﻿NO. 7 



SMITHSONIAN EXPI.ORATIONS, I926 



191 



The necessity for ol)tainino- an archeological map of the valley at 

 this time becomes apparent upon noting that the Indian village site 

 is also the most favored location chosen by the modern orchardist for 

 his planting. The reason for this lies in the need for protection, 

 shelter, and an adequate water supply. A young orchard can best be 

 successfully developed on a narrow level river bench which is high 

 enough to be secure against seasonal flood waters and near enough 

 to the towering escarpment of the river for shelter from the winds 

 which sweep over the plateau above. It was just this type of narrow 

 bench land, situated above danger from floods, and close to the precipi- 



FiG. 188. — Gap in the gorge of the Colum1)ia River where the Saddle 

 Mountain range crosses at right angles to the river at the head of Priest 

 Rapids. On the far bank of the river at the left was located the village of 

 Smohalla, a leader in the Ghost Dance cult. Saddle mountains separated 

 in historic times the territory of the Shahaptian hidians from that of the 

 Salish tribes. 



tous basaltic or lava capped river escarpment which was selected by the 

 prehistoric occupant of the Columbia valley as a location for his 

 permanent winter home. Here, also, under the well-nigh inaccessible 

 barrier of the cliiTs the primitive village group was secure from attack 

 by marauding hostile Imnds. 



As the middle and upper Columbia River valley is semiarid and 

 barren to a degree, an adequate water supply is essential. The bench 

 land selected as a village site must be neither too high nor the banks 

 too steep to preclude easy access to the river. On the sloping beach 

 below the bench were obtained useftil varieties of stone pebbles, float 

 bowlders, and drift wood. 



The mapping of archeological stations along the middle and upper 

 Columbia and tributary rivers, such as the lower Yakima, Snake, 



