The West Coast

							The West Coast
Glacial Environment

            Cordilleran glaciation
            Glacial melt released
             water into oceans
            Sea level changes
Environment and Climate
                      Major River
                       Systems:

                      Balsas River
                      Colorado
                      Columbia
                      Fraser
                      Fuerte River
                      Lerma River
                      Sacramento
                      San Joaquin
                      Suchiate River
                      Yukon
             Flora and Fauna
   Forested landscape stretches from Alaska
    to California (spruce, cedar, hemlock,
    douglas fur)
   Food plants includes several types of seed
    and fruit bearing plants
               Subsistence




   Resources utilized in seasonal rounds
           Fauna/Subsistence
   Saltwater fish available included halibut,
    herring, smelt, cod
   Anadromous fish: 5 species of salmon,
    trout, eulachon, sturgeon, lamprey
   Sea mammals: seals, sea lions, porpoises,
    dolphins, sea otters, whales
   Invertebrates: mussels, scallops, oysters,
    abalone, limpets, cockles, clams, crabs,
    sea urchins
   Terrestrial mammals: deer, elk, sheep,
    mtn. goat, bears, lynx, marmots, wolves
   Birds were also exploited including large
    birds of prey and smaller varieties
             Cultural Chronology

   Predating 5500 B.P.         -Northwest coast,
                                Southwest coast and
    (3500 B.C.)
                                the Interior
   Early Period 5500 to 3800
    B.P. (3500 to 1800 B.C.)
   Middle Period 3800 to       -Northwest coast,
    1500 B.P. (1800 B.C to      Interior, California
    500 A.D.)                   (North and South)
   Late Period 1500 B.P. to
    present (500 to 1700
    A.D)
        Sites predating 3500 B.C.
   Initial occupation of the North West Coast occurs in
    Alaska
   On the coast: heavy subsistence on marine life, in the
    interior: foraging and hunting
   Northwest coast culture (micro-blade technology)
   Southwest coast culture (bifacially flaked bipointed
    projectile point)
   Northwest interior

        Sites:
   On-your-knees Cave Site: Southeast Alaska, 9300 B.P.
    -human remains
   Namu Site: Central British Columbian coast, 9770 B.P.
    -heavy subsistence on salmon
     Early Period: 5500 to 3800 B.P.
           (3500 to 1800 B.C.)

   (1) Increasing cultural regionalism
   (2) rapid intensification of shellfish collection (occurs
    around 8000 B.P. and intensifies around 5000 B.P.) with
    increase in midden size
   (3) large-scale fishing appears with specialized
    technology (e.g., fish weirs)
   (4) much larger populations reflected in increasing food
    production in general
   (5) improving storage technology
   (6) more specialized woodworking tools (chisels by 3500
    B.P., mauls and pile drivers by 2500 B.P.)
   (7) villages (seasonal pattern of summer/winter
    settlements)
           Early West Coast regional
                 classifications
   North Coast - Prince Rupert/Skeena River - Prince Rupert
    III/Haqwilget A, Gitaus VI, and Skeena Complex
   Queen Charlotte Islands - Transitional complex and
    Graham tradition
   North-Central Coast - Namu II and III, McNaughton I,
    and Cathedral phase
   South-Central Coast - Bear Cove II and O'Conner II
   West Coast of Vancouver Island - Early and part of
    Middle Yuquot, Shoemaker Bay I;
   Georgian Strait and Lower Fraser - Maurer, St.Mungo
    phase and the early portion of the Locarno Beach phase
   Gulf and San Juan Islands - Mayne phase, and the early
    portion of the Locarno Beach phase
   Fraser Canyon - Eayem and early Baldwin phases (Carlson
    1983: Figure 1:2).
                       The Interior
   wedge-shaped and tabular-
    shaped cores, burins of a
    number of varieties with
    the notched transverse
    burin being most
    distinctive, lanceolate
    points, a range of scraper
    and biface knife varieties,
    gravers, drills, net-sinkers
    and some other minor
    items.
   The most common tools
    were simple expedient
    flake tools.
                                   Early Northwest Interior Points
North-East Basket Forms
    Northern California         Southern California
      Early Archaic                Early Period
                                  8000-3000 B.P.
    (8000-3500 B.P.).            (6000-1000 BC).

   Little contact with        Ex (Glassow, 8000 -
    neighboring cultural        6455 B.P.)
    areas                      Ey (Wilcoxin, 6455-
   Shell fish collection       435 B.P.)
   Hunting and                Ez (Erlandson, 4350-
    gathering                   3350 B.P.)
           Southern California Early Period
           8000-3000 B.P. (6000-1000 BC).

