The Prehistory of the Northwest Coast This page intentionally left blank The Prehistory of the Northwest Coast R. G. Matson Gary Coupland Routledge Taylor & Francis Croup LONDON AND NEW YORK Replaces cloth edition of this book produced by Emerald Group Publishing under ISBN 978-0-12-480260-5 in 2007. Originally published by Academic Press in 1994. First published 2009 by Left Coast Press, Inc. Published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2009 by Left Coast Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data available from the publisher. ISBN 13: 978-1-59874-459-0 (pbk) To the memory of Charles E. Borden, the father of British Columbian and, indeed, Northwest Coast archaeology. This page intentionally left blank Contents Preface xiii Acknowledgments xv 1 The Evolution of Cultural Complexity on the Northwest Coast Introduction to the Problem 1 The Northwest Coast at Contact 2 Ethnographic Hunters and Gatherers 4 The Developed Northwest Coast Pattern 5 Synopsis 9 vii VIII Contents 1 The Northwest Coast Cultural Area Introduction 11 Traditional Definitions of the Northwest Culture Area 12 Summary of Commonalities and Differences 21 Environmental and Cultural Commonalities 21 Environmental and Cultural Differences 29 3 History of Archaeological Research Introduction 37 Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Investigations 38 Mid-Twentieth Century Investigations 41 Recent Research 44 Synopsis 47 4 The Initial Colonization of the Northwest Coast Introduction 49 Peopling of the New World 50 Routes for Early Human Colonization of the Northwest Coast 59 The Ice-Free Corridor 59 Direct Route from Alaska 61 Coastal Route 62 The Denali Complex 65 The Initial Occupation of South and Central Coasts 66 The Prototvestern Tradition 66 Old Cordilleran Culture 68 The Glenrose Site 70 Bear Cove 74 Other Old Cordilleran Sites 77 Summary 81 The North Coast Microblade Tradition 82 Southeastern Alaska 84 Queen Charlotte Islands 87 Skeena Valley 90 Contents IX Central Coast of British Columbia 91 Summary of the North Coast Microblade Tradition 94 Chapter Summary 94 5 The Emergence of Distinctive Coastal Cultures Central and South Coast Cultures 97 Gulf of Georgia 98 Mayne Phase 115 South Coast 118 Central Coast 122 Summary of the Central and South Coasts 124 The Emergence of Distinctive Coastal Cultures on the North Coast 125 Prince Rupert Harbour 126 Lower Skeena River 129 Southeastern Alaska 132 Queen Charlotte Islands 136 Central Coast of British Columbia 139 Summary of the North Coast 140 Chapter Summary 142 6 The Development of Cultural Complexity Introduction 145 Ideas for the Origins of the Developed Northwest Coast Pattern 146 The Locarno Beach Phase 154 Locarno Beach Phase Origins 161 Locarno Beach Subsistence 165 Locarno Beach Related Sites 177 South Coast 181 Labrets and Status in the Locarno Beach Phase 181 Summary of the Locarno Beach Phase 182 The North Coast 183 Lower Skeena River 183 Prince Rupert Harbour 191 Queen Charlotte Islands 192 Southeastern A laska 193