New Archaeological Site Recording and Assessment Along the Southern Oregon Coast

Summary

As part of a newly established University of Oregon field school along the southern Oregon coast in cooperation with the Coquille Tribe and Oregon State Parks, we conducted a pedestrian survey of Bullard’s Beach State Park. During systematic survey across the southern portion of the park, we relocated known prehistoric sites, identified and mapped several new ones, and assessed site condition for each. Because the last major survey had taken place more than 20 years ago, this was an opportunity to examine how these sites may have changed over time as a result of various natural processes and human activities. Our results, garnered from a combination of ground survey, site record comparisons, and satellite imagery dating back to 1994, revealed that many of these coastal sites are actively succumbing to erosion from wind, rain, and tidal action. In addition, we identified cases of looting that have caused damage to subsurface deposits. Future research will focus on investigating a number of sites in the park to determine the time frame of native occupation, maritime and subsistence adaptations through time, the degree to which these sites are under threat, and how adverse effects might be mitigated to ensure their long-term protection.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15694