Keatley Creek facts for kids
Keatley Creek is a small river, also called a 'tributary,' that flows into the Fraser River. It's located in British Columbia, Canada, in a place called the Fraser Canyon. It joins the Fraser River between two other creeks, Pavilion Creek and Fountain Creek. This is about 16 miles (26 kilometers) upstream from the town of Lillooet. South of Keatley Creek, you'll find a bigger creek called Sallus Creek.
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Where Keatley Creek Flows
Keatley Creek starts high up in the Clear Range mountains. The upper part of the creek flows through mountain slopes that look eroded. These slopes are actually the sides of flat-topped mountains.
As the creek flows, it carves a deep canyon through flat areas called 'benchlands.' These benchlands were once the bottoms of ancient lakes. Today, these benchlands are used for ranching. Sometimes, farmers use water from the creek to grow crops like alfalfa.
Ancient Village at Keatley Creek
On one of the flat benchlands near the creek is the Keatley Creek Archaeological Site. This place was once a very large village made of 'housepits.' Housepits are also known as kekuli or 'quiggly holes.' They are homes dug partly into the ground, with a roof built over them.
This ancient village is very old, like the Xa:ytem site in the Fraser Valley. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Canada. Experts called archaeologists have studied it very carefully.
Who Studied the Site?
Brian Hayden from Simon Fraser University led many of the studies at Keatley Creek. He even named the biggest housepit at the site "Coyote's Big House." This name comes from local legends, where Coyote is an important trickster character.
Why Did the Village Disappear?
No one knows for sure why the people left this large village. One idea is that a big landslide blocked the Fraser River near Texas Creek. This might have destroyed the local fishing spots, which were very important for the people living there.
Other ideas suggest that too many people lived in the village, and they used up too many resources. This, combined with changes in the climate, might have made it hard for the village to survive. The Keatley Creek village is one of the biggest of its kind found in the Mid-Fraser area.
