Abstract

The upper Columbia drainage is characterized by great topographic and biotic diversity and has seen significant changes in hydrology and ecology since deglaciation. The conventional cultural historic interpretive framework of phases based on diagnostic formed tools has not been useful in revealing the complexity of past human activities in the region because of the relatively ephemeral nature of most archaeological sites and the resultant small samples. A different approach has been developed to allow the data from this unique bioregion speak for itself. Emphasis has been placed on the palaeoenvironmental context of archaeological remains, especially site geomorphology and stratigraphy while lithic typology and technological attributes have been accorded primary analytic status. Data synthesis utilizes a systemic framework of archaeological trait 'complexes' of settlement pattern (represented by landform, palaeohydrology and soil/sediment association), lithic material preference, lithic technology, subsistence base, features and tool function. Ten such complexes have been defined so far spanning the entire postglacial period. These complexes are interpreted as models of past human land and resource use from which hypotheses pertaining to past human activities can be drawn to predict site distributions and contents. In the context of cultural resource management, these models and hypotheses have been operationalized as air photo-mapped GIS-based polygons of archaeological potential that identify locations to be avoided by land-altering development or where archaeological impact assessments would be required. Results of AIAs serve to test the models and hypotheses via attributes recorded in the database associated with each polygon. In addition to allowing for scientific archaeological research to be carried out within the context of CRM, this approach reveals much about the evolution of the region's landscape and ecology that is of considerable importance in sustainable land and resource management. Examples include terrain stability and floodplain hazard assessment, wildlife population dynamics and range extensions, and the nature of certain plant communities with regard to conservation and revegetation.