Ancient Basketry of the Olympic Peninsula

Dale R Croes

The scientific recovery of archaeological sites can reveal much about ancient cultures. Archaeology provides early dates that can be associated with cultural development in the region, but the archaeological record does not unveil a full portrayal as yet. In fact until 1970 most artifacts that were found in Northwest Coast sites were limited to stone and bone artifact assemblages, which tell us mostly about subsistence and manufacturing practices. The moist coastal climate of the Northwest Coast decays wood and fiber artifacts that could have revealed much more about culture change and the links between ancient and historic Native peoples. The pronounced absence of this material culture became evident while I was working at an archaeological field school on Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands in 1968, where 90 percent of the organic material, such as wood and fiber artifacts, had decomposed. In 1970 a winter storm eroded parts of the coastal Indian village of Ozette at Cape Alava, Washington, to reveal many of its artifacts. This village was occupied between 2,000 and 300 years ago. Reports of erosion drew people to see the site, and some, unfortunately, began to plunder it. In order to preserve and protect this endangered example of the Makah’s rich heritage, the Makah Tribe and Washington State University (WSU) began a full archaeological investigation of the ancient houses that had been encased in a mudslide about 300 years ago. Archaeologists from WSU, led by Richard Daugherty, discovered basketry and wooden artifacts that had been buried in part of the village by a 1700 mudslide—probably after an earthquake event. Using hydraulic excavation techniques, the wet site’s preserved basketry was carefully removed, revealing stylistic evidence that could be used to interpret culture change in the region (fig. 8.1). As more West Coast archaeological sites were discovered and excavated in this same manner, new examples of basketry and cordage were found that could be compared with the Ozette material to better comprehend the continuity or change in Northwest cultures over thousands of years (Croes 1976, 1977, 1995). Hundreds of basketry items were found in houses throughout the Ozette village. Fifty-six basket types were recorded, including fourteen decorative flat bag types (fig. 8.2) and one cradle type (Croes 2001); eight mat types, including two tumplines, categorized as flat woven basketry; and seven hat types. overall there were 697 basketry items and another 406 fragments studied (Croes 1977). Clearly Ozette was producing distinctive art and industrious amounts and kinds of basketry that had yet to be seen in ancient sites.

Ancient Basketry of the Olympic Peninsula

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