Abstract:
The Neptune site (35LA3), a small shell midden, is located
approximately five kilometers south of Yachats on the central
Oregon coast. Test excavations were conducted at the site during
the summer of 1973 by Oregon State University under the direction
of Dr. Richard E. Ross. A shell analysis was later proposed, and
column samples were taken in the spring of 1977.
Although the information obtained from the shell analysis was
limited, when combined with faunal data from the test excavation
it indicated a spring or summer occupation during which the collection
of sea mussel was emphasized. Additional data rounds out the
picture of the site as a pre-contact temporary campsite occupied
approximately 350 years ago.
Comparisons with the shellfish data from other coastal sites
in Oregon, Washington, and California indicate that shellfish
remains can contribute to the archaeological data base and refinement
of seasonal activity models. Methods for the increased
utilization of this data are suggested.
