New methods for sourcing fine-grained volcanic artifacts in the Salish Sea

352 Pages·2017·11.53 MB·English

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WWU Graduate School Collection WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship
2014
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Whitney S. (Whitney Selina) Osiensky
Western Washington University
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Osiensky, Whitney S. (Whitney Selina), "New methods for sourcing fine-grained volcanic artifacts in the
Salish Sea: a holistic approach" (2014). WWU Graduate School Collection. 341.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/341
This Masters Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the WWU Graduate and Undergraduate
Scholarship at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in WWU Graduate School Collection by an
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NEW METHODS FOR SOURCING FINE-GRAINED VOLCANIC ARTIFACTS IN THE SALISH SEA:
A HOLISTIC APPROACH

By

Whitney Selina Osiensky

Accepted in Partial Completion
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts

Kathleen L. Kitto, Dean of the Graduate School

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Chair, Dr. Sarah K. Campbell

Dr. Todd A. Koetje

Dr. Joan Stevenson
MASTER’S THESIS

In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at
Western Washington University, I grant to Western Washington University the non-
exclusive royalty-free right to archive, reproduce, distribute, and display the thesis in any
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not allowed without my written permission.

Whitney S. Osiensky

May 9, 2014
NEW METHODS FOR SOURCING FINE-GRAINED VOLCANIC ARTIFACTS IN THE SALISH SEA:
A HOLISTIC APPROACH

A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of
Western Washington University

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts

by
Whitney Selina Osiensky
May 2014
Abstract

This investigation presents an alternative method to sourcing fine-grained volcanic
(FGV) artifacts from the Salish Sea in western Washington. Past sourcing strategies have
utilized geochemical methods focusing on the trace element composition of artifacts. This
research has verified the extensive use of the only known geologic source (Watts Point,
B.C.) but has not yet identified other geologic sources for artifacts from the Salish Sea.
The research presented herein develops a three-tiered holistic approach to sourcing
FGV artifacts from the region. The addition of whole rock major element and mineralogical
analyses in conjunction with trace element analysis develops a more accurate method to
sourcing FGV artifacts.
Artifacts from nine sites in western Washington (45WH1, 45WH4, 45WH17,
45WH34, 45WH55, 45SK46, 45WH300, and three sites from the North Cascades National
Park) are compared with geologic samples from nine locations in the North Cascades and
Salish Sea using this three-tiered holistic approach to sourcing. Using this methodology, 17
new unknown sources are identified; these sources represent many types of FGVs (dacite,
andesite, rhyolite, and trachydacite). Of the artifacts, 72% are composed of dacite while the
remaining 28% are other various types of FGVs. Of the dacite artifacts only about half come
from Watts Point, showing that native people were not dependent on Watts Point as a
source for their tool stone and had access to many other FGV sources.

