At a remote site overlooking the Salish Sea in British Columbia, archaeologists made the discovery of a lifetime in 2010. While digging an ancient shell midden, researchers from the University of Toronto and the local shíshálh Nation were astonished to find the grave of an ancient chief laid to rest nearly 3,700 years ago in a ceremonial bead garment weighing more than 70 pounds. Nearby lay several members of his wealthy family.

“These are some of the most elaborate burials in North America before European contact,” notes Terence Clark, an archaeologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon who directed the project.

On July 1^st, the 150^th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation, two Canadian museums are giving the public a first glimpse