The Prehistoric Use of Nephrite on the British Columbia Plateau John Darwent Archaeology Press Simon Fraser University 1998 The Prehistoric Use of Nephrite on the British Columbia Plateau By John Darwent Archaeology Press Simon Fraser University 1998 c. Archaeology Press 1998 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without prior written consent of the publisher. Printed and bound in Canada ISBN 0-86491-189-0 Publication No. 25 Archaeology Press Department of Archaeology Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 (604)291-3135 Fax: (604) 291-5666 Editor: Roy L. Carlson Cover: Nephrite celts from near Lillooet, B.C. SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology Cat nos. 2750 and 2748 Table of Contents Acknowledgments v List of Tables vi List of Figures vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Types of Data 2 Ethnographic Information 2 Experimental Reconstruction 2 Context and Distribution 3 Artifact Observations 3 Analog Information 4 The Study Area . 4 Report Organization 4 2 Nephrite 6 Chemical and Physical Properties of Nephrite 6 Sources in the Pacific Northwest 6 Nephrite Sources in British Columbia 6 The Lillooet Segment 7 Omineca Segment 7 Cassiar Segment 7 Yukon and Alaska Nephrite Sources 8 Washington State and Oregon Nephrite Sources 8 Wyoming Nephrite Sources 9 Prehistoric Source Usage 9 Alternate Materials to Nephrite 10 Serpentine 10 Greenstone 10 Jadeite 10 Vesuvianite 10 3 Ethnographic and Archaeological Background of Nephrite Use 11 Ethnolinguistic Groups in the Study Area 11 Plateau Lifestyle 11 Cultural Complexity on the Plateau 11 Ethnographic Use of Nephrite . 13 Nephrite Procurement 13 Nephrite Manufacturing 14 Types of Artifacts made of Nephrite 16 Use of Nephrite Implements 16 Woodworking 16 Property Items 17 Warfare 18 Ceremonial Uses 18 Other Uses 18 Trade of Nephrite Implements 19 Summary of Ethnographic Nephrite Use 19 British Columbia Plateau Prehistory 20 The Early Period (>8000 BP) 20 The Middle Period (8000-3500 BP) 20 The Late Period (4000/3500 - 200BP) 20 Complexity in the Past 21 The Prehistoric Development of the Nephrite Industry 22 Chapter 4 Groundstone Tool Technology 25 Principles and Methods of Groundstone Tool Technology 25 Pecking 26 Grinding 26 Materials Used in Groundstone 28 Optimization of Lithic Technologies 29 Surplus and Non-Utilitarian Functionality 31 Summary 32 Celt Manufacture 32 Pebble Modification 32 Raked Blank Modification . 32 Sawn Blank Modification 33 Previous Observations and Experiments on Nephrite Manufacturing Time 33 Ethnographic Information on Nephrite Manufacturing Times 33 Experimental Data on Jade Manufacturing 33 Manufacturing Experiments 34 Experimental Procedures 34 Results 35 Critique of the Experimental Results 36 Comparison of Reduction Techniques and Materials 37 Cost-Benefits 38 5 Celt Manufacture, Context, and Distribution Prehistoric Celt Manufacture on the British Columbia Plateau 43 Celt Blank Manufacture 43 Celt Blank Modification 46 Material Type Identification 49 Time estimates for Manufacturing Celts 49 Celt Use Wear 52 Summary 52 Context and Distribution 53 Background to Exchange Studies 54 The Data Set 58 Context and Distribution 62 Changes in Nephrite Technology through Time 63 The Distribution of Nephrite Artifacts 63 Celt Sizes Over Distance from the Source 71 Summary of Distribution and Size 71 The Contexts of Nephrite Artifacts 82 Conclusions on Nephrite Artifact Contexts 86 Conclusion on Context and Distribution 88 6. Discussion and Conclusion 91 Recommendations for Future Research 93 References 95 Appendices 1 Museums Collection Data . 108 2 Nephrite Artifacts from Literature Review 112 3 Celt Data from Literature Review 114 4 Non-Nephrite Containing Sites 118 5 Non-celt Artifacts from Literature Review 121 Tables 2.1 Comparison of Hardness and Toughness Values for Various Stone Minerals 10 3.1 Woodworking tasks on the Plateau as recorded in Teit (1900, 1906,1909a) 17 4.1 Materials Generally Exploited by Flaked Stone and Groundstone Techniques 28 4.2 Results of Experimental Sawing 36 4.3 Time Involved in Celt Manufacturing Techniques for Different Materials 39 4.4 Results of Chopping Experiments 40 5.1 Numbers and Average Dimensions of Observed Artifact Types 44 5.2 Celt Portions Analyzed 44 5.3 Artifact Provenience 45 5.4 Celt Blank Types 46 5.5 Nephrite Determination 50 5.6 Time Estimates for Manufacturing Nephrite Celts 51 5.7 Observable Use Wear Damage on Celt Bits 53 5.8 Possible Use Wear on Complete Celts 58 5.9 Hardness of Tested Specimens 54 5.10 Tentative Nephrite Identification for Sawn Blanks 54 5.11 Site Types Reviewed from British Columbia Plateau 60 5.12 Reported Nephrite Artifacts Types for the British Columbia and Columbia Plateaus 62 5.13 Artifact Material Types 64 5.14 Distribution of Nephrite Artifacts During the Plateau Pithouse Tradition 83 5.15 Frequencies and Rates of Nephrite Recovery 83 5.16 Presence/Absence