The Hoko River site contains two contrasting components from a sparsely documented period on the Olympic Peninsula (2950 B.P. to 2710 B.P.). Although similar in assemblage content, the two components differ in terms of which elements best define each. Discriminant analysis and SYMAP techniques are used as exploratory tools to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative differences between the components. The results of these analyses are applied to descriptions of the two components with the goal of defining short term changes in site function between the occupations represented by the t??o components. The lower, older component is found to be denser, representative of a longer occupation period or periods; schist and basalt were important raw materials for tool manufacture, although not as prevalent as quartz. Site activities consisted of flintknapping, and fish drying on racks over smudging fires; formed artifacts are often made by chipping. No structure was identified on the lower component. The lithic debitage assemblage from the upper, or younger component is dominated by vein quartz, with minor amounts of schist and basalt; formed artifacts are generally ground. Activities included flintknapping around a structure of some sort. Reasons are discussed for changes in occupation intensity, influenced by fluvial activity, movement of activity loci, period of occupation, site population. Other differences between the two components, including the different raw materials preferred, difference in preferred formed tool production technique, the predominance of thermally altered rock, intragroup diversity, and relative percentages of tools recovered are all discussed as they relate to the difference between the two components. Although a change in site function between the two components is demonstrated, the study is unable to assign the change to either cultural or natural causes.
Lorraine Susan Gross (Wed,) studied this question.