Central Washington University ScholarWorks@CWU All Master's Theses Master's Theses Winter 2020 A Functional Analysis of Recorded Pre-Contact Archaeological Sites on Lopez Island, Washington Julia Kunas Central Washington University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Kunas, Julia, "A Functional Analysis of Recorded Pre-Contact Archaeological Sites on Lopez Island, Washington" (2020). All Master's Theses. 1343. https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/1343 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses at ScholarWorks@CWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@CWU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF RECORDED PRE-CONTACT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ON LOPEZ ISLAND, WASHINGTON ____________________________________ A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Faculty Central Washington University _____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Resource Management _____________________________________ by Julia Kunas December 2019 CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Graduate Studies We hereby approve the thesis of Julia Kunas Candidate for the degree of Master of Science APPROVED FOR THE GRADUATE FACULTY ______________ _________________________________________ Dr. Patrick T. McCutcheon, Committee Chair ______________ _________________________________________ Dr. Steven Hackenberger ______________ _________________________________________ Dr. Patrick Lubinski ______________ _________________________________________ Dean of Graduate Studies ii ABSTRACT A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF RECORDED PRE-CONTACT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ON LOPEZ ISLAND, WASHINGTON by Julia Kunas December 2019 Lopez Island, Washington has been the subject of archaeological study for over a century. Through an evolutionary archaeology framework, this thesis uses a functional analysis of recorded precontact sites on Lopez Island to determine how previous sampling and research strategies have influenced what is known about the island’s archaeology. Knowing what is currently known about the island’s archaeology shows how recorded sites can be further investigated to address regional Salish Sea research questions. I developed and applied a paradigmatic classification to 54 sampled sites from the Washington DAHP’s WISAARD database by their level of previous research, microenvironment, and archaeology. This analysis showed that there has been little subsurface investigation on Lopez Island. The majority of archaeological sites and surveys have been concentrated on the coast of Lopez Island. Microenvironmental analysis showed that sites closer to the shoreline had greater variability in archaeology than further sites, and sites closer to freshwater also displayed greater variability. Sites containing shell (e.g., midden, artifacts, etc.) were most common in the archaeological classification; sites with rock cairns were the second most frequent filled class. The iii results of the analysis identified sites on Lopez Island that could be further studied to address regional research questions of chronology, settlement and subsistence, and ideology. I also identified data gaps in the island’s archaeological record including lack of data on the island’s interior and a low frequency of subsurface excavation across the island. Lopez Island’s archaeological record will remain an isolated piece of culture history until the data gaps identified in this thesis are addressed so that its historic context can be better integrated into the culture history of the Salish Sea. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis is the result of shifting research plans that eventually resulted in this analysis of recorded Lopez Island archaeology. Initially this thesis was going to be covering a planned Central Washington University field school on Iceberg Point on Lopez Island, so I would first like to thank the Bureau of Land Management since I would not have settled on Lopez Island as my research area otherwise. Secondly, I want to thank the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation for allowing me access to the WISAARD database which was one of the key sources of data for this thesis. A portion of my education and research was funded by the Wilson Archaeology Scholarship, so I would like to thank the Wilson Family for supporting my graduate education. I would also like to extend my thanks to Genavie Thomas, Gary Wessen, David Munsell, and Bob Kopperl who were all kind enough to share their knowledge of Lopez Island archaeology, and as well as influencing the development of this thesis through their past research on Lopez Island. Special thanks also goes to my committee Dr. Patrick T. McCutcheon, Dr. Steven Hackenberger, and Dr. Patrick Lubinski as well as the other professors at Central Washington University who helped me throughout my graduate career by helping me to develop my analytical and research skills, and to become a better archaeologist. Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family for their endless support and encouragement throughout this journey. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 Problem .................................................................................... 3 Purpose .................................................................................... 3 Significance .............................................................................. 7 II STUDY AREA .................................................................................. 10 Physical Setting ...................................................................... 10 Geology .................................................................................. 12 Soils ....................................................................................... 13 Climate ................................................................................... 14 Fire History ............................................................................ 15 Biota....................................................................................... 16 Cultural Setting ...................................................................... 18 III LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 22 Salish Sea Archaeology .......................................................... 22 Previous Lopez Island Research ............................................. 29 Functional Methods of Classifying and Analyzing Sites ......... 36 Resource Intensification on the Pacific Northwest Coast......... 38 IV THEORY, METHOD, AND TECHNIQUE ....................................... 42 Theoretical Approach ............................................................. 42 Methods ................................................................................. 44 Technique: Paradigmatic Classification and Functional Analysis ................................................................ 46 Compiling Data for Classification and Analysis ...................... 48 Previous Research Classification ............................................ 52 Archaeology Paradigmatic Classification ................................ 53 Microenvironment Paradigmatic Classification ....................... 55 Classification Analysis ........................................................... 63 V A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF PRE-CONTACT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ON LOPEZ ISLAND, WASHINGTON ................................................................ 66 REFERENCES ................................................................................ 123 APPENDIXES ................................................................................. 133 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Chapter Page Appendix A—Raw Data, No Duplicates ............................... 133 Appendix B—Raw Data, With Duplicates ............................ 136 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Precontact Regional/Local Chronology of the Salish Sea ............... 23 2 Paradigmatic Classification for the Functional Analysis of Lopez Island Sites ....................................................... 47 3 Examples for Previous Research Classification .............................. 53 4 Example Classifications for Archaeology....................................... 54 5 Lopez Island Plant Environment Classes ........................................ 56 6 Freshwater Distance Classes .......................................................... 57 7 Shoreline Distance Classes ............................................................ 59 8 Lopez Island Soil Series by Order .................................................. 60 9 Geomorphology Classes ................................................................ 62 10 Example Microenvironmental Class Definitions ............................ 62 Tables in Article (Chapter V) 1 Paradigmatic Classification for the Functional Analysis of Lopez Island Sites ....................................................... 83 2 List of Lopez Island Sites with Radiometric Dates ......................... 85 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Map of Salish Sea .......................................................................... 11 2 Map of Lopez Island and the Surrounding Islands .......................... 12 3 Glacial Striations