of Nephrite Artifacts within Plateau Site Types 83 5.17 Sites on the British Columbia Plateau with Nephrite Compared to those without 84 5.18 Rates of Nephrite Occurrence in Site Types during the Plateau Pithouse Tradition 84 5.19 Frequency of Nephrite Artifact Forms in Site Types 84 5.20 Celt Dimensions in Burial Contexts 85 5.21 Celt Integrity Within Site Types 88 Figures 1.1 Study Area 5 2.1 Location of Nephrite Bearing Strata in British Columbia 7 2.2 The Lillooet Segment 8 3.1 Ethnolinguistic Divisions on the British Columbia Plateau 12 3.2 Early Celt Occurrences in the Pacific Northwest, North to South 23 4.1 Methods Involved in Pecking 27 4.2 Methods Involved in Grinding 27 4.3 The Cost Benefit Function (after Boydston 1989:71) 30 4.4 Time Neweded to Manufacture Celts from Different Material Types 37 4.5 Comparison of Areas Chopped to Averages Presented by Boydston 41 4.6 Estimated Cost-Benefits Based on Manufacturing Time and Fracture Toughness 42 4.7 Model of Benefits for Nephrite Celts Based on Length 42 5.1 Size Ranges fro Complete Celts 45 5.2 Method 1 47 5.3 Method 2 47 5.4 Method 3 47 5.5 Method 4 47 5.6 Celt Blank Modification 48 5.7 Larger Celt Sectioning 48 5.8 Contexts of Celt Production, Acquisition, and Consumption 55 5.9 Parameters of Celt Value in Ritual versus Non-Ritual Sites 58 5.10 Sites with Nephrite on the British Columbia and Columbia Plateau 60 5.11 Nephrite Artifact Distribution by Grid Zone 65 5.12 Celt Distribution on the British Columbia and Columbia Plateaux 66 Figures (Continued) 5.13 Distribution of Non-Celt Nephrite Artifacts 67 5.14 Nephrite Artifact Frequency from the Source 68 5.15 Nephrite Artifact Distribution by Grid Zone 69 5.16 Nephrite Artifact Rates (artifacts/m2) for Grid Zones 70 5.17 Distribution of Non-Nephrite Celts 72 5.18 Distribution and Rates of Nephrite Artifacts in the Shuswap Horizon 73 5.19 Distribution and Rates of Nephrite Artifacts in the Plateau Horizon 74 5.20 Distribution and Rates of Nephrite Artifacts in the Kamloops Horizon 75 5.21 Average Celt Length (mm) Versus Distance (km) from Source 76 5.22 Average Celt Size in Grid Zones 77 5.23 Distribution of Nephrite Celt Lengths 78 5.24 Average Celt Sizes for Grid Zones in the Kamloops Horizon 79 5.25 Average Celt Lengths for Grid Zones in the Shuswap and Plateau Horizon 80 5.26 Proposed Structure of Nephrite Exchange on the British Columbia 81 5.27 Distribution of Celt Sizes in Burial, Housepit and Campsite Contexts 86 5.28 Housepit Sizes where Nephrite Celts have been Recovered 86 5.29 Percentage of Nephrite Artifacts in Site Types per Grid Zone 87 Introduction This study is an examination of the pre­ plex as coastal groups (Ray 1939). Any cul­ historic use of nephrite on the British Columbia tural traits that suggested non-egalitarian beha­ Plateau. It was undertaken in order to deter­ viors (e.g., potlatches, totems or crests) are- mine whether nephrite was primarily used by thought to have been the result of Plateau con­ Plateau societies to fulfill utilitarian wood­ tact with the coast (see Cannon 1992). working requirements or as an item of status, Some work on the British Columbia Plat­ property or wealth. To understand these issues, eau has demonstrated that social inequities it will be necessary to evaluate the costs and were present in the Interior ethnographic and benefits involved in manufacturing and using archaeological records (Stryd 1973; Hayden et implements made of nephrite compared to al. 1985; Hayden 1992; Hayden and Spafford those for other stone materials available for 1993). These inequities are hypothesized to be woodworking in the British Columbia interior. the result of an in-situ development of a com­ It will also be essential to determine how pre­ plex hunter-gatherer lifestyle on the plateau historic plateau societies exchanged, utilized (Hayden et al. 1985; Hayden 1992). Under this and disposed of nephrite objects. This study model, nephrite use and ownership would have helps to establish how complex hunter-gatherer been restricted to wealthier individuals or fami­ societies made use of commodities of potenti­ lies as a mechanism to display or retain wealth ally high value. and to control labor by judicious loaning of The physical characteristics of nephrite costly-woodworking tools (Hayden et al. endow it with a toughness for woodworking 1985). tasks beyond any other stone material available To the present, no empirical evaluation of in the interior of British Columbia. This the significance of the occurrences and distri­ strength, however, also makes nephrite one of butions of prehistoric nephrite artifacts on the the hardest materials to shape into useable British Columbia Plateau has been undertaken. implements. When polished, nephrite, being a It is not clear from the present literature whe­ form of jadei, is a highly aesthetic gem stone ther nephrite artifacts were manufactured that usually comes in various hues of green.