Colleen Parsley, M.A.
Colleen Parsley is an experienced archaeologist who leads Aquilla Archaeology Ltd., specializing in bioarchaeology, mortuary practice and community‑centred fieldwork.
Colleen Parsley, MA, founded Aquilla Archaeology Ltd. in 2008. She has more than 23 years of archaeology consulting experience in western Canada, with extensive expertise in coastal British Columbia, Northwest Coast archaeology and Coast Salish archaeology.
Colleen is an approved permit holder with the BC Archaeology Branch and currently holds several permits in the Northwest Coast region. She is also a Registered Professional Archaeologist in good standing, RPA 17955.
Her academic and professional expertise includes bioarchaeology, mortuary archaeology of the Northwest Coast, coastal archaeology and the ethical responsibilities involved in working with ancestral remains. Her work often examines the intersections of archaeology, colonialism, community accountability and relationships with the dead.
She has directed multi-year archaeological excavation projects and managed work for municipal, provincial, First Nations and private-sector clients. Her project experience includes large-scale municipal infrastructure, pipelines, mining projects, residential development, dock installations and not-for-profit heritage work.
Colleen led the multi-year Stz’uminus Origins Project, which documented the archaeology of Kulleet Bay and was the largest study of ancestral human remains completed in British Columbia.
Under Colleen’s leadership, Aquilla Archaeology was chosen to complete a multi-year archaeology project in Desolation Sound with Tla’amin Nation and BC Parks. This work is currently underway and includes surveying, mapping and documenting hundreds of archaeological sites. The project is expanding current understanding of the region and supporting more informed public, private and land-use management decisions.
Colleen also uses 3D laser scanning, remote sensing and other digital technologies to support accurate documentation of Northwest Coast Indigenous heritage.
If you would like to read more about Colleen, she was recently profiled for a local Nanaimo publication: People of the OCQ: Colleen.