connected to Alaska, and the south, which had contacts at least as far as Oregon, begin to emerge. The Eayem Phase (4000–1100 BC) is sometimes equated with the Mayne and St. Mungo phases. New forms of tools such as projectile pointss, including pinched or notched sideways designs, drill bits, points and grindstones appeared. The oldest site of a village (circa 3000 BC) comes from the Paul Mason site in Kitselas Canyon on the Skeena River and shows signs of a non-hierarchical society. This village was inhabited continuously from about 1200 to 700 BC. These houses stood close together in rows, as is known from the travel reports of European explorers and traders since the late 18th century. The oldest figurative representations date from around 2500 BC. The oldest burial sites also date back to this time. The Baldwin Phase (1100-650 BC) is again in Milliken, but also in Esilao and Katz (Sxwóxwiymelh in the territory of the Chawathil) belonging to the Sto:lo. The hallmarks of this phase are microblades, small projectile tips, mortar, and pestle. Jewelry such as rings, earrings, pearls, and pendants, and also figurative representations from this period has been found. This phase is considered to be the forerunner of the Marpole culture. More ephemeral artifacts such as baskets, woven hats, ropes, mats, and scraps of planks have also been found. These materials were also used for intricate boxes for storage and transportation, but most importantly, they dominated food preparation and storage. In addition, from about 500 B.C. BC post houses became characteristic of the west coast culture. Presumably the rainforest, which had been favored for a long time, now produced sufficiently large trees, and woodworking had advanced enough to work the giant trees. From 1000 AD at the latest, care was often taken not to kill the giant trees if possible. The processing of stone sculptures can also be proven for the first time from this time; fifty of these objects alone are now in the Royal British Columbia Museum. On the south coast there is evidence of lip piercings from circa 500 AD, but then disappeared. In contrast, the northern coastal areas still have piercings as part of their traditions today. A type of ear coil from about 500 BC also survived. Soapstone objects of unclear use (sometimes called "whatzits") can possibly also be classified within this phase. Strings of beads and rings made during this