Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Plan

Research Topic: Protohistoric Occupations. Once the horse and other items of European origin
became available to the native inhabitants of the upper Snake River Basin, the lifeway changed
dramatically. Groups became much more mobile, and we might speculate that more groups came through
the basin more often; therefore, greater stylistic variability in artifacts should occur.
Research Question—Can incursions into the upper Snake River Basin be documented by artifacts
diagnostic of the Crow, Blackfoot, Nez Perce, and Flathead tribes?
Data Requirements: Any sites dating to the protohistoric period.
Research Topic: Historic Euro-American Occupations. After colonizing the Great Salt Lake
area, Mormon pioneers expanded into surrounding regions to exploit the available resources. Later, when
polygamy was determined to be unconstitutional, refugee polygamists inhabited remote regions removed
from the Salt Lake area. The upper Snake River Basin was influenced by these two phenomena.
Research Question—What is the nature of Mormon colonization in the upper Snake River Basin?
Data Requirements: Any historic homestead.
Problem Domain: Demography
The actual number of people living in the upper Snake River Basin during various prehistoric periods
is difficult to estimate from the archaeological record. However, interpretations about relative population
density and distribution are feasible, especially in areas like INL where a considerable amount of
archaeological survey has been conducted. Numerous factors affect the human use of any area. During
some periods, important resources may abound; while at other times, there may be nothing at all to attract
people. Catastrophic events, such as volcanic activity or floods, may make some areas unusable for
limited periods of time. The actual relationship between people and natural resources is covered under the
subsistence and settlement problem domain, while the population density and distribution are covered
here.
As of the date of the report (Reed et al. 1987) from which this appendix was derived, approximately
3% of the 586,000 acres on INL had been surveyed for archaeological resources yielding approximately
1200 sites. This suggests that there are probably more than 30,000 sites at INL that need to be considered
prior to any further development. Of the known sites, 0.5% are Paleo-Indian, 2% are Early Archaic, 10%
are Middle Archaic, 45% are Late Archaic, and 40% are late prehistoric. The remaining 2.5% are historic
or of unknown temporal affiliation.
Research Topic: Paleo-Indian Population Density. A quick review of collections of projectile
points from the upper Snake River Basin suggests that the area may have been more densely populated
than surrounding regions during the late Pleistocene. Hundreds of fluted Clovis and Folsom points have
been found, primarily by amateur collectors. We do not know if this relatively large number reflects a
large number of people, a few people who made and lost large numbers of points, or a depositional
environment that makes their recovery more likely.
Research Question—Was the INL area as heavily used during the late Pleistocene as other areas
in the upper Snake River Basin?
Data Requirements: Any site with Paleo-Indian artifacts, especially if subsurface deposits are
present.
Research Topic: Archaic Population Density. Throughout the upper Snake River Basin, there
seems to be a dramatic increase in the number of sites that date to the Late Archaic, as interpreted by the
presence of Elko corner-notched points. Does this reflect an increase in population size or, perhaps a
stable population practicing a more mobile lifeway and leaving more sites behind?
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