Using artifact data collected and analyzed in 1978 from 4 sites in the Duke Point area and comparable data from other sites in the southern Gulf of Georgia region, it is demonstrated that perceived differences in artifact assemblages, particularly on a presence/absence basis, are not as clear-cut as they were once considered to be. Rather, the significant differences lie in the relative frequencies and percentages of certain artifact types. The utility of the current three-part framework for archaeological analysis, which has encouraged the interpretation of migration, diffusion, and independent invention to explain the origins and temporal variation of culture in the southern Gulf of Georgia region, is critically examined.