A rare 2,000-year-old fishing net unearthed in Tsawwassen is undergoing conservation at the Tsawwassen First Nation's repository, providing a window into the coastal life that flourished in the region millennia ago.
Discovery and Preservation
The net was discovered in May 2024 at a wet site on the north end of the Beach Grove Golf Course during monitored municipal excavation work. Workers saw it hanging from equipment, highlighting how fragile such artifacts can be. Once removed from its natural environment, it can quickly disintegrate.
Radiocarbon dating determined the net's age. It is undergoing cellulose analysis after researchers confirmed it is made from bark fibers, but not cedar. Some professionals, weavers, and elders suggest the material could be stinging nettle or big leaf maple.
Significance of the Find
“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, archaeology coordinator at the Tsawwassen First Nation.
According to Williams, complete fish nets are rarely recovered in archaeology. “Most of the time, we’re lucky if we find small fragments, maybe a knot, a leaf. Usually, we only see traces.” The net's preservation is due to the wet site, where water-saturated environments create anaerobic conditions that slow decay.
Conservation Process
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. The Tsawwassen First Nation repository opened in 2025, and Williams hopes it will lead to a museum and cultural centre.
“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,” said Williams. The space already houses many other ancestral belongings, such as basketry, historic fishnets, and stone and bone artifacts.
Broader Context
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.”
The net's discovery and conservation underscore the importance of preserving Indigenous heritage and the sophisticated technologies of ancestral communities.
