Abstract

Environmental processes that shaped the landscape throughout antiquity and continue to do so today also affected the archaeological record. This is particularly apparent in alluvial settings. Excavations at the Scowlitz Wet Site (DhRl-16W) in the Fraser Valley illustrate that not all culture-bearing deposits represent in situ materials buried by accumulated sediments. A review of previous investigations at the Sunken Village site (35MU4) in the lower Columbia River region suggests that lack of attention to hydrological processes led to misinterpretation of cut-bank exposures and auger-test results. Addressing cultural questions with data from dynamic environments requires a research strategy that gives primacy to geoarchaeological reconstruction and determination of the stable landforms at the time of occupation.