples of the area had extensive trade networks in place allowing for the movement of people, goods, services and ideas over great distances at a time, contrary to the commonly held belief that Indigenous peoples lived in isolation. This is supported by the archeological and archival record combined with Indigenous oral narratives both experiential and historical.