The artifacts found at the č̕ixʷícən village site document trading links from around the world. There were blue glass beads found that were probably obtained during trading in the late 1700’s.
The Chinese coins that were found bear the reign date of Qian Long or Chi’en Lung (1736-1796) on one side, and the mint mark of Yunnan province on the other side. These coins were found buried with a medicine man. They will someday be reburied, for all of the artifacts that were found buried with an ancestor belongs to them.
Many arrow heads made with different types of rock were found at the site. Some of the rock material found was from Oregon and Western Washington. Nephrite, a dense, heavy stone available in Canada, was a prized trade item sought by woodworkers at č̕ixʷícən.
Sadly, trading also brought exposure to diseases to which the Native peoples had no resistance. At the č̕ixʷícən village site, a massive burial was uncovered with evidence of a huge smallpox epidemic. In all of Klallam history since contact, this has been the single most devastating event that has impacted the Klallam people.
