Newsletter of the Archaeological Society of Central Oregon

Volume 24, No. 5 November/December 2017

November General Meeting

Guest speaker: Scott Thomas, M.A.

Rimrock Draw Shelter, Past and Future.

Thursday, November 16th

Meeting at 7:00. Speaker at 7:30.

COAR Building: 2112 NE 4th Street, Bend

There will be a pre-meeting dinner with Scott at Orchid Thai, at 5:30.

To make reservations for dinner,

please contact Leslie Olson.

Scott Thomas’s talk at ASCO’s November meeting will be full of updates

that ASCO members won’t want to miss. The exceptional findings at

Rimrock Draw, a site which propelled eastern Oregon into the news when

a tooth chip from a camel species extinct for 13,000 years turned up there,

and a tool made of orange agate was found below a layer of Mt. St. Helens

ash deposited around 15,800 years ago. The agate must have been

imported from another area and was worked to produce a scraping edge.

Blood residue from the tool tested positive for bison blood, probably of an extinct species.

Scott, an old friend and honorary member of ASCO, found the Rimrock Draw site. He

was the archaeologist for the Burns BLM district who worked most closely with the U of

O field school that has excavated the site over the past six years.

Photo by Scott McKenzie

September General Meeting

Speaker: Stu Garrett

“The Ethnology, Geology, and Botany

of Oregon, Then and Now.”

Stu Garrett’s beautiful and informative slideshow explained tectonic plate history over the past 170 million years, with the most interesting event being the subduction of the small Juan de Fuca plate under the Cascade plate, which has led to Oregon’s volcanic activity. Oregon is the most volcanically active state on the continent, with 110 sites of origin for obsidian. The next closest is Washington, with twelve. The Crooked River Caldera is the seventh largest caldera in the world.

Stu went into the difference between terrains (topography) and the terranes (related geologic areas) that gave rise to them. Oregon has some very old rocks, with the Klamath/Siskyou and the Blue mountains being the oldest mountains, and Hells Canyon rocks taking the prize at 200 million years. Mima mounds exist in Washington and in Oregon near Shaniko, with many theories on how they came into existence, and it turns out that they are also found on Mars!

Stu coined the word, “ethnogeobotany,” which describes his talk on how geology affected plant life in the high desert and how people used plants and rocks to make a life here.

Many of the wildflowers shown in the slides are endemic only to Oregon and exist only in certain small areas. Steens Mountain thistle and the Steens paintbrush, for example, grow only on Steens Mountain. Many shown were edible root plants, eaten by the Northern Paiute tribes, and one, Lomatium, was eaten fresh, just as celery is today.

Stu was asked if he could recommend a book about Oregon wildflowers, and he said we might like to look at Mark Turner’s Pacific Northwest Wildflowers, as a good resource and field guide.

Submitted by Mary Webster Photo by Scott McKenzie

Completed Field Trip

to Cascadia Cave

About twenty ASCO members took advantage of a

sunny, but brisk, October day to drive west, over

Santiam Pass, to Cascadia State Park for a visit to

Cascadia Cave. Upon arrival, we were greeted cheerfully by Tony Farque,

archeologist with the Sweet Home Ranger District, and Don Day, flint-knapping

artist. Gathering around a table of artifacts, Tony explained the daily routines

and customs of the native Kalapuya and Molala peoples and how the site is

located at the intersection of east-west and north-south travel corridors.

Displaying two tables of his work, Don discussed the traditional uses and

technologies behind the creation of the indigenous peoples’ tools.

Following the overview, Tony led the group on a one-mile hike through old-

growth and replanted forest along the South Santiam River, stopping along the

way to talk about the importance of the salmon runs. At the cave, Tony

continued discussion on the significance of the location, the cave, and the

petroglyphs. For interesting information about Cascadia Cave, have a look at its

description in the Oregon Encyclopedia.

Submitted by Bob Timmer

Photos by Scott McKenzie

Book Review: The Meek Cutoff by Brooks Ragen

Several members of ASCO own this book, and

others are mentioned in it as participants or

helpers in the exploratory expedition which retraced

the steps of the ill-fated Meek wagon train of 1845. The

book is a beautifully laid out presentation of Meek’s

probable route, proceeding day by day from Vale,

Oregon to Cline Falls, Oregon. It begins with

suggestions of what is needed for one’s own

exploration of the Meek trail, such as permits, supplies,

etc. Each chapter covers one day and starts with a

map showing where the Meek parties camped that

night, according to their diaries. Following that are

excerpts from the diaries describing the terrain

surrounding the camp that day, with present-day

photos. The expedition team meticulously studied

available materials such as diaries, letters, and

memoirs, in order to make their judgment as to what

route the Meek train took from camp to camp as they

moved along the route. They found artifacts which

convinced them that they were on the actual route

taken by the Meek Wagons.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the

Stephen Meek wagon train of 1845, or in Oregon’s

pioneer history.

Submitted by Mary Webster

November is Election Month!

We have the important task of electing and approving officers for

the ASCO Board of Directors at the general meeting this month. This

is important for our non-profit status. Please come and enjoy our

wonderful speaker and refreshments after the general meeting,

announcements, and voting.

ASCO Board of Directors Committee Chairs

e-Midden is edited by Mary Webster and Jim Lough.

President Phil Ruder

Vice President Steve Hussey

Treasurer Steve Hussey

Recording Secretary Nancy Green

Communication Secretary Mary Webster

Member at Large Paul Claeyssens

Member at Large Chris Horting-Jones

Member at Large Emily Pritchard

Member at Large John Zancanella

Member at Large Stephanie Marks

Professional Advisor Erin Woodard

Past President Leslie Olson

Archives Susan Gray

Bylaws S. Gray & Chris Horting-Jones

Hospitality Amanda Hinchman

& Diane Kirpach

Membership Jean Drayer

Programs Leslie Olson

Volunteers/Stewardship Emily Pritchard

Publications Mary Webster

Librarian/Webmaster Stephanie Marks

Field Trips & Projects Phil Ruder