554 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIII. No. 588. 



Columbia, while the chipped implements were 

 made of a greater variety of stone, and more 

 of beautifully colored material were found. 

 Notched and grooved sinkers were much more 

 common, and sap-scrapers were not found. 



Considerable material of the same art as 

 that found in the Dalles region was seen. It 

 is clear that the people livirig in the Yakima 

 Valley had extensive communication not only 

 with the region northward, as far as the 

 Thompson Valley, but also southward as far 

 as the Dalles of the Columbia. In this con- 

 nection it is interesting to note that the pres- 

 ent Indians of the region travel even more ex- 

 tensively than would be necessary to distribute 

 their artifacts this far. 



Much less evidence of contact between the 

 prehistoric people of the coast and that of the 

 Yakima Valley was discovered. Many of the 

 pestles and clubs made of stone were different 

 from those found on the coast, where, it will 

 also be remembered, artifacts were not found 

 with the dead. A pipe," however, and sea 

 shells of several species were seen. The pipe 

 is clearly of the art of the northwest coast. 

 It was found far up the Toppenish Eiver, one 

 of the western tributaries of the Yakima. 



In general the culture of the prehistoric 

 people resembled that of the present natives 

 and was affiliated with the cultures further 

 east, but differed from both the prehistoric 

 and present culture of the coast to the west 

 and even of the southern interior of British 

 Columbia to the north and The Dalles to the 

 south. 



From the whole series of archeological ex- 

 plorations, in British Columbia and Washing- 

 ton, begun in 189Y for the Jesup North Pacific 

 Expedition and continued in 1903 for the 

 American Museum of Natural History, we 

 have learned that the material culture of the 

 prehistoric people and the present natives was 

 similar in each area examined; that the cul- 

 ture of the coast is of one sort, that of the 

 interior of southern British Columbia of an- 

 other; from which that of central Washington 



° Mentioned in Museums Journal and Science, 

 I. c, figured and mentioned in Records of the Past, 

 I. c. 



differs somewhat; and that there are several 

 small culture areas lying adjacent to these. 

 We find that each culture apparently devel- 

 oped independently or at least more in accord 

 with its own environment and local tradition 

 rather than with any outside influence, but 

 that at various times, especially in the past, 

 each has been influenced by one or more of the 

 others. 



In general the culture of the North Pacific 

 coast does not extend far inland. Northward 

 its limits are unknown, but southward it 

 coalesces with that from the Columbia River 

 in the region between Seattle and Shoalwater 

 Bay. In the interior we have a plateau cul- 

 ture of which, likewise, that part to the north 

 differs somewhat from that to the south. 



Experience in this work emphasizes the ad- 

 visability of conducting archeological investi- 

 gations in cooperation with students of living 

 tribes. A study of the modern Indian living 

 in a country under investigation usually 

 throws light on archeological finds made there, 

 while an understanding of the antiquities of a 

 region often helps in the study of the present 

 natives. Besides, in this way the continuity 

 of the historical problem is met by a con- 

 tinuity of method. 



In selecting successive fields of operation it 

 seems best always to continue explorations in 

 an area so far distant from one already ex- 

 amined that new conditions will be encoun- 

 tered. This will make it probable that new 

 facts will be discovered ; possibly a new culture 

 area. At the same time the new field of opera- 

 tions should be near enough that no culture 

 may intervene. Thus the boundaries of cul- 

 ture areas may be determined and new areas 

 discovered. This method of continuation from 

 past fields of exploration allows any experience 

 there gained to be of service in each new and 

 adjacent field, while the discoveries in each 

 new region may always lead to a better under- 

 standing of the areas explored and that per- 

 haps in time for incorporation in the results 

 to be published. 



It remains to determine the northern, east- 

 ern and southern limits of the general plateau 

 culture, how far it may be subdivided into 



