We are excited to announce An Introduction to the Archaeology of the Northwest Coast from the perspective of Western Washington with Gary Wessen, PhD. Gary has 51 years of archaeological fieldwork experience in western North America – most of his experience has been in coastal and lowland forest settings in western Washington. Gary was the 2020 recipient of the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Award for Career Achievement, and our summer 2024 History Tales presenter.
Course is eight sessions on Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays in October from 7 – 8:30 PM.
Week 1
October 1: Introduction and the Northwest Coast Culture Area
October 3: Environmental History
Week 2
October 8: How Archaeologists Think
October 10: Late Pleistocene Archaeology
Week 3
October 15: Early Holocene Archaeology
October 17: Mid Holocene Archaeology
Week 4
October 22: Late Holocene Archaeology
October 24: More Late Holocene Archaeology, Summary observations, and Does the Past have a Future?
The course is free, though participants are encouraged to make a donation at time of registration. This eight-session course offers an overview of the pre-contact archaeology of the Northwest Coast, emphasizing archaeological sites and studies in western Washington. Participants will review background subjects including Northwest Coast culture, local environmental history, archaeological resources, and local research history. The course will examine what is known about the archaeological resources and cultural history of the region, briefly considering several specific archaeological sites including the site at Ozette. We will conclude with a discussion of the present and likely future of this region’s archaeological resources.