Presented by Virginia Butler, Professor of Anthropology at Portland State University

Archaeologists analyzing the remains uncovered from an ancient Native American village in present-day Port Angeles, Washington, found evidence that the village was destroyed by as many as five tsunamis. The 2,700-year-old village site and burial ground, known as Ciwicen (pronounced ch-WHEET-son), was unearthed in 2003 by excavators during construction of a large dry dock. It's the largest Indian village ever discovered in Washington. The state eventually abandoned the costly construction project, but the discovery turned into one of the most important archaeological finds in the Pacific Northwest. In the first major research project to come out of the excavation, archaeologists from Portland State University and other universities analyzed 1.2 million animal remains and reconstructed plankhouses from remnants of posts, walls, hearths and trenches. The large, diverse sample gave them new insights into the ways that the animals, and in turn, people responded to recurring catastrophic events.

About the Speaker:
Virginia Butler is Professor of Anthropology at Portland State University where she has taught since 1994. Her research focuses on the long-term relationships between people and animals, especially fish, that she studies using fish remains from archaeological sites that range from 100 years to over 10,000 years old. Her work has focused on the American West but she has worked in Oceania and Northern Alaska. She is also committed to public archