Authenticity of carved stone pillar found on Victoria beach under review

The authenticity of acarved stone pillar found at low tide on a beach in Victoria last summer is now under review, according to the Royal B.C. Museum.

Earlier in the week the museum saidthe 100-kilogramstone pillar had been confirmed to be an Indigenous artifact.

The museum worked with theSonghees and Esquimalt First Nations and conservationists to confirm the authenticity and determine its origins.

But later in the week, theTimes Colonist reported that a local carver had come forward saying he believed the pillarwas in fact a piece he'd worked on in 2017, which he believed was stolen.

The Royal B.C. Museum said it is working with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations to set up a meeting with the carver to review the origins of the pillar.