Feb 24

Complex Hunter-Gatherers

Groups that exhibit sedentism, large food storage, structured households, complex technology, and social hierarchy.

Sedentism

The practice of living in one place for long periods, leading to more complex social structures.

Middle Period

A phase in the NW Coast timeline (5,500 – 1,500 years ago) characterized by population growth, food surpluses, and inter-regional trade.

Pebble Tool Tradition

An early coastal and interior river tradition defined by unifacial pebble tools and leaf-shaped bifaces, dating from 10,000 to 8,000 years ago.

Lind Coulee Site

An archaeological site providing the first evidence of PaleoIndian occupation on the Northwest Coast, linked to Bison antiquuis remains.

Namu Site

An archaeological site notable for its microblade tradition, and significant evidence of a broad-marine based economy.

Marpole Culture

A Middle Period culture from southern Vancouver Island that exhibited signs of social hierarchies by 400 BC.

Salmon Significance

Salmon served as a major catalyst for the cultural evolution and complexity of many Northwest Coast groups.

Pithouse Tradition

A classical cultural system of the Interior Plateau, characterized by winter living in circular pit houses and a semi-nomadic lifestyle.

Kamloops Horizon

A later phase of the Interior Plateau cultural development marked by large pithouse villages and increased dependence on storage and trade.

Stratified Societies

Social structures characterized by distinct social classes and hierarchies, often arising from social complexity.

Dried Salmon Preservation

A process where crania are removed from salmon for long-term storage, affecting archaeological assemblages.