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• 1. [Article] Relic Hunting, Archaeology, and Loss of Native American Heritage at The Dalles

  Assesses the damage done to Native American sites and heritage by relic hunters and archaeologists digging in the mid-Columbia River region that was inundated by completion of The Dalles Dam in 1957. Long ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Relic Hunting, Archaeology, and Loss of Native American Heritage at The Dalles Author: Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2007 Assesses the damage done to Native American sites and heritage by relic hunters and archaeologists digging in the mid-Columbia River region that was inundated by completion of The Dalles Dam in 1957. Long before the dam was built,relic hunters disturbed grave sites and mounds in their search for artifacts. The artifacts went into private collections or were sold, without concern for their context or for the rights and concerns of native people. The article also discusses the development of the profession of archaeology and the ways professional archaeologists were complicit in the desecration of native sites. Sites along the river continue to be looted in spite of laws against looting and the ethical codes adopted by such organizations as the Society for American Archaeology. Title: Relic Hunting, Archaeology, and Loss of Native American Heritage at The Dalles Author: Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2007 Assesses the damage done to Native American sites and heritage by relic hunters and archaeologists digging in the mid-Columbia River region that was inundated by completion of The Dalles Dam in 1957. Long before the dam was built,relic hunters disturbed grave sites and mounds in their search for artifacts. The artifacts went into private collections or were sold, without concern for their context or for the rights and concerns of native people. The article also discusses the development of the profession of archaeology and the ways professional archaeologists were complicit in the desecration of native sites. Sites along the river continue to be looted in spite of laws against looting and the ethical codes adopted by such organizations as the Society for American Archaeology. Close

• 2. [Article] Tracking Fish and Human Response to Earthquakes on the Northwest Coast of Washington State, USA: A Preliminary Study at Tse-whit-zen

  Evidence of large earthquakes occurring along the Pacific Northwest Coast is reflected in coastal stratigraphy from Oregon to British Columbia, where there also exists an extensive archaeological record ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Tracking Fish and Human Response to Earthquakes on the Northwest Coast of Washington State, USA: A Preliminary Study at Tse-whit-zen Author: Mohlenhoff, Kathryn A., Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2017 Evidence of large earthquakes occurring along the Pacific Northwest Coast is reflected in coastal stratigraphy from Oregon to British Columbia, where there also exists an extensive archaeological record of Native American occupation. Tse-whit-zen, a large Native American village dating between ∼2800 yrs BP and the historic era, located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, was excavated with exceptionally fine stratigraphic control allowing for precise comparison of these natural and cultural records. Here we report on the ∼10,000 fish remains from one 2 × 2 m excavation block; this assemblage spans the timing of one seismic event, allowing study of changes in relative taxonomic abundance through time that may coincide with earthquakes or other environmental changes. Results indicate a wide variety of fish taxa were used throughout the dated occupation. Comparisons of fish use before and after one earthquake event shows a decline in salmon (Oncorhynchus sp.) and an increase in herring (Clupea pallasii), shifts consistent with earthquake-related habitat loss. This serves as a pilot study for a large-scale collaborative project that is drawing on the range in animal types (invertebrates, mammals, birds, and fishes) to assess human response to gradual and abrupt environmental change at Tse-whit-zen. Title: Tracking Fish and Human Response to Earthquakes on the Northwest Coast of Washington State, USA: A Preliminary Study at Tse-whit-zen Author: Mohlenhoff, Kathryn A., Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2017 Evidence of large earthquakes occurring along the Pacific Northwest Coast is reflected in coastal stratigraphy from Oregon to British Columbia, where there also exists an extensive archaeological record of Native American occupation. Tse-whit-zen, a large Native American village dating between ∼2800 yrs BP and the historic era, located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, was excavated with exceptionally fine stratigraphic control allowing for precise comparison of these natural and cultural records. Here we report on the ∼10,000 fish remains from one 2 × 2 m excavation block; this assemblage spans the timing of one seismic event, allowing study of changes in relative taxonomic abundance through time that may coincide with earthquakes or other environmental changes. Results indicate a wide variety of fish taxa were used throughout the dated occupation. Comparisons of fish use before and after one earthquake event shows a decline in salmon (Oncorhynchus sp.) and an increase in herring (Clupea pallasii), shifts consistent with earthquake-related habitat loss. This serves as a pilot study for a large-scale collaborative project that is drawing on the range in animal types (invertebrates, mammals, birds, and fishes) to assess human response to gradual and abrupt environmental change at Tse-whit-zen. Close

• 3. [Article] Towards the Identification of Lampreys (Lampetra SPP.) in Archaeological Contexts

