Rare Thrift Store Finds Donated to SFU for Study
Rare artifacts dating back potentially thousands of years have been found in a Fraser Valley thrift store and donated to Simon Fraser University for study. The remarkable discovery of eleven rings and two medallions, thought to date from medieval or Roman times, was made in a Chilliwack thrift shop where they were being sold for $30.
Global Humanities and Archaeology, and Barbara Hilden,director, SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, examine the rare artifacts that have been donated to SFU for study. Photo submitted.
Rare Thrift Store Finds Donated to SFU for Study
The collection is now in the care of SFU’s Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and will form part of a new archaeology course, where students will get to analyze the designs and materials with a view to identifying where and when the items originate from.
“This is an incredibly exciting donation and an amazing opportunity for students here at SFU,” says Sabrina Higgins, associate professor, Global Humanities and Archaeology. “It will take at least a semester – if not longer – to piece together the origins of these artifacts. We’re fortunate to have access to cutting-edge research technologies within our department to properly study these objects, so it promises to be a rewarding journey for students.”
The artifacts were found at the Thrifty Boutique, which provides vital financial support for the Chilliwack Hospice Society. A customer with an archaeology background alerted the store’s volunteers to the potential archaeological significance of the items. They then approached SFU experts for their assessment.
Without knowing where these artifacts came from, who owned them or how they acquired them, museum staff and SFU experts had to confront a number of ethical questions before accepting them. Cara Tremain, assistant professor, Department of Archaeology, says the ethics will be central to the new archaeology course that will begin in fall 2026.
“What we’re doing is essentially being detectives – we’re trying to recover the story of these items,” says Tremain. “They could offer up new information that may change the way we think about that culture or history. In which case, we want to know that we’re basing our theories on something that is authentic.”
Higgins was the first SFU expert to take a look at the items as she specializes in Rome and late antique archaeology. She believes the artifacts most likely date from the medieval period. Without any archaeological context behind the items, there is also the possibility that they could be forgeries. Even if that were the case, there is still value in studying the items, according to Tremain and Higgins.
Higgins adds: “Even if these end up being forgeries, there’s still an interesting learning experience for the students in terms of going through an object systematically to determine whether it’s real, or a forgery, and questioning why forgeries continue to make their way into the antiquities market.”
The SFU course will culminate in an exhibition at the museum, which will focus on the history and biography of the artifacts, as well as the ethical considerations that archaeologists and museums face.
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