THE SHEEP ISLAND SITE AND THE 

 MID-COLUMBIA VALLEY 



By DouGiiAs OsB0R]srE, Alan Bryan, and Kobert H. Crabtreb * 



INTKODUCTION 



The Sheep Island (45-BN-55) excavations were completed in 1950 

 by a River Basin Surveys crew under the direction and part-time 

 supervision of Douglas Osborne. Thomas A. Garth (1952) had 

 worked there previously. During his period of excavations he found 

 and removed, except small perimeter sections, two cremation pits. He 

 found, beneath the pits, uncremated burials (the first burial stratig- 

 raphy m that immediate area) , some of which he removed and some 

 of which he dug out and reburied. 



This report continues the description of the Sheep Island burial 

 complex, and offers a collation of Garth's and River Basin Surveys' 

 data. Further, a brief examination of Garth's methods and conclu- 

 sions (for which see Garth, 1952) is made; neither fits with the think- 

 ing of many ethnologists or archeologists as they presently perceive 

 the problems of the Plateau. 



Acknowledgments. — The authors gratefully record the services of 

 the two scientists of the University of Washington, Dr. V. Standish 

 Mallory of the Department of Geology, who identified shell, and Dr. 

 Arthur D. Welander of the Department of Fisheries, who identified 

 fish bones. Victor Clausen and Natalie Burt, then a student in the 

 Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, thin-sec- 

 tioned and identified stone material. Carolyn Osborne did drafting 

 and darkroom work and checked many poimds of ambroid-consoli- 

 dated sand in a vain attempt to find textile remnants. Dorris Ackel- 

 bein typed the manuscript. Rodger Heglar, then a student in the 

 Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, did the 

 physical anthropology. James Jaquith was responsible for the exca- 

 vation during Osborne's many absences on inspection trips during the 

 busy summer of 1950. He did well, indeed, with this disturbed site. 



Osborne has been responsible for the laboratory supervision, the 

 collation of data, and the final preparation of the manuscript. Bryan 



1 Revised manuscript submitted May 1959. The Sheep Island investigations were part 

 of the general salvage program for the McNary Reservoir area. 



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