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Acknowledgements

First, I would like to thank my thesis committee Dr. Sarah Campbell, Dr. Todd Koetje
and Dr. Joan Stevenson for your tireless work helping me complete my Master’s degree.
Your knowledge, insight, support and encouragement has had a profound influence on my
life. Thank you!
Thank you to George Mustoe at Western Washington University for the hours you
spent helping me understand the geology behind the artifact. Your knowledge on the
scanning electron microscope, mineralogy and sample preparation was crucial to the
methodology presented herein.
Erin Macri at Scientific Technical Services at WWU was essential to teaching me how
to use the scanning electronic microscope. Your knowledge on the use of the microscope as
well as how to properly prepare samples was vital to my thesis. Thank you!
Thank you to Dr. Craig Skinner at Northwest Research Obsidian Studies Laboratory
for analyzing my artifacts and geologic samples and for answering many question regarding
the results. The results you provided were crucial to the results of this thesis. I also want to
thank the Western Washington University’s Graduate Research Fund who provided the
funding for this analysis.
Geologists Susan Debari (WWU) and Dave Tucker were very helpful in understanding
the geology of Mount Baker. Thank you for the time you spent with me showing me
samples of volcanic rock in the region and for taking me with you to Nooksack Falls to
obtain dacite samples. I would also like to thank geologist Tom Sisson (USGS) for helping
me understand the geology of Glacier Peak and geologist Joe Dragovich (DNR) for providing
me with information on lahar deposits from Glacier Peak.
Thank you to Kim Kwarsick, Dave Tucker, Sarah Campbell and Julie Gross who
provided me with geologic samples that were used in this thesis. Thank you also to Dr. John
Greenough (UBC) for answering many questions regarding his research on mineralogical
sourcing of artifacts. I would also like to acknowledge the incredible support that my fellow
graduate students gave me during this process. Your expertise and encouragement was
vital to the completion of this thesis.
Lastly, thank you to my family who were so supportive in this endeavor. Thank you
to my parents for your support throughout this process. Thank you to my father-in-law for
your editing, advice and encouragement. Thank you, especially, to my husband who spent
many hours with me canvasing the region looking for the geologic samples that were used
in this thesis. Your support and encouragement throughout this project mean everything to
me. I can’t thank you enough. Lastly, I want to thank my children who are my reason for
everything I do in my life. This is dedicated to you.
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Table of Contents
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………iv
Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………....…………………..….…………….v
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………………….….…………….viii
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………….x
Chapter I: Introduction………………………………….……………………………………………….………….…….1
Chapter II: Background on Lithic Procurement in the Northwest Coast…………….………...….5
Past Research on Fine-Grained Volcanic Artifacts in the Salish Sea……….……..………..7
Complications Identified in Past Research………………………………………..…………………..10
Coast Salish Prehistory: Settlement Patterns, Mobility, and Lithic Procurement…….12
Chapter III: Regional Geology and Potential Geologic Sources of Fine Grained
Volcanic Artifacts in the North Cascades…….……………………………………………………………….22
Regional Geology……………………………………………………………………………………………….…22
North Cascadian Volcanoes.……………………………………………………………………………….…24
Chapter IV: Methods…………………………………………………………………………………………………..…30
Introduction to Artifact Sourcing…………………………………………..……………………………..30
Archaeological Site and Artifact Sample Selection………………………………………………..31
Geologic Sample Selection……………………………………………..…………………………………….61
Analytical Methods for Sourcing FGV Rocks.………………..…………………………………….…67
Laboratory Methods and Protocols…………………………………………………………………….…76
Chapter V: Results and Discussion…………………………………….….……………………………………....85
Results of Whole Rock Major Element Analysis………………………………………………….….85
Results of Trace Element Analysis..……………………………………………………………………....98
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Results of Mineralogical Analysis……..………………………………………………………………...102
Discussion……………………………….……….………………………………………………………….……..122
Geographic and Temporal Patterns in Tool Stone Procurement..………………………..126
Chapter VI: Conclusions and Implications…………………………….………………………………………140
Implications for Watts Point……………….………………………………………………………………140
Implications for Mount Baker and Glacier Peak…………….…………………………………….142
Implications for Unknown FGV Sources………………………….……………………………..……143
Value of a Mineralogical Approach to Sourcing FGV Artifacts…………….……………….144
Value of Whole Rock Major Element Analysis …………………..…….…………………………145
References…………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………...147
Appendix A: Sample Catalog…………………………………………………………………………..……………158
Appendix B: SEM Images of All Samples..…………………………………………………………………….173
Appendix C: Results of Trace Element Sourcing..………………………………………………………….311
Appendix D: Mineral Catalog.………..…………………………………………………………………………….317

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List of Tables
Table 2.1 Diagnostic artifacts of Gulf of Georgia culture phases....…………….…………….…..…17
Table 3.1 Lava types and the igneous rocks they produce……………………………………….…..….23
Table 3.2 Possible primary and secondary source locations for artifacts……………..….…..….29
Table 4.1 45WH1 radiocarbon dates………………………………..…………………………………….….……36
Table 4.2 45WH1 Artifact provenience in relation to radiocarbon date provenience……....37
Table 4.3 Provenience of artifacts analyzed at 45WH4.…………………….……………..………….….41
Table 4.4 45WH17 radiocarbon dates…………………………………………………….………………….……45
Table 4.5 45WH17 Artifact provenience in relation to radiocarbon date provenience………46
Table 4.6 45WH34 radiocarbon dates………………………………………………………………………….….49
Table 4.7 45WH34 Artifact provenience in relation to radiocarbon date provenience….…..50
Table 4.8 45WH55 radiocarbon dates……………………………………………………………………….….…53
Table 4.9 45WH55 Artifact provenience in relation to radiocarbon date provenience….…..54
Table 4.10 45SK46 Analytical units and associated radiocarbon dates……………………….…….57
Table 4.11 45WH46 Artifact provenience in relation to radiocarbon date provenience…….57
Table 4.12 Geologic sample locations………………………………………………………………………………63
Table 5.1 Rock type of artifacts sampled………………………………………………………………………….87
Table 5.2 Geochemical similarity between geologic sources and artifacts……………………….87
Table 5.3 Summary of results of trace element analysis of FGV artifacts and geologic
specimen…….…………………….…………………………………...……………………………………………………..100
Table 5.4 Number of occurrences of each identified mineral………………………………….………103
Table 5.5 Mineral composition of samples with known geologic locational data.…………..105
viii
Table 5.6 Averages of iron and titanium in magnetite samples with known geologic
location………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….108
Table 5.7 Averages of silicon, magnesium and iron in orthopyroxene samples with known
geologic location……………………………………………………………………………………………………………108
Table 5.8 Number of occurrences of each identified mineral in the “Unknown FGV”
groups…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...109
Table 5.9 Mineral composition for each Unknown FGV source…………………....……………….110
Table 5.10 Summary table of predicted group membership for orthopyroxene minerals..113
Table 5.11 Summary table of predicted group membership for magnetite minerals….....113
Table 5.12 Summary table of predicted group membership for clinopyroxene minerals..114
Table 5.13 Cluster membership table ………………………………………………….………………………..118
Table 5.14 Casewise statistics showing group membership………………………………..……….…120
Table 5.15 Association between culture phases and known source groups.………………...137

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