  Lampreys were and continue to be an important resource for Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Lampreys possess several skeletal structures that are regularly identified in marine mammal and bird ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Towards the Identification of Lampreys (Lampetra SPP.) in Archaeological Contexts Author: Smith, Ross E., Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2008 Lampreys were and continue to be an important resource for Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Lampreys possess several skeletal structures that are regularly identified in marine mammal and bird stomach contents and fecal samples, suggesting that lamprey elements may preserve in archaeological contexts. However, their remains have not been identified in archaeological faunal samples in the Pacific Northwest. This may be due to the lack of an adequate "search image" for lamprey remains among faunal analysts and limited use of line screen sampling. Descriptions and photographs of lamprey remains that are most likely to survive in archaeological contexts are presented to increase awareness of lamprey anatomy. Horn-like teeth located around the lamprey oral disc are the largest and most distinctive elements that may be encountered in archaeological samples. Use of standard 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) and 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) mesh will retain elements from mature adult Pacific Lampreys. Title: Towards the Identification of Lampreys (Lampetra SPP.) in Archaeological Contexts Author: Smith, Ross E., Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2008 Lampreys were and continue to be an important resource for Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Lampreys possess several skeletal structures that are regularly identified in marine mammal and bird stomach contents and fecal samples, suggesting that lamprey elements may preserve in archaeological contexts. However, their remains have not been identified in archaeological faunal samples in the Pacific Northwest. This may be due to the lack of an adequate "search image" for lamprey remains among faunal analysts and limited use of line screen sampling. Descriptions and photographs of lamprey remains that are most likely to survive in archaeological contexts are presented to increase awareness of lamprey anatomy. Horn-like teeth located around the lamprey oral disc are the largest and most distinctive elements that may be encountered in archaeological samples. Use of standard 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) and 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) mesh will retain elements from mature adult Pacific Lampreys. Close

• 4. [Article] Assessing Reproducibility in Faunal Analysis Using Blind Tests: A case Study From Northwestern North America

  Zooarchaeologists have long recognized that assigning taxonomic identifications to animal remains is a subjective process, and recent studies have highlighted the need for data quality assurance standards ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Assessing Reproducibility in Faunal Analysis Using Blind Tests: A case Study From Northwestern North America Author: Nims, Reno, Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2017 Zooarchaeologists have long recognized that assigning taxonomic identifications to animal remains is a subjective process, and recent studies have highlighted the need for data quality assurance standards in archaeofaunal research. Our study contributes to this growing interest in quality assurance by presenting simple quantitative methods for assessing the reproducibility of analytic results through blind reanalysis of animal remains that we developed during analysis of fishbone from Čḯxwicən, a large Native American village on the coast of Washington State, U.S.A. Given the large scale of the Čḯxwicən project – over 112,000 fish remains were documented by five different analysts over three years – there was a real possibility that inconsistencies in laboratory practices affected analytic results (e.g., number of identified specimens, taxa present and relative abundance, elements identified, burning frequencies). To evaluate the reproducibility of the Čḯxwicən fishbone data, and the possibility of “protocol drift” – changes in how specimens and bone modifications were identified over the course of analysis – we reanalyzed samples of fish remains that were previously documented during three discrete stages (beginning, middle, and end) of the Čḯxwicən project. The original data and the reanalysis results show close agreement in each stage, with only minor differences in the numbers of recorded specimens, taxonomic representation at family- and finer taxonomic levels, and body part representation assessed for a single taxonomic order. Identifying burning on bone was not very reproducible. Reproducibility studies such as this are useful for highlighting ambiguous identification criteria (e.g., in taxonomic assignment, bone modification), and could stimulate dialog among researchers about ways to address such issues in future studies. Increasing the implementation of these, and other, widely applicable methods should improve zooarchaeological data quality and stimulate further research on quality assurance in archaeology overall. Title: Assessing Reproducibility in Faunal Analysis Using Blind Tests: A case Study From Northwestern North America Author: Nims, Reno, Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2017 Zooarchaeologists have long recognized that assigning taxonomic identifications to animal remains is a subjective process, and recent studies have highlighted the need for data quality assurance standards in archaeofaunal research. Our study contributes to this growing interest in quality assurance by presenting simple quantitative methods for assessing the reproducibility of analytic results through blind reanalysis of animal remains that we developed during analysis of fishbone from Čḯxwicən, a large Native American village on the coast of Washington State, U.S.A. Given the large scale of the Čḯxwicən project – over 112,000 fish remains were documented by five different analysts over three years – there was a real possibility that inconsistencies in laboratory practices affected analytic results (e.g., number of identified specimens, taxa present and relative abundance, elements identified, burning frequencies). To evaluate the reproducibility of the Čḯxwicən fishbone data, and the possibility of “protocol drift” – changes in how specimens and bone modifications were identified over the course of analysis – we reanalyzed samples of fish remains that were previously documented during three discrete stages (beginning, middle, and end) of the Čḯxwicən project. The original data and the reanalysis results show close agreement in each stage, with only minor differences in the numbers of recorded specimens, taxonomic representation at family- and finer taxonomic levels, and body part representation assessed for a single taxonomic order. Identifying burning on bone was not very reproducible. Reproducibility studies such as this are useful for highlighting ambiguous identification criteria (e.g., in taxonomic assignment, bone modification), and could stimulate dialog among researchers about ways to address such issues in future studies. Increasing the implementation of these, and other, widely applicable methods should improve zooarchaeological data quality and stimulate further research on quality assurance in archaeology overall. Close