lip. No!' 2?/' McNARY RESERVOIR — SHINER 223 



Garth found 10 burials that were stratigraphically older than the 

 cremations. Grave goods were found with six of the burials, but the 

 majority of the artifacts accompanied just one of them. These 

 artifacts also consisted of materials that were practically identical 

 with those of late prehistoric sites in the region. The small projectile 

 points and knives are of identical shapes and were associated with 

 tubular pipes, stone mallets, pestles, and antler wedges. None of the 

 materials that Garth found would be out of place at the Wallula site 

 (45-WW-6) or at 45-BN-3. The proportions of projectile-point 

 types are more like those of 45-"WlV-6 than those of 45-BN-3. Since 

 no European trade goods were found on Sheep Island, it would be ex- 

 pected that the Sheep Island material culture would more closely 

 resemble that of the Wallula site which was in part prehistoric. 



The burials found by Osborne are apparently of the same group as 

 those excavated by Garth. Osborne, however, found no artifacts asso- 

 ciated with the graves, so that materials for comparison are still not 

 available. His analysis of the skeletal material has not been pub- 

 lished as yet.^ 



Since no European trade goods accompanied the graves and crema- 

 tions, it is reasonable to assume a precontact date for the site. This 

 would undoubtedly be prior to A.D. 1750. Since material culture is 

 similar in every respect to late prehistoric sites that contain a few 

 glass beads and bits of copper, the site is probably not a great deal 

 earlier than 1750. It is impossible, however, to fix a more precise 

 date. 



CULTURE CHANGE IN THE McNARY REGION 



In view of the fact that the time factor is understood only in a rela- 

 tive sense, the rate of culture change in the McNaiy region cannot be 

 estimated. It can be demonstrated rather clearly that certain artifact 

 types gave way to other types as time went by. During this span there 

 were also modifications of economic pursuits and of the residence pat- 

 tern. How much time is involved is not known. All that can be done 

 at the present time is to review the type and nature of the changes as 

 they are reflected in the archeological record. It must be understood, 

 then, that patterns of change must be based on a certain amount of 

 speculation that is due to normal incomplete recovery of the cultural 

 picture at any one stage of development. To speak of a development 

 in regard to the McNary region I believe is justified, for the results 

 of the exacavations demonstrate just that. The total change between 

 the earliest material and the latest is considerable. Each site or sites 

 which follow in sequence add a few traits toward the development of 



8 The report on this work, "The Sheep Island Site and the Mid-Columbia Valley," by 

 Douglas Osborne et al., is being published as River Basin Surveys Paper No. 24, this 

 bulletin (Bur. Amer. Ethnol. Bull. 179). 



