Prehistoric Land-Use Patterns in the North Santiam Subbasin on the Western Slopes of the Oregon Cascade Range
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Cara McCulley Kelly of the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Anthropology, Anthropology, Geography presented on June 11, 2001. Title: Prehistoric Land-Use Patterns in the North Santiam Subbasin, On the Western Slopes of the Oregon Cascade Range. Abstract approved. Redacted for Privacy Barbara Roth This thesis examines prehistoric land use patterns of the entire North Santiam subbasin, located on the western slopes of the Oregon Cascade Range. The objective of this analysis is three-fold: 1) to contribute to reconstructing the cultural chronology of the area; 2) to address the use of raw material by local hunter-gatherers and how raw material can be used to reconstruct the seasonal procurement ranges for these groups; and 3) to model the adaptive strategies of the prehistoric inhabitants of the North Santiam subbasin. The adaptive strategies of hunter-gatherer groups in the North Santiam subbasin are addressed by using the known ethnographic record, limited archaeological excavations, and the environmental and social data layers in Geographic Information Systems. ArcView Spatial Analyst was used to analyze the density and distribution of prehistoric sites and their association with major vegetation, huckleberry patches, non-forested communities, slope, aspect, streams, lithic sources, hot springs and trails within the subbasin. Five elevation zones are outlined corresponding to the site density pattern and the key predictive environmental and social variables. This study assumed that sites are not randomly distributed across the landscape; instead hunter-gatherer groups chose a particular location based on the natural environment. It is also assumed that many of the environmental variables have survived to modern time and are represented by the presently available data. Concurrent trace element analysis by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and obsidian hydration analysis conducted on projectile points recovered from the surface and subsurface have provided evidence for early occupation in the subbasin; and revealed patterns in mobility, social interaction, and the use of raw material during the Archaic. The key predictive variables sustained a diversity of plant and animal resources that attracted human groups from both east and west of the Cascade Mountains over the past 10,000 years to seasonally hunt and procure a variety of important plant resources. The results of this study while descriptive in nature elucidates a pattern of land-use by hunter- gatherers, by providing key distributional data on prehistoric sites and their association to particular ecological zones within the North Santiam subbasin during the Archaic Period. ©Copyright by Cara McCulley Kelly June 11, 2001 All Rights Reserved Prehistoric Land-Use Patterns In The North Santiam Subbasin On the Western Slopes of the Oregon Cascade Range By Cara McCulley Kelly A THESIS Submitted to Oregon State University In partial fulfillment of The requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies Presented, June 11, 2001 Commencement June 2002 Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies thesis of Cara McCulley Kelly presented on June 11, 2001. APPROVED: Redacted for Privacy rofessor, representing Anthropology Redacted for Privacy Committee Me I representing Anthropology Redacted for Privacy ber, representing GeoSciences Redacted for Privacy Chair oft Department f hropology Redacted for Privacy Dean of G a u School I understand that my thesis will become part ofthe permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. Redacted for Privacy Cara Cull y Kelly, At)t ACKNOWLEGMENTS I wish to express sincere thanks to my committee members: Barbara Roth, David Brauner and Ron Doel. In particular, I would like to express my appreciation to Barbara Roth for her continued guidance, comments, suggestions and encouragement. She was always available to address any of my concerns or questions during my years at Oregon State University. I would like to thank the Willamette National Forest for making this project possible by contributing the data set for this research and access to Arc View. There are numerous employees of the Willamette National Forest, especially at the Detroit Ranger District, who provided assistance, advice, and encouragement over the past several years. In particular, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Diana Walker and Dean Mills for their immeasurable patience and encouragement. They contributed their time, advice and technical expertise, and were always willing and available to answer my string of endless questions. I am forever grateful for their unwavering support during this project. I would also like to thank Eric Berg land, who reviewed several chapters in very rough draft format and provided much needed encouragement and advice on the technological section of this thesis. Cathy Lindberg, Mike Roantree, Dave Leach, Rosanna Costello, Nora Holmquist, and Jim Romero all contributed to varying degrees technical advice and comments. I wish to extend my thanks to