About Us
The ASBC was established in 1966 and is a registered charity dedicated to the protection of archaeological resources and the spread of archaeological knowledge. There are two ASBC branches: Victoria and Kamloops.
Our Aims
• To encourage the identification and protection of archaeological sites and material in B.C.
• To provide lectures and publications for the spread of knowledge about archaeology.
Initiatives
The Midden
The ASBC published an illustrated quarterly journal until 2021, titled The Midden, with articles and news on archaeology in British Columbia. While currently on hiatus, an archive of all published articles can be found at https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/midden/issue/archive.
Educational Lectures
ASBC Lecture Series
We currently directly host and record online lectures through Zoom on a variety of BC archaeological topics. We post all of these talks on Vimeo to make them more widely accessible. If you have a topic you think is relevant that you would like to present on, please contact us!
ASBC/ BCAPA Grade School Speaker Funding
The ASBC and BC Association of Professional Archaeologists (BCAPA) have partnered to fund archaeologists and Indigenous cultural experts to guest speak at provincial grade schools and other forums throughout B.C. Click Here to learn more about how to apply for this funding.
ASBC Gerald Merner Field School Award
The ASBC contributes two annual awards of $300 to an undergraduate student and/or Indigenous community member participating in their first archaeological field school. Details for application: Usually made on recommendation of field school instructor, practicing archaeologist, or First Nations member. However, if you are interested please email us to ask for details on how to apply.
In Person Events
Occasionally, we organize casual meetups or outings. Meetups are usually held at a local pub, and emails will be sent to members when these are planned. Outings are usually organized to visit a local archaeological site, and occasionally we also hold lab days to support archaeological material processing where volunteers can participate in the laboratory via cleaning, analyzing, and cataloguing of materials from excavation work. Become a member to receive updates on when we hold these events.
