The Shaw Island Project – Washington

This project was initiated by Amanda Taylor, a graduate student at the University of Washington, whose research on the prehistory of the San Juan Islands is focused on the timing and nature of Native American occupation of the islands. Of particular interest is the use of coring/augering techniques to acquire small samples from many depths and locations across sites, rather than disturbing larger portions of sites through traditional excavation methods. The principal research questions that we propose to address through this coring fieldwork concern the chronology of occupation, the development of social complexity, and the evidence for and human response to tsunami events in the San Juan Islands. The research is supported by private donation from residents of Shaw Island who care deeply about the natural history and culture of the San Juan Islands.

The shell midden sites on San Juan and Shaw Island are well suited for addressing research questions regarding chronology, social complexity, and human response to natural disaster because they are rich in both datable materials (shellfish and charcoal) and faunal remains (especially shellfish and fish). To help address some of these questions, we collaborated with United States Geological Survey (USGS) geologists who are reconstructing the history of tsunami events in Puget Sound and San Juan Islands. Click here to learn more about the Shaw Island Project.