Abstract

The last 25 years have witnessed important developments in three key areas of archaeology on the west coast. Our understanding of the human history of the region has been advanced by research into well established topics such as early human settlement, and new topics related to the study of complex hunter-gatherers. Our way of looking at the archaeological record has been transformed by the unprecedented rise of cultural resource management during this period. And our priorities have been re-set by the increasing collaboration between archaeologists and First Nations, a collaboration that reminds us that west coast archaeology is a partnership. This paper examines developments in each of these areas over the last 25 years, and suggests some new directions for the new millenium.