The Sunken Village Archeological Site, designated by the Smithsonian trinomial 35MU4, is an archaeological site on Sauvie Island[3] in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States. The site consists of a remarkably well-preserved Chinookan village, dating back more than 700 years.[4] It is a major example of a wet archaeological site, in which cultural materials were preserved in an anaerobic freshwater environment. Finds at the site include well-preserved basketry. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989.[3]
Sunken Village Archeological Site (35MU4) | |
 Basketry fragment recovered from the site | |
| Location | Address restricted[1] |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Portland, Oregon |
| NRHP reference No. | 89002455 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 20, 1989[2] |
| Designated NHL | December 20, 1989[3] |
One of the site's unusual features is a series of pits that were apparently used for leaching tannin from acorns. These pits, as well as associated features, including basketry weave patterns, bear resemblance to finds at other sites on the Pacific coast of North America, and in Japan, representing a rare direct connection between North American and Asian cultures.[5]
The site has been a site of interest to amateur collectors since at least the early 20th century, and came under further threat in the late 20th century by seepage from a nearby levee. It was also threatened in 2008 by potential engineering work that may damage the site, in order to support an earthen dam.[4]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Federal and state laws and practices restrict general public access to information regarding the specific location of this resource. In some cases, this is to protect archeological sites from vandalism, while in other cases it is restricted at the request of the owner. See: Knoerl, John; Miller, Diane; Shrimpton, Rebecca H. (1990), Guidelines for Restricting Information about Historic and Prehistoric Resources, National Register Bulletin, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, OCLC 20706997.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Sunken Village Archeological Site". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
- ^ a b Stephen Poyser (April 5, 2008). "Threatened Resources: Unique Oregon Prehistoric Site Threatened". Oregon Preservation Society News. Retrieved August 9, 2005.
- ^ Turner, Nancy (2014). Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge: Ethnobotany and Ecological Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America. McGill University-Queen's Press. ISBN 9780773585409.
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