Journal article
Archaeological Wet Sites Indicate Salal Berries and Acorns were Staple Foods on the Central Northwest Coast
Journal of Northwest anthropology, Vol.57(1), pp.128-157
Spring 2023
Abstract
Three central Northwest Coast wet sites have begun to highlight the significance of berries and nuts, particularly salal and acorns, to ancient subsistence practices (Figure 1). At the Ozette site (45CA24), located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, mudslide-encased houses and middens dating to 300–450 years ago produced flotation samples of 250,000 seeds of Salal (Gaultheria shallon; and/or its close look-alikes of genus Vaccinium). At the Sunken Village site (35MU4), located on Sauvie Island, Oregon, over 100 hemlock-lined acorn leaching pits dated to 150–700 years ago have been recorded. It is estimated that these leaching pits may represent processing of 2,500,000 acorns (Quercus garryana) in a season. Finally, at the QwuɁgwǝs site (45TN240), located at Mud Bay on Eld Inlet, Olympia, Washington, reanalysis of macrobotanical artifacts lead to the recognition that acorns were also abundant in the wet site midden. Acorn remains were seven times more common than hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) remains here, indicating that acorns might have been the most ubiquitous plant food at this south Salish Sea site. In this article it’s argued that salal and acorn ecofacts from the central Northwest Coast represent substantial ancient resources in the diets of this region.
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Details
- Title
- Archaeological Wet Sites Indicate Salal Berries and Acorns were Staple Foods on the Central Northwest Coast
- Creators
- Dale R. Croes (Author) - Washington State University, Anthropology, Department of
- Publication Details
- Journal of Northwest anthropology, Vol.57(1), pp.128-157
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Identifiers
- 99901086635301842
- Resource Type
- Journal article