Image: Sabrina Higgins, SFU associate professor, 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. / Sam Smith / SFU

By Alyssa Conti

LUCKY STRIKE

Rare ‘medieval’ artifacts found in Chilliwack thrift store donated for study

Sep 24, 2025 | 11:00 AM

CHILLIWACK — A $30 bounty of eleven rings and two medallions found in Chilliwack’s own Thrifty Boutique has turned out to be a priceless find.

By sheer stroke of luck, a customer with an archaeology background walked into the store last year and alerted its volunteers to the potential significance of the items.

They then took their findings to Simon Fraser University (SFU), and the rest was history– centuries of it.

“I think they most likely originate from somewhere within the boundaries of what was once the Western Roman Empire,” said Sabrina Higgins, Global Humanities and Archaeology associate professor with SFU.

“The shapes, designs and construction make me think that these are medieval, as the Romans typically used slightly different materials and techniques.”

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The items now sit in SFU’s Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Burnaby, where students will get to analyze their designs and materials to find out where and when they came from. Higgins said it could take at least a semester to piece their origins together.

Source: SFU / Provided

“The fact that these items continue to exist is quite extraordinary,” said museum director Barbara Hilden. “If they are hundreds or thousands of years old, then at any point along the way they could have been lost, broken or discarded. Yet they’ve been kept, preserved, and now they’re entering a new chapter.”

SFU will also have to tackle ethical concerns and the possibility of forgeries, but the Chilliwack Hospice Society is glad to be part of the discovery either way.

“Thrifty Boutique offers an upscale thrift shopping experience where you can discover unique new and pre-loved items, many of them treasures — metaphorically and, as it turns out, quite literally,” said Sue Knott, executive director of the Chilliwack Hospice Society.

“This story is a beautiful reminder of how every donation carries meaningful history and unknown potential.”

The Thrifty Boutique provides vital financial support for the Hospice Society.

SFU will be holding an exhibition at the museum following the completion of its new archaeology course in fall 2026.