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Environment, Prehistory & Archaeology of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Greg C. Burtchard
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Foreword to the 2003 Edition
Preface
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Mount Rainier Project
Previous Archaeology
The Present Project
Chapter 2: Environment & Land-use on Mount Rainier & in the Southern Washington Cascades
Mount Rainier and Southern Washington Cascades Geology
Environmental Implications of General Cascades Geology
Mount Rainier Holocene Geology
Environmental Zones, Resources and Human Land-use Patterns
Ecological Maturity, Resource Abundance and the Northwest Maritime Forest
Mount Rainier Environmental Zones and Human Use
Northwest Maritime Forest
Low to Mid-Elevation Forest
Upper Elevation Forest
Forest Fauna
The Huckleberry Issue
Low Elevation Rivers and Floodplains
Lahars and Floods
Anadromous Fish
Floodplain Archaeology and Land-Use
Subalpine Parkland
Subalpine Meadows
Subalpine Fauna
Subalpine Parkland, Land-Use and Archaeology
Alpine Tundra
Alpine Tundra Flora
Alpine Fauna, Land-Use and Archaeology
Perpetual Snowfields and Glaciers
Holocene Evolution of Mount Rainier's Environment
Late Fraser Glaciation: Vashon Stade; circa 17,000 to 13,500 B.P.
Terminal Fraser: Everson Interglacial & Sumas Stade; circa 13,500 to 8,500 B.P.
Modern Interlude 1; circa 8,500 to 7,800 B.P.
Hypsithermal Interval; circa 7,800 to 4,500 B.P.
Modern Interlude 2; circa 4,500 to 2,800 B.P.
Burroughs Mountain Glacial Advance; circa 2,800 to 2,100 B.P.
Modern Interlude 3; circa 2,100 to 900 B.P.
Garda Stade Glacial Advance; circa 900 to 500 B.P.
Modern Interlude 4; circa 500 B.P. to Present
Environment, Human Use and Mount Rainier's Archaeological Record
Why Did Hunter-Gatherers Use Mount Rainier?
When Did Hunter-Gatherers Use the Mountain?
Where Did Montane Hunting and Gathering Activities Take Place?
How Did Regional Settlement Systems and Montane Environments
Affect Site Distribution Patterns?
Chapter 3: Archaeological History of Mount Rainier & the Southern Washington Cascades
The Early History of Archaeology in Mount Rainier National Park
In the Southern Washington Cascades, by Richard H. McClure, Jr.
Upper White River Basin
Upper Naches and Tieton River Basin
Upper Cowlitz River Basin
Chronology and Cultural Process in the Southern Washington Cascades
Chapter 4: The 1995 Mount Rainier Archeological Reconnaissance
Site Verification and Reconnaissance Procedures
The New Picture, Reported Prehistoric Sites and Isolates 1991-1995
Formally Documented Archaeological Sites in Mount Rainier National Park
Lithic Assemblages and Site Variability on Mount Rainier by Stephen Hamilton and Greg Burchard
General Characteristics of the Mount Rainier Assemblages
Artifact Classes
Technology
Raw Materials
Material Variability and Site Function
Radiocarbon, Stratigraphy, Projectile Points and Temporal Range at Mount Rainier
Artifact Variability, and Site and Isolate Groups on Mount Rainier
Assemblage-based Site Groups
Mount Rainier Isolated Find Groups
Environmental Characteristics and Prehistoric Site Density
Environmental/Resource Zones and Elevation
Slope
Distance to Water
Solar Exposure
Landform
Chapter 5: Prehistoric Site Distribution & Holocene Land-use Patterns on Mount Rainier
& the Southern Washington Cascades
Mount Rainier Site Types and Site Distribution Patterns
Type 1: Multi-task, Mixed Group, Residential Base Camps or Residential Field Camps
Type 2: Limited-task Field or Hunting Camps
Type 3: Low Redundancy, Low Intensity Hunting Locations
Type 4: Butchering Locations
Type 5: Lithic Procurement and Lithic Reduction Locations
Type 6: Stacked Rock and Talus Feature Locations
Type 7: Culturally Modified Tree Locations
Type 8: Plant Processing Locations
Type 9: Prehistoric to Early Historic Period Trails
Type IF: Isolated Lost Artifacts
Holocene Land-use Patterns; an Intensification Model
Humans and Ecology
Population Density, Resource Availability and Land-use Intensification
A Brief History of Forager to Collector Intensification Models
Origins: Willow Smoke and Dogs' Tails
Foragers and Collectors; Spatial Variation Versus Temporal Change
Forger to Collector Intensification in the Pacific Northwest
An Intensification Model for Mount Rainier and the Southern Washington Cascades
Post-Pleistocene Foraging
Rest-Rotation Foraging
Semisedentary Rest-Rotation Foraging
Semisedentary Collecting
Intensive Collecting
Mixed Strategy Hunting and Gathering
Chapter 6: Mount Rainier Archaeology Management, Research & Interpretation
Mount Rainier Prehistoric Summary
Why Did Hunter-Gatherers Use Mount Rainier?
Mount Rainier Data
Recommendations
When Did Hunter-Gatherers Use the Mountain?
Mount Rainier Data
Recommendations
Where Did Montane Hunting and Gathering Activities Take Place?
Mount Rainier Data
Recommendations
How Did Regional Settlement Systems and Montane Environments Affect Site Distribution Patterns?
