Possible medieval artefacts, discovered at Canadian thrift store, will form basis of university archaeology class

A group of 11 rings and two medallions, believed to be medieval, was discovered at a Thrifty Boutique charity shop in Chilliwack, British Columbia. A volunteer found the items while sorting donations, and a customer with an archaeology background alerted staff that the objects might be ancient. The manager contacted Sabrina Higgins, an associate professor at Simon Fraser University (SFU), who arranged for the artifacts to be donated to the university’s Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Higgins and colleague Cara Tremain have designed a course for autumn 2026 in which students will analyze the artifacts' designs and materials to determine their provenance, culminating in an exhibition at the museum.