Abstract

Results of recent archaeological investigations at the Scowlitz site in the Fraser Valley of Southwestern British Columbia are reported. Strategically located at the confluence of the Harrison and Fraser Rivers, the site appears to have been a centre of status and power in prehistory. Over 30 burial mounds have been recorded, with associated dates from two ranging between 1500 and 500 B.P. Variability in size, structure, and contents of these mounds suggest a complex status hierarchy. We offer two reasons for the emergence of social complexity at Scowlitz: (1) the site is located at the control point of a major salmon fishery; (2) Scowlitz may have been a gateway community for trade between coastal and interior group.