A rare 2,000-year-old fishing net unearthed in Tsawwassen is undergoing conservation at the First Nation’s repository, providing a window into the coastal life that flourished in the region millennia ago.

“It really highlights the deep cultural importance of fishing for our people. It’s a privilege to be able to care for and hold a piece of our ancestors’ history and perpetuity,” said Tia Williams, archeology coordinator at the Tsawwassen First Nation.

Radiocarbon dating was used to determine the age of the net. It’s undergoing cellulose analysis after researchers confirmed that it’s made from bark fibres, but not cedar. Some professionals, weavers and elders suggest the material could be stinging nettle or big leaf maple.

“In archeology, we almost never recover a complete fish net. Most of the time, we’re lucky if we find small fragments, maybe a knot, a leaf. Usually, we only see traces,” said Williams.

Williams said most archeological sites are dry, which means organic materials typically break down over time. As a result, archeologists often find stone and bone tools, or small remnants, while materials such as fibres, wood or textiles rarely survive.

Wet sites are different. In water-saturated environments, such as clay, mud, or peat, oxygen can’t easily reach buried objects. This creates an anaerobic environment that significantly slows, or even stops, the decay of organic materials.

The net was discovered in May 2024, found at a wet site on the north end of the Beach Grove Golf Course during monitored municipal excavation work. Workers saw it hanging from the equipment, an incident that highlights how fragile and easily lost such artifacts can be. Once out of its natural environment, it can very quickly fall apart and disintegrate.

“We work on the traditional territory of Tsawwassen people, and whenever we find belongings of our ancestors, oftentimes when we’re in the field, we’re the first ones to touch and hold those belongings since our ancestors were the last ones to touch them,” said Williams. “It’s very impactful to all of us who do this work, and it’s incredible.”

Each piece is carefully cleaned, monitored and kept cold before undergoing years of conservation, including polyethylene glycol treatment and freeze-drying, to prepare it for display.

“I don’t know if it really sets a precedent, but it’s monumental to have a First Nations repository handling their own belongings and ancestors over a colonial institution, and we’ve been very fortunate to have wonderful relationships with all the local museums and universities,” said Williams.

Williams says there is abundant evidence of hunting and fishing throughout Tsawwassen, with numerous fish camps once located around Beach Grove, Boundary Bay, and the Tsawwassen beach area.

“I think discoveries like this remind us that Indigenous history isn’t abstract, it’s tangible. It’s sophisticated and deeply connected to the place, so we are fortunate to be able to protect and learn from it.”