Upper Deschutes River · ·Basin Prehistory: A Preliminary Examination of Flaked Stone Tools and Debitage Michael W. Taggart 2002 ·~. ... .. " .. • '·:: ••h> ·';'"' •..,. •.• '11\•.. ...... :f~::.. ·:·. .. ii AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Michael W. Taggart for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Anthropology. Anthropology. and Geography presented on April 19. 2002. Title: Upper Deschutes River Basin Prehistory: A Preliminary Examination of Flaked Stone Tools and Debitage. The prehistory of Central Oregon is explored through the examination of six archaeological sites and two isolated finds from the Upper Deschutes River Basin. Inquiry focuses on the land use, mobility, technological organization, and raw material procurement of the aboriginal inhabitants of the area. Archaeological data presented here are augmented with ethnographic accounts to inform interpretations. Eight stone tool assemblages and three debitage assemblages are analyzed in order to characterize technological organization. Diagnostic projectile points recovered from the study sites indicate the area was seasonally utilized prior to the eruption of ancient Mt. Mazama (>6,845 BP), and continuing until the Historic period (c. 1850). While there is evidence of human occupation at the study sites dating to between >7,000- 150 B.P., the range of activities and intensity of occupation varied. Source characterization analysis indicates that eight different Central Oregon obsidian sources are represented at the sites. Results of the lithic analysis are presented in light of past environmental and social phenomena including volcanic eruptions, climate change, and human population movements. Chapter One introduces the key questions that directed the inquiry and defines the theoretical perspective used. Chapter Two describes the modem and ancient environmental context of study area. Topics of discussion include physiography, fauna, vegetation, geology, and climate. Chapter Three introduces the aboriginal inhabitants of the Upper Deschutes River Basin and summarizes past archeological investigations in the area. Hunter-gatherer land use and lithe technology are discussed in Chapter Four. The methods used to collect and analyze the data used in this study are presented in Chapter Five. Chapter Six summarizes the results of the technological lithic analysis and geochemical sourcing. The final chapter, Discussion and Conclusions, interprets the results with respect to cultural chronology, site function and distribution, land use and mobility, lithic technology, and raw material procurement. iii ©Copyright by Michael W. Taggart April19, 2002 All Rights Reserved iv Upper Deschutes River Basin Prehistory: A Preliminary Examination of Flaked Stone Tools and Debitage by Michael W. Taggart A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies Presented April19, 2002 Commencement June 2002 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have given guidance and support during the design and execution of this project. Some of those I'm indebted to shared their knowledge, others offered inspiration. I am grateful for them all. First of all I would like to thank the good people at the Deschutes National Forest and the Central Oregon Heritage Group. Crescent District Archaeologist, Leslie Hickerson, gave generously of her time and made available the records and artifact collections that were used here. A big thanks also goes out to Paul Claeyssens, Heritage Program Manager for the Forest, who took an interest in this project early on and helped get it off the ground. Scott Goodman, High Desert Area Archaeologist for the BLM, was kind enough to give me access to the COHG GIS database and provided technical support. Dr. Barbara Roth, my Graduate Advisor, provided encouragement and a critical eye that helped to smooth out some of the rough spots in this project. Thanks also to Dr. Roberta Hall for her input and helping to keep me gainfully employed during this process. Craig Skinner and the Northwest Research Obsidian Studies Lab were instrumental in making this happen. The donation of lab services in the form of the 2000 Northwest Research Obsidian Studies Lab Grant was a big help. Thanks. Finally, special thanks go to my parents, Bill and Jackie Taggart. None of this would be possible without them. I love you guys. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. IN'TRODUCTION ................................................................... 1 Statement of Problem ................................................................ 2 Theoretical Perspective .............................................................. 4 2. EN"IFtONlVIENTAL BACFCCJROUND .......................................... 6 Physiographic Provinces ............................................................ 6 High Cascades ............................................................... 6 Northern CJreat Basin ........................................................ 10 Southern Columbia Plateau ................................................ 12 Fauna .................................................................................. 13 Holocene Climate and "egetation ................................................. 13 3. CULTURAL BACFCCJROUND .................................................... 19 Ethnographic Survey ................................................................. 19 Northern Paiute .............................................................. 19 Problems Defining Northern Paiute Distribution .............. 22 Numic Origins ...................................................... 24 JVfolala .........................................................................25 FClamath ....................................................................... 26 Archaeology ........................................................................... 27 Central Oregon Land Use ........................................................... 27 FClamath Basin ............................................................... 28 Upper Deschutes River Basin I High Lava Plains ...................... 29 Previous Archaeology ............................................................... 29 Initial Occupations of the West ............................................. 29 The Archaic .................................................................. 33 Southern Columbia Plateau ....................................... 33 Period 1...................................................... 33 Period ll ..................................................... 34 Period ill................................................... 35 Northern CJreat Basin .............................................. 36 Initial Archaic ............................................. 36 Early Archaic .............................................. 37 JVfiddle Archaic ............................................. 38 Late Archaic ............................................... 39 vii Middle and Upper Deschutes River Basin ...................... 39 Initial Archaic ............................................. 40 Early Archaic .............................................. 40 Middle Archaic ............................................ 41 Late Archaic ............................................... 42 The Study Sites ............................................................... 44 35-KL-528 (Shibikashe) ........................................... 44 35-KL-878 (Little Butte) .......................................... 45 35-KL-879 (Jim Bob) .............................................. 47 35-KL-880 (June Bug) ............................................. 48 35-KL-888 (West Davis Campground) ......................... 49 35-KL-1111 (East Davis Campground) ......................... 51 Isolates ............................................................... 53 IS0-2031 ................................................... 53 IS0-2175 .................................................... 54 4. HUNTER GATHERER LAND USE & LITHIC TECHNOLOGY ........... 55 Hunter Gatherer Research ........................................................... 55 The Forager I Collector Model. .................................................... 55 Land Use & Mobility in the Great Basin .......................................... 57 Lithic Technology & Mobility ......................................................59 Raw Material ....................................................... 60 Curation Concept ................................................... 62 Measures of Mobility .............................................. 62 5. METHODOLOGY ................................................................... 65 Data Collection ....................................................................... 65 Lithic Analysis ........................................................................ 65 Flaked Stone Tools ......................................................... 66 Projectile Point Typology ..........................................66 Western Stemmed ................................................... 66 Elko ................................................................... 69 Rosegate ..............................................................69 Desert Side-Notched ................................................71 Cottonwood ..........................................................71 Debitage Analysis ........................................................... 71 Technological Classes ......................................................