The northern Alkali Basin in central Oregon contains unusually rich assemblages of Paleo.Indian tools. These are distributed along two separate shorelines of a now dry lake. This research project will test a model of how Paleo.Indians used the lake and the surrounding land by producing detailed maps and conducting stratigraphic studies of lake features and cultural remains. The project will answer questions about cultural chronology, ecology, and settlement patterns. This project will have important implications for studies of paleo.Indians in the United States and Canada. Despite an adundance of recent research on this topic, many questions remain regarding the context, dating, and economy of early cultural traditions in western North America. Research in the Alkali Basin provides a unique opportunity to test questions of early lake and marsh use because it is one of the few areas when early cultural objects can be found in a temporal framework with ecological features. In addition, this research will solve important unanswered questions about the Clovis occupation and the Great Basin Stemmed occupation. It will help us understand the origins of Native American cultures.
