Publication: The Idaho Museum of Natural History
Author: B. Robert Butler
Date of Publication: 1978
PDF File: Butler-The-Upper-Snake-and-Salmon-River-Country.pdf
Description
My approach to the archaeology of this region is by way of the natural setting in which the prehistoric peoples lived. By natural setting, I mean that whole combination of plants, animals, soils, landforms, climate and their interrelationships that comprised the changing ecology of the region throughout prehistoric human occupation. This approach tends to emphasize those aspects of the natural setting that probably, had the greatest influence on the lifeways (cultures) of the prehistoric peoples inhabiting the area as evidenced in the surviving remains of their material equipment, facilities and food.
The value of such an approach has long been recognized by both archaeologists and ethnologists. J.D. Clark (1960:308) stated it well from the point of view of archaeology when he said, in another context, “It is essential that the environment and ecological setting of [prehistoric] cultures…be established as accurately as possible, for without this knowledge, we can hardly begin to interpret the cultural evidence.” Julian Steward made use of this approach in his authoritative study of the native peoples of the Great Basin culture area, published in 1938. The Great Basin culture area embraces the historic native inhabitants of the Upper Snake and Salmon River Country, the Bannock and Northern Shoshoni.