   Channel Islands and the Santa
    Barbara Channel coast
   Semi-terranian pithouses (offshore
    islands)
   Metates and manos (importance of
    plant foods)
   Some red ochre sprinkled graves
   Mortars and pestles (Ey and Ez)
    -Acorn and nuts
   Land and sea mammal hunting
    increases
   Settlement patterns depended on
    seasonal hunting and foraging
   Intensification of maze exploitation
    (around 3500 B.C.)
      Middle Period 3800 to 1500 B.P.
          (1800 B.C to 500 A.D.)
    Traits and trends include:
   (1) after AD 450); large plank houses and fine
    woodworking
   (2) highly sophisticated baskets
   (3) greater cultural homogeneity throughout the
    Northwest Coast
   (4) widespread trade (e.g., obsidian)
   (5) signs of social ranking and societal complexity by
    1000 BC (e.g., stone labrets, cranial deformation; costly
    and exotic grave goods after 500 BC); slavery; increased
    conflict with neighboring groups; large surpluses
    accumulated and redistributed by chiefs; beginnings of
    potlatches.
   (6) heightened ceremonialism
              Middle West Coast
            regional classifications
   The southern coast, and specifically the Strait of
    Georgia: Locarno Beach and Marpole complexes
    (sculpture in hard stone, ear spools, brow bands, large
    water crafts, large communal plank houses, head
    deformation and burial mounds )
   The outer coasts of Vancouver Island and the Olympic
    Peninsula of adjacent Washington State: the Yuquot
    Zone II complex
   The central coast: Namu III and IV
   The northern coast: Prince Rupert II
   The Queen Charlotte Islands: the Graham tradition
   The Baldwin and Kleanza complexes of the lower Fraser
    and Skeena rivers, respectively, represent interior but
    still coastally related developments
   The Interior: Taye Lake and Taltheilei complexes
    (Caribou and fresh water fish)
    Middle Period 3800 to 1500 B.P.
        (1800 B.C to 500 A.D.)
   Salmon was the most important single food
   Broadly based subsistence pattern that would have
    been supplemented by trade in various food stuffs
   Large coastal shell midden sites (winter)
   Evidence of warfare appears in the form of clubs,
    daggers, trophy skulls, and skeletal trauma
   Personal guardian spirit and shamanic belief system
    -elaborated mortuary traits (large numbers of shell
    and stone beads, cairn burial and mounds)
    -wealth objects: obsidian, marine shell beads and
    pendants, nephrite adzes, and native copper
    -infant burials (wealthy lineages and families)
                   Potlaches
   The processes involved
    in the formation of a
    class structure
    composed of powerful
    family lineages,
    commoners, and
    slaves, with status
    confirmation
    ceremonies, such as
    the potlatch
   A ritual means of
    enhancing and
    reinforcing rights and
    privileges
       Late Period:1500 B.P. to 16th
        century (500 to 1700 A.D)
   Complex hunters and gatherers
   Semi to fully sedentary (ownership to land)
   Complex social organization
   House-hold based societies (up to 100 individuals)
   Broadly based subsistence pattern that would have
    been supplemented by trade in various food stuffs
   Specialists (canoe makers, woodworkers, shamans,
    basket makers..)
   Leadership by shamans, kins and those with
    exceptional abilities
   Social stratification (chiefly elite, commoners and
    slaves)
   Whaling becomes very important
                       North
   Large sedentary
    villages with planked
    houses of 20 to 60
    individuals
   Fortified settlements
   Large populations led
    to exploitation of most
    abundant resources
    (competition for
    resources leads to
    control by elite)
   Stable till European
    arrival                    Trench from Victoria area
            South
   Vancouver Island to California
   High population density leads
    to reliance on food storage
   Intense manipulation of
    environment
   Rectangular plank houses
    replaces semi-subterranean
    houses (3100 B.P.)
   Social networks connected
    groups (trade in food stuffs
    and exotic goods)
                                          Hoko River Site (Washington)
                                        Fishing Camp site
                                        Makah culture
                                        The wet site dates between 3000 and
                                         2600 B.P. while the dry site had two
                                         components, one dating 2900-2600
                                         B.P., and a second, poorly understood
                                         one, dating to c. 1700 B.P.
                                        http://www.spscc.ctc.edu/anthro
                                         pology/WELCOME.HTM
              Historical groups

   19th century ethnographers describe great
    diversity among North West coastal groups after
    European arrival
   Poor preservation of coastal sites
   Northern Coast: Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian
   Central and Southern Coast: Locarno, Marpole
    and Salish
   Nuu-chah-nuth (Nootka) culture related to the
    Makah at Ozette and Hoko River
                     Totem Poles



   House beams
   House frontal poles
   Memorial poles
   Mortuary poles
   Potlach figures
   Welcome figures
Interior Plateau


            From coast Mtns to
             Rocky Mtns, Fraser
             River to south of the
             Columbia and Snake
             Rivers
            More arid than coast,
             with greater
             temperature extremes
             from winter to summer
                       Interior Plateau
   Clovis points found near Snake River, Ft. John B.C. and Wenatchee
    Washington

   Windust Phase: Lower Snake Indian River, 12,600 to 9100 B.P.
    -small scale foragers
    -highly mobile
    -large number of milling stones at Windust site
    -Hatenai site
    -Leaf shaped projectile points

   Cascade Phase: Snake River, 9100 to 6300 B.P.
    -Pit houses appear 6300 B.P.
    -Small nomadic groups foraging over large areas in major drainages
    -Semi-subterranean houses appear and fishing increases after 5000 B.P.
    -Salmon runs important after 3500 B.P.

   Harder Phase: 2500 to 1000 B.P.
    -People lived in earthlodge villages
                Interior Plateau
   Narrows on Rivers that was a very productive salmon
    fishery for thousands of years (Keatley Creek Site,
    Fraser River)
   Fraser River Sites also show an abundance of Salmon
   Number of pit houses increase dramatically over time
   Salmon dried and stored in bark-lined pits
   Vast amounts of wild onions, balsam root and tubers
    in roasting pits
   Bow and arrow technology by 2500 B.P.
   Complex trade networks
   Wooden masks show rank and status
   Trade sites (Dalles Site , Columbia River)
           The California Coast
   Biophysical and cultural diversity
   Later cultures had intensive and specialized
    hunting, gathering and fishing activities
   Dried fish and acorn stores vitally important

   Shellfish played major role in San Francisco Bay
    area
   Santa Barbra Channel area exploited mollusks,
    sea mammals and shallow water sea fish
   Elaborate technology, art and social organization
   Trade and resource distribution networks
                 Northern California
   Reconstruction of culture history based on language distributions
   Before 6000 B.P. almost all of California Hokan-speaking
   Shell middens
   Dense settlements in Bay area
   North coast isolated and mountainous
   Local chiefdoms and territories, often within a local river drainage
    area
    -each with a principle settlement, ceremonial center and sever
    outlying seasonal camps
   Gunther Pattern (2150 B.P. to historic period)
    -Gunther Island in Humboldt Bay area
    -Strong influences from Northwest Coast
    -Gunther barbed point
    -heavy reliance on seasonal salmon runs and marine resources
    -Seasonal acorn harvesting
   Augustine Pattern (1700 B.P.)
    -Central California
    -Intensification of hunting, fishing and foraging
             San Francisco Bay and the
                   Central Coast
   Widespread, but scattered, populations of hunter-gatherers
   Coastal resources less important
   Windmiller Pattern (around 4500 B.P.)
    -Sacramento Delta region
    -Economy focused on hunting of deer, pronghorn,
    rabbits and waterfowl
    -Some fishing and gathering
    -Burials covered on red Ochre and facing west
   Berkeley Pattern (4000 to 1700 B.P.)
    -Adapted to estuaries, bays and marshes
    -Hunted fish, shellfish, waterfowl and some large game
    -Large sites with dense populations
    -Kin leaders and non-egalitarian political systems
   Augustine Pattern (1700 B.P. to historical period)
    -New technologies and customs (bow and arrow, harpoons, tubular
    tobacco pipes and burning artifacts before placing within burials)
    -Subsistence of small prey and acorn harvests
            Southern California Coast
   Hunter-gatherer societies
   Long-distant exchange networks
   Distinctive shell bead forms used to reconstruct cultural chronology
   Early Period (8000 to 3000 B.P.)
    -Santa Barbara Channel and other parts of California coast
   Middle Period (3000 to 700 B.P.)
    -Beads and ornamental artifacts serve as status markers in society
    -Seals, porpoises, dolphins, whales, swordfish and shark bones now appear
    in coastal middens. Along with shellfish
    -More sophisticated deepwater crafts (planked canoes)
   Late Period (700 B.P. to 1804)
    -Hokan-speaking Chumash people
    -Intense marine life exploitation
    -Expert fishermen
    -Double-ended long paddles for planked canoes
    -Dome-shaped dwellings on a pole frame
    -Settlements contained sweat lodges and cemeteries
    -each village ruled by hereditary chief
    -Intricate petroglyphs and pictographs
    -Intricate trade with other regions
The West Coast