Appendix H - Historical Archaeological and ... - CBP.gov

large part to poor preservation of landforms of suitable age that would host such sites. Specific
activity sites that first appear during this period include high-elevation lithic quarries in the North
Cascade Mountains, stone tool manufacturing sites on older river terraces in the foothills and
glacial drift plain lowlands, and isolated finds of large lanceolate projectile points often made of
volcanic rock that are usually attributed to early Holocene-aged manufacture.
Middle Period
The period between 5,000 (B.P.) and 2,500 (B.P.) years ago was pivotal for changing human
land use in Western Washington. This period encompasses the shift from relatively high
residential mobility to a pattern of logistical mobility. The archaeological record shows this
change as an increasingly diverse range of site types and a greater proportion of non-residential
sites associated with resource procurement and processing in a variety of settings. Development
of a closed canopy forest and coeval reduction in the density and distribution of ungulates was
probably an important factor in this diversification. A relatively stabilized sea level by the mid-
Holocene promoted development of shellfish beds along the marine littoral, and the growing
human population utilized this labor-intensive but seasonally profitable resource; the majority of
shell middens in Western Washington postdate ca. 5,000 B.P.
The archaeological record of Western Washington grows substantially during this period in
terms of dated site components. Artifact assemblages from the period demonstrate more
elaborate technologies to access an increasingly diverse range of new resources and to better
utilize old ones. Along with widespread distribution of shell middens along the marine
shoreline, artifacts and features associated with fish processing and hunting along the lower and
middle reaches of rivers have been found. The period is characterized by a growing human
population, increasing diversity of utilized habitats facilitated by changing technology, and a
much greater proportion of landforms that survive today than from previous time periods. The
broad corridor of the PEIS zone contains landforms that are archaeologically sensitive for this
period and that transect the Olympic Peninsula, the Puget Sound lowlands, the San Juan Islands,
and the foothills and mountains of the Cascade Range.
Late Period
The diversity of site types, physical characteristics of deposits, and distribution of archaeological
sites across multiple microenvironments over the past 2,500 years (Late Period, ca. 2,500 B.P.-
200 B.P.) reflect a well-established seasonal round in Western Washington largely analogous to
ethnographically described land use patterns. The seasonal round of land use that centered on
winter villages was established in the region by this time. Many landforms in Western
Washington have the potential to retain intact archaeological material dating to the period
between 2,500 and 200 years ago; areas with the highest probabilities include the marine littoral,
intact levees and terraces on alluvial floodplains, the shores of mountain lakes, mountain ridge
complexes, and prairies.
Along with a greater diversity of site types, feature classes, and artifact forms, there is increasing
evidence in the archaeological record of social stratification, long-distance trade, and intensified
use of subsistence resources such as shellfish, salmon, and plants that are most useful when a
sufficient labor pool and appropriate technology are brought to bear. Most of these
characteristics make their first appearances in the archaeological record prior to this time,
Northern Border Activities H-61 July 2012