Cultural Resources Assessment of the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, State of Washington,
Abstract
The emphasis of the report is on the description of ethnographic, historical, and prehistoric cultural resources affected by the Ben Franklin Dam alternative and the importance of the sites themselves. Major findings include: The project area was traditionally occupied by a Plateau Indian group called the Wanapam. Remnants of the Wanapam people still reside at Priest Rapids. The Wanapam of today are concerned about the preservation of their traditional cemeteries and fishing areas. There are 166 known prehistoric cultural resource sites in the immediate area of the proposed dam that document the prehistory of the Wanapam and their predecessors. There are numerous historical resources present that have not yet been assessed. The history of the Hanford Reach is essentially the history of the Wanapam Indian people, the Hanford-White Bluffs settlers, and the Hanford project reservation. Prehistoric archaeological sites in an unusually good state of preservation represent a variety of settlement types and span at least 5000 to 7000 years. The sequence of prehistoric cultures within the Hanford Reach is similar to that of the larger Middle Columbia Region and represents the Vantage, Frenchman Springs, and the Cayuse phases in stratified sites of the Reach. There are seven National Register sites and archaeological districts within the project area.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA111257
Entities
People
- David G. Rice
- Marc Chavez
Organizations
- United States Army Corps of Engineers