BLM OR/WA Archaeologic Studies

The University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History (UOMNCH) is Oregon's primary cultural repository and is the federally recognized repository of prehistoric archaeological collections in Oregon. UOMNCH has been working with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for over 15 years to further archaeological studies. Animal bone, found in archaeological sites, is one element of archaeological information that is consistently found during archaeological excavations and surface surveys within the BLM Bums, Prineville, Lakeview and Vale Districts in Eastern Oregon. The collection of animal bone from a site can inform archaeologists about hunting practices, butchering techniques, diet and the season of site occupation, important information needed for unraveling the prehistoric past. Other archaeological studies have included such things as lithic debitage studies, artifact analyses, paleobotanical analysis and identification, various dating analyses, (such as carbon-14, optically stimulated luminescence, obsidian sourcing and hydration, volcanic ash identification) and stratigraphic analysis and descriptions could be employed. These archaeological studies can provide the archaeologist with the necessary information to interpret the full range of ancient human activity at sites in this region. This information is then available to the American public through various means.