Mount Rainier Data
Recommendations
Management, Research Implementation and Interpretation
Research Implementation
Interpreting Mount Rainier's Prehistoric Past
Museum Displays and Interpretive Literature
Public Outreach Presentations
Interpretive Archaeological Excavations
References
Appendix A: Sites and Isolate Reports in Mount Rainier National Park
Appendix B: Mount Rainier Lithic Assemblage Inventory Methodology
Debitage
Cortical flake
Secondary, Interior flake
Tertiary Interior flake
Biface flake
Retouch flake
Shatter
Raw Material
Debitage Discussion
Cores
Polyhedral
Single platform
Tabular
Biface
Standardized core
Expedient core
Tools and Preforms
Projectile point
Uniface
Used flake
Preform
Reference
Appendix C: Ecological Succession; Implications for Plant and Animal Abundance, and
Archaeological Site Distribution Patterns
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1 Mount Rainier and the Southern to Northern Washington Cascades
Figure 1.2 Sites, Isolates and Reported Prehistoric Finds in Mount Rainier National Park
Figure 2.1 Southern Washington Cascades and Surrounding Physiographic Provinces
Figure 2.2 Major Mount Rainier Lahars
Figure 2.3 Distribution of Selected Volcanic Deposits on Mount Rainier
Figure 2.4 Vegetation Zones: Puget Trough - S. Washington Cascades
Figure 2.5 Generalized Distribution of Mount Rainier Habitat Types
Figure 2.6 Carbon River Floodplain
Figure 2.7 Potential Salmon-Bearing River Systems in Mount Rainier National Park
Figure 2.8 Mist Park Subalpine Meadows from Mt. Pleasant Rockshelter
Figure 2.9 Mountain Goats on Burroughs Mountain Alpine Tundra
Figure 2.10 Mount Rainier National Park, Northwest Quadrant (omitted from the online edition)
Figure 2.11 Mount Rainier National Park, Northeast Quadrant (omitted from the online edition)
Figure 2.12 Mount Rainier National Park, Southwest Quadrant (omitted from the online edition)
Figure 2.13 Mount Rainier National Park, Southeast Quadrant (omitted from the online edition)
Figure 3.1 Mount Rainier Prehistoric Localities Reported through 1970
Figure 3.2 Mount Rainier Prehistoric Localities Reported through 1980
Figure 3.3 Mount Rainier Prehistoric Localities Reported through 1990
Figure 3.4 Investigated Archaeological Sites in the Vicinity of Mount Rainier National Park
Figure 3.5 Radiocarbon Age Ranges for the Southern Washington Cascades
Figure 4.1 Mount Rainier Prehistoric Localities Reported through 1995
Figure 4.2 Documented Archaeological Sites and Isolates, Mount Rainier National Park
Figure 4.3 Plot of Debitage Counts by Material Variety
Figure 4.4 Site Relative Frequency, by Environmental Zone
Figure 4.5 Site Relative Frequency, by Elevation
Figure 4.6 Site Relative Frequency, by Slope
Figure 4.7 Site Relative Frequency, by Distance to Water
Figure 4.8 Site Relative Frequency, by Solar Orientation
Figure 4.9 Site Relative Frequency, by Landform Group
Figure 6.1 Mt. Pleasant Rockshelter (FS 72-02)
Figure 6.2 Profiled Erosion Scar in Grand Park
Figure 6.3 Buck Lake Site FS 71-01
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 Sources and Ages of Volcanic Deposits on Mount Rainier
Table 2.2 Mount Rainier Environmental Zonation Systems
Table 2.3 Mount Rainier Region Late Pleistocene - Holocene Climatic Sequence
Table 3.1 Reported Prehistoric Sites and Isolates, 1899-1970
Table 3.2 Reported Sites and Isolates, 1971-1980
Table 3.3 Reported Sites and Isolates, 1981-1990
Table 3.4 Radiocarbon Dated Archaeological Sites in the Southern Washington Cascades
Table 4.1 Sites and Isolates, 1991-1995
Table 4.2 Mount Rainier 1995 Archaeological Site and Isolated Find Summary
Table 4.3 Lithic Assemblage Summary, Mount Rainier Prehistoric Sites
Table 4.4 Lithic Summary, Mount Rainier Isolated Finds
Table 4.5 Summary of Lithic Debitage from Mount Rainier Surface Assemblages
Table 4.6 Debitage Raw Material Variability at Mount Rainier
Table 4.7 Mount Rainier Projectile Point Types and Inferred Age
Table 4.8 Sites Grouped by Lithic Assemblage Similarities as an Index of Site Types
Table 4.9 Isolated Finds Grouped by Similarity of Lithic Remains
Table 4.10 Mount Rainier Site/Environmental Associations
Table 4.11 Mount Rainier Site Count and Density, by Environmental Zone
Table 5.1 Mount Rainier Site Types, Sites and Surface Remains
Table 5.2 Northwest Land-Use Intensification Models
Table 5.3 Mount Rainier Environment, Land-Use and the Archaeological Record
Table 6.1 Research Implementation Summary Recommendations
Table A1 Prehistoric Sites and Isolated Find Reports in Mount Rainier National Park through 1995
The cover photograph shows Mount Rainier and its early evening
reflection in a tarn lake in Spray Park. Photo taken September 1,
1995.
This document is printed on acid-free archival paper. It is
intended to be a long-term record of the archaeology of Mount Rainier
National Park.
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