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 artefacts 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 objects' materials and designs to determine their provenance, culminating in an exhibition at the museum.
The course is a first-of-its-kind real-time learning lab at SFU, giving archaeology students hands-on experience in accessioning, researching, and ethically evaluating objects of unknown origin. The find highlights the potential for significant artefacts to surface unexpectedly in thrift stores and the complex ethical decisions museums face when accepting items without provenance. By involving students directly in the process, the university aims to train the next generation of archaeologists in provenance research, scientific analysis, and the ethical responsibilities of handling cultural heritage.