Mass Harvesting, Ichthyofaunal Assemblages, and Ancestral Paiute Fishing in the North American Great Basin

Abstract

Documenting variability in the archaeological record is critical to our understanding human fishing adaptations in the North American Great Basin over time. Unfortunately, in the absence of robust middle range techniques for interpreting fishbone assemblages, many studies have been limited in their capacity to engage in theoretical discussions of the role of fishing in forager subsistence regimes. The Northern Paiute in Oregon and Nevada exploited seasonally aggregated tui chub (Siphateles bicolor) through mass-harvesting techniques using nets and baskets. This article integrates experimental studies with ethnographic and archaeological data to infer the types of fishing gear that were used from the reconstructed sizes of tui chub remains. The mean size of fish assemblages is compared to the coefficient of variation to identify fishing techniques based on the size parameters of gear types, and a technology investment model is used to assess regional variations in commitments to fishing in open lake and marshland settings. Results are compared to tui chub assemblages from two protohistoric archaeological sites in eastern Oregon, revealing two distinctive fishing strategies with general implications for the organization of labor by hunter-gatherer fisherfolk.