Esilao : a pit house village in the Fraser Canyon, British Columbia

This thesis undertakes a comparative study of two adjacent, yet linguistically distinct Fraser River Canyon groups -- the Tait and the Lower Thompson -- through an examination of ethnographic and archaeological data. The archaeological examination is based on results provided by an excavation at the recent Tait pit house village of Esilao in the Canyon near Yale, British Columbia. There were two related objectives. The purpose of the archaeological study was to test whether there was a discernible overlapping of ethnographic and archaeological data. Secondly, the Canyon culture was to be examined to determine whether it showed a greater alignment with the coast or with the interior. The results of ethnographic study show considerable uniformity of Canyon culture and pronounced interior affinities. The archaeological investigation reveals much overlap between ethnographic and archaeological data and indicates that the Esilao village assemblage had a definite interior alignment, thus lending support to the ethnographic findings.Arts, Faculty ofAnthropology, Department ofGraduat