Felicia Rounds Beardsely for mentoring me during my first couple of years working as an archaeologist for the U.S. Forest Service, along with her continued support after she moved on to pursue other career opportunities. The Oregon Laurels Graduate Scholarship provided financial assistance for the cost of tuition. Most importantly, I am forever indebted to my Irish husband and companion, Clare Patrick Kelly, without whom I would never have made it through the many challenges of balancing a full-time job, school and home. His unwavering confidence in me, as well as his support on the home front during my graduate studies, made this thesis possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING 5 Environment 5 Geology and Physiography 6 The Study Area 8 Modern Day Vegetation and Climate 12 Non-Forested Communities 16 Fauna 24 Post-Glacial Climate and Vegetation 25 Fire Regimes 26 Summary 28 3. ETHNOGRAPHIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY 29 Introduction 29 Ethnographic Overview 29 Subsistence/Seasonal Round 33 Social Organization 35 Trade and Social Interaction with Other Tribes 36 Travel Routes 37 Cultural Chronologies 39 Early Archaic Period (8000-6000 B.P.) 40 Middle Archaic Period (6000-1800 B.P.) 41 Late Archaic Period (1800 B.P.-A.D. 1750) 42 Historic Period (A.D. 1750-Present) 43 Cultural Affiliation 43 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED). Page Previous Archaeological Investigations in the Western Oregon Cascades 46 Cascadia Cave (35LINI1) 47 River Terrace Sites 48 Meadow Sites 48 Ridgline Sites 48 Conclusion 49 4. TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES 53 Introduction 53 X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis 53 Devil Point Source 54 Obsidian Cliffs Source 56 Newberry Volcano Source 57 McKay Butte Source 58 Obsidian Hydration Analysis 58 Current Research 60 Western Stemmed Points 61 Foliate Points 62 Broad-Neck Projectile Points 63 Narrow-Neck Triangular Projectile Points 63 Discussion 64 5. LAND-USE MODELS FOR THE WESTERN OREGON CASCADE MOUNTAINS 79 Introduction 79 Modeling 80 Mobility 81 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED). Page Ecological Models for the Cascades 84 Baxter's Land-Use Model 84 Snyder's Land-Use Model 87 Burtchard's Land-Use Model 89 Summary 93 6. RESEARCH METHODS 95 Introduction 95 Archaeological Field Methods and Results 97 Survey Methods 97 Archaeological Site Surface Data 99 Biases in the Site Survey Data Affecting the North Santiam Model of Land-Use 100 Geographic Information Systems Data 102 Potential Problems with GIS 104 The Present Study 105 Environmental Variables 105 Social Variables 107 GIS Methods 108 GIS Layers 108 Data Manipulation 109 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED). Page 7. RESULTS 116 GIS Spatial Analyst Results 116 Aspect 116 Percent Slope 121 Vegetation 125 Distance to Lakes and Ponds 147 Distance to Streams 152 Distance to Trails 157 Elevation 162 Discussion 167 Summary 175 8. CONCULSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 176 B IB ILIOGRAPHY 184 APPENDICES 203 Appendix A Artifact Illustrations 204 Appendix B Oracle Database Forms 218 Appendix C GIS Steps 229 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. High Cascade and Western Cascade Provinces, North Santiam Subbasin 7 2. Vicinity Map 9 3. Watershed Boundaries, North Santiam Subbasin 13 4. Major Vegetation Series, North Santiam Subbasin 15 5. Molala Territory in Oregon 31 6. 1851 Map Displays the Reservation of the Santiam Band of the Moolalle Tribe. 32 7. Obsidian Source Locations 55 8. Distribution of Point Types and Exotic Obsidian, North Santiam Subbasin 70 9. Detroit Elevation, North Santiam Subbasin 110 10. Flow Chart of the GIS Process 111 11. Flow Chart of the GIS Process 112 12. Survey Coverage, North Santiam Subbasin 114 13. Aspect, North Santiam Subbasin 118 14. Histogram of Survey and Sites within Zones of Aspect 119 15. Histogram of Aspect 120 16. Percent Slope, North Santiam Subbasin 122 17. Histogram of Percent Slope 123 18. Histogram of Survey and Sites within Zones of Percent Slope 124 19. Histogram of Meadow Communities within Zones of Elevation and Major Vegetation 126 LIST OF FIGURES (Continued). Figure Page 20. Distance to Meadows, North Santiam Subbasin 129 21. Histogram of Distance to Meadows 130 22. Histogram of Survey and Sites within Zones of Distance to Meadows 131 23. Density of Sites within Zones of Meadow Communities North Santiam Subbasin 133 24. Histogram of Huckleberry Patches within Zones of Elevation and Major Vegetation 135 25. Distance to Huckleberry Patches, North Santiam Subbasin 137 26. Histogram of Survey and Sites within Zones of Distance to Huckleberry Patches 138 27. Histogram of Distance to Huckleberry Patches, 139 28. Density of Sites within Zones of Huckleberry Patches North Santiam Subbasin 140 29. Major Vegetation Series, North Santiam Subbasin 143 30. Histogram of Major Vegetation 144 31. Histogram of Survey and Sites within Zones of Major Vegetation, 145 32. Density of Sites within Zones of Major Vegetation North Santiam Subbasin 146 33. Distance to Lakes and Pond, North Santiam Subbasin 149 34. Histogram of Survey and Sites within Zones of Distance to Lakes and Ponds 150 35.