Prehistoric Mobile Stone Sculpture of the Lower Columbia River Valley: a Preliminary Study in a Southern Northwest Coast Culture Subarea
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1-1-1978 Prehistoric mobile stone sculpture of the lower Columbia River valley: a preliminary study in a southern Northwest Coast culture subarea Marilyn Sargent Peterson Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Peterson, Marilyn Sargent, "Prehistoric mobile stone sculpture of the lower Columbia River valley: a preliminary study in a southern Northwest Coast culture subarea" (1978). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 859. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.859 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. PREHISTORIC MOBILE STONE SCULPTURE OF TIlE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER VALLEY A Preliminary Study in a Southern Northwest Coast Culture Subarea by MARILYN SARGENT PETERSON A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in ANTIIROPOLOGY Portland State University 1978 © Marilyn Sargent Peterson TO THE OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH: The members of the Committee approve the thesis of Marilyn Sargent Peterson presented November 14, 1978. Wayne Sutt~ es, Chairman . Thomas M. Newman Dale Archibald Gorct:on lB. Dodds \ APPROVED: Daniel J. Sche~Chairman, Department of Anthropology St and Research ACKNOWLEDGMEN IS I would like first and foremost to acknowledge the help of my chairman Dr. Wayne Suttles and committee members Dr. Thomas Newman, Mr. Dale Archibald, and Dr,. Gordon Dodds in finalizing various aspects of this study's content. I am particularly grateful for their patience in working through many pages of unpolished il,aterial and for their sharing of insightful comments. I am also indebtec1. to Dr. Daniel Schv... ns and Dr. Whitney Bates for their kindness and cooperation in S>10C... :lii1g out a series of pro cedural problems. Their forthright commitment was very much appreciated. To the many library, historical society, and museum personnel who persevered in ferreting out materials, do~)umentation, and the like, I give special thanks. Likewise, to ti1(' _J'J~eration, interest, ana hospitality of collectors, I say thank you. I would like to express my deep appr.I?',:~_ation to the following individuals for their financial support of fie1.dwork and actual thesis production costs: Mr. and Mr. Glenn L. Sargent, Mr. and Mrs. George J. Dykes, Mr. and Mrs. G. Raymond Cyrus, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald T. Iwasaki, Mr. Edl-Jard A. Bourgo, Mr. James J. Curtis. I also gratefully acknowledge the help of several people vUlO gave generously of their time and expertise in bringing this study through its final production, especially Mr. Glenn L. S.:ar~C!nt (photography), Mr. O. Eric Peterson (photography; maps), N3. Donnie Momi Schable (pen and ink illustrations), Ms. Sharon E. Cyrus and Ms. Phyllis E. iv Lancefield-Steeves (museum data recording), Ms. Lillian M. Blanchard and Ms. Dale 1. Haynes (editing; layout; typing). Ms. Margaret L. Lyseng kindly provided a typewriter for my use, and Mr" Scott L. Ballard, technical illustration equipment. And finally I would like to acknowledge the perhaps less tangible but greatly valued intellectual and personal support by various individ uals including my extended family and friends. Most especially I am indebted to Dr. Nevin ("Patt") Lamb, Mr. L. Richard Steeves, Ms. Phyllis E. Lancefield-Steeves, an.d Me. Sharon E. Cyrus for their lively interest, stimulating converation, and persistent supportiveness in this undertaking. Above all others, I would likE to thar~1t my husband for his sturdy conviction that it was all possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWJ.EDGEMENTS • • . • • • • . • • · . · . · . iii LIST OF FIGURES . · . vii LIST OF MAPS • • . · . x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION • • • • • , . 1 Identification of the Problem · . · . 1 Scope of the Study . · . • • • • D II 2 Survey of the Literature · . 2 Significance of the Research · . 7 II RESEARCH STRATEGY AND METHODS · . 9 Introduction e I • • • • • • • • • • • 9 Basic Research Strategy • · . · . 9 Data Collection Methods and their Limitations • 12 Criteria for Data Inclusion in the Study . 17 Data Analysis Methods • • • . 20 III INTRODUCTION TO THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL, AND ETHNOGRAPHIC CONTEXTS OF THE LO~~R COLUMBIA RIVER . 22 The Setting • . · . 22 Brief History of the Archaeological Research . 24 Archaeological Contexts • • • • • • • . • • · . 31 Historical Sources and their Contexts • . · . · . 33 vi CHAPTER PAGE Ethnographic Context: Operational Area Definition. 35 IV DATA PRESENTATION • • · . 40 Introduction • • • • • c • • • • • 40 Sites . - . · . • • 43 V DISTRIBUTIONAL PATTERNS • • . 191 The Sample: Its Size and Nature • . 192 Distributional Patterns · . 192 Summary of Zoomorphic Carvings • ~ . 194 Summary of Anthropomorphic Carvings . 216 Summary of Undefined Carvings . 224 VI SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMM~~ATIONS FOR FUR THER RESEARCH • • • • • • • • • • • • • . 227 Distributional Patterns · . 227 Contexts and Chronology · . 230 Recommendations for Further Research • . 239 BIBLIOGRAPHY . " 243 INDEX OF SITES (GEOGRAPHIC ORDER, WEST TO EAST) . 256 INDEX OF SITES (ALPHABETIC ORDER) • . 259 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Zoomorphic carving, Palmrose 1 • • • • • • · . · . 45 2. Bowl with zoomorphic face and tail, Ilwaco 1 • · . · . 46 3. Zoomorphic pipe, Altoona 1 • . · . · . · . 50 4. Anthropomorphic form, Sauvie Island 1 · . " 59 5. Anthropomorphic (?) form, Sauvie Island 2 · . • • •• CI 60 6. Zoomorphic form (owl?), Sauvie Isiand 3 • • • • · . 62 7. Zoomorphic (?) form, Sauvie Island 5 · • • · · · · · · 64 8. Additional views of Figure 7 . • • · • · • • · · 65 9. Zoomorphic carving, Sauvie Island 6 · • · • · · · 67 10. Zoomorphic form Sauvie Island 7 69 9 • · • • · · · • · · • • · 11. Bird form with inset mortar; Sauvie Island 8 • • • • • • • 70 12. Additional views of Figure 11 · • • • • · · • · · · · · 71 13. Zoomorphic form, Sauvie Island 16 · · • · · • · · · · · · 75 14. Zoomorphic form (owl?), Sauvie Island 17 • · • • · • • · · 76 15. Anthropomorphic face, Cholick 1 · • · • • · · • • • • · · 82 16. Zoomorphic form (?), Vancouver Lake/Lake River 1 · · · · · 89 17. Anthropomorphic form, H~rzog 1 · . · . · . 94 18. Zoomorphic form, Cape Horn 1 . · . · . · . · . 109 19. Pestle with zoomorphic form atop h::l.T!dle, Mosier 1 •••• 117 20. Anthropomorphic head, Lyle 1 • • · . · . · . 120 21. Double mortar toJ'ith faces, Klindt 1 · . • • • • • • • • • • 123 viii FIGURE PAGE 22. Zoomorphic form (owl?), Klindt 2 • · . · . 125 23. Zoomorphic head, The Dalles 1 . • . · . • · · · • · 127 24. Anthropomorphic head with inset mortar, FJ.ve Mile Rapids 1 133 25. Owl with inset mortar, Five Mile Rapids 8 · · · • · · · • 135 26. Anthropomorphic form with inset mortar, Five Mile Rapids 9 136 27. Bird form with inset mortar, Bead Patch 3 · • · · • · · · 140 28. Bowl with zoomorphic (owl?) faces, Big Eddy 2 • · · · · · 146 29. Pipe with bird head, OhBe 1 . • . · • • · · · · · 149 30. Bowl with zoomorphic form, Below Maybe 1 · · • · · · 151 31- Bead with zoomorphic form, Maybe 1 • • • • · · • · · • · · 153 32. Zoomorphic form, Maybe 5 • • • · . 157 33. Zoomorphic head, Maybe 7 • . 158 34. Maul with zoomorphic form atop handle, Atlatl Valley 1 •• 166 35. Bowl with four pairs of eyes, Atlatl Valley 2 168 36. Mortar with zoomorphic form, Atlatl Valley 3 • · . · . 169 37. Zoomorphic form, Atlatl Valley : • · . 171 38. Small zoomorphic forms, Wakemap 1, 2, 3 · . 175 39. Palette in zoomorphic shape, Wakemap 13 · . 181 40. Mortar with quadruped in relief, l-lakemap 17 · . 183 41. Mortar with zoomorphic form, Leachman 1 · . 186 42. Classification of carvings as zoomorphic or anthropomorphic . 195 43. Types of animals represented by zoomorphic carvings . 199 44. Basic forms of zoomorphic "clubs" ••• • • • • • • • 200 ix FIGURE PAGE 45. Amount of body represented in zoomorphic carvings. • •• 206 46. Dimensional representation of zoomot:phic carvings • 207 47. Types or "uses" of zoomorphic carvings ••••• • • • • 209 48. Distribution of features of zoomorphic carvings . 212 49. Amount of body represented in anthropomorphic carvings 217 50. Dimensional representation of anthropomorphic carvingl; 219 5!. Types or "uses" of anthropomorphic carvings • . 220 52. Distribution of features of anthropomorphic carvings . 222 53. Zoomorphic carvings by type of site and its dating • •• 232 54. Anthropomorphic carvings by type of site and its dating • 235 55. Chronological ordering of lower Columbia River sites with stone carvings • • • . • • 237 LIST OF MAPS MAP PAGE 1. Archaeological sites above The Dalles, Oregon . 129 2. Grouped distribution of ston~ carvings •• • • • • •• 193 3. Distribution of zoomorphic carvings ••• . 196 4. Distribution of anthropomorphic carvings . 197 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION IDENTIFICA TION OF lciE PROnLEM In the last one hundred and fifty years or more, farmers, fisher men, road and railroad construction workers, collectors, as well as archaeologists have discovered several hundred stone sculptures along the banks of the Columbia River. One area of note is that of the lower Columbia River, that is, the area of The Dalles, Oregon, downriver to the area around the mouth of the river. Many of these sculptures were shaped into zoomorphic or anthropomorphic forms. Throughout