Prehistory Of The Oregon Coast

This book is the first synthesis of the prehistory of the coast of Oregon. It analyzes the artifacts and mammalian faunal remains of three representative sites on the coast. A model of the evolution of cultural adaptational strategies is presented and tested, from which it creates a model of coastal cultural development. On a methodological level, the volume examines the overriding importance and effects of various sampling techniques.

This volume provides a descriptive overview of the cultural complexity on the northwest coast that stretches from northern California to Alaska. Topics covered range from the earliest settlements to the subsequent cultural diversities in Native American populations. Maps, charts, and illustrations further enhance the book's interest and appeal.

Luther Cressman's 1938 discovery of a 9,000-year-old sandal in Fort Rock Cave revolutionized accepted theories of western prehistory. The recovery of the woven sagebrush-bark sandal, found buried under a layer of volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Mazama, established a human presence in the Oregon Country much earlier than previously thought. Through six decades of scientific investigation, Cressman worked to uncover the history of the first Oregonians. In The Sandal and the Cave, he offers a brief, lucid introduction to the prehistory of Oregon Indians. Cressman describes their diverse cultures, highlighting similarities and differences between the peoples of various regions: the Oregon Coast, the Klamath Highland, the Northern Great Basin, and the Columbia Plateau. In a new introduction to Cressman's classic work, Dennis Jenkins provides a short biographical profile of the "father of Oregon archaeology" and discusses the importance of Cressman's excavation results and interpretations. Jenkins also offers a concise summary of recent archaeological research in the Northern Great Basin, bringing readers the most up-to-date information about the oldest known sites in Oregon.

The Encyclopedia of Prehistory represents temporal dimension. Major traditions are an attempt to provide basic information also defined by a somewhat different set of on all archaeologically known cultures, sociocultural characteristics than are eth covering the entire globe and the entire nological cultures. Major traditions are prehistory of humankind. It is designed as defined based on common subsistence a tool to assist in doing comparative practices, sociopolitical organization, and research on the peoples of the past. Most material industries, but language, ideology, of the entries are written by the world's and kinship ties play little or no part in foremost experts on the particular areas their definition because they are virtually and time periods. unrecoverable from archaeological con The Encyclopedia is organized accord texts. In contrast, language, ideology, and ing to major traditions. A major tradition kinship ties are central to defining ethno is defined as a group of populations sharing logical cultures.

"The second section follows the route taken along the South Coast in 1828 by Jedediah Smith, one of the foremost explorers of the American West. It describes key historic sites from the California/Oregon border to Heceta Head. Drawing on journal entries, the author traces the Jedediah Smith Expedition's advance, and recounts its troubled relations with coastal Indians and its tragic ending. Along the expedition's route, the book profiles the region's many historic places."--BOOK JACKET.

The portion of the Oregon coast extending from Cape Blanco south into California has long been recognized as a distinct physiographic region, with probable ramifications for prehistoric subsistence and settlement patterns. Several researchers have proposed models outlining a greater reliance upon marine/littoral resources among groups within this region, while more northerly groups exhibited a higher reliance upon estuarine resources. Current knowledge about regional prehistoric subsistence practices, based upon the archaeological record and ethnographic sources, was correlated with the distribution and relative abundance of exploited and potentially exploitable marine species. These data suggest that the abundant coastal rocks and islands found along this section of the Oregon coast serve to concentrate diverse and abundant animal resources within a confined area, allowing for ease of exploitation. Therefore, the rocks and islands were of potential economic importance to aboriginal groups. To support this hypothesis archaeological subsurface testing was undertaken on the only previously recorded offshore island site, and an archaeological sample survey was conducted on additional rocks and islands along this section of coastline to determine their utilization by native peoples. Two additional prehistoric sites were recorded. The results of these investigations are herein presented, and directions for future research are discussed.

Oregon Archaeology tells the story of Oregon's cultural history beginning more than 14,000 years ago with the earliest evidence of human occupation and continuing into the twentieth century.