Book chapter
Qwu?gwes - A Squaxin Island tribal heritage wet site, Puget Sound, USA
Archaeology from the Wetlands: Recent Perspectives
Washington State University
2007
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006268
Abstract
The Qwu?gwes wet site is located at the very head of Puget Sound in Washington State, USA (fig 1). Puget Sound has been referred to as an inland sea, but is better termed as a large glacially cut fjord that is approximately 145km long, running north to south, where the ocean salt water from the Pacific mixes with fresh water draining from the surrounding watersheds. Puget Sound was formed into the north–south fjord it is today by glaciers that advanced from the north at least four times, scouring and carving it for millions of years (Waitt & Thorson 1983). The Vashon Stade was the last major advance, reaching its maximum about 18,000 years ago, covering everything between the Olympic and the Cascade mountains and spreading as far south as our specific region of study. As the Vashon Stade retreated, its melting ice created a massive fresh water lake that released through the Black Lake spillway at the head of Eld Inlet, our site location, and down the Chehalis River drainage to the Pacific Ocean. Once the glaciers melted far enough north, the Straits of Juan de Fuca were open and salt water from the Pacific Ocean entered Puget Sound, making it the salt water ‘inland sea’ it is today (fig 1). Our research area encompasses the southern reaches of the traditional territory of the Lushootseed-speaking Coast Salish People and language family, sometimes referred to as Puget [Sound] Salish (Suttles & Lane 1990, 485–502; Thompson & Kinkade 1990, 38; fig 1). Few systematic archaeological investigations have occurred in this region, especially in the southern section of Lushootseed traditional territory, so this paper should be considered a much needed synthesis of a well-preserved waterlogged site. Qwu?gwes forms the main reference point for our synthesized presentations, and this work is based on the original papers presented by the authors at the 11th International Wetland Archaeology Research Project (WARP) conference in Edinburgh (21–24 September 2005). This joint investigation of the Squaxin Island Tribe and South Puget Sound Community College has been ongoing for several years and provides both a scientific and cultural perspective of the many findings. Earlier publications stress the basis of this joint co-operative effort and the need for co-ordinated scientific and Native cultural understandings and explanations (Foster & Croes 2002, 2004).
Metrics
3 File views/ downloads
5 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Qwu?gwes - A Squaxin Island tribal heritage wet site, Puget Sound, USA
- Creators
- Dale R. Croes (Author) - Washington State University, Anthropology, Department ofRhonda Foster (Author)Larry Ross (Author)Melanie Diedrich (Author)Nea Hubbard (Author)Katherine M. Kelly (Author)Mandy McCullough (Author)Tom McCullough (Author)Karen Myers (Author)Cassandra Sharron (Author)Barbara Vargo (Author)Rebecca Wigen (Author)Lauren Valley (Author)
- Publication Details
- Archaeology from the Wetlands: Recent Perspectives
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Identifiers
- 99901089441101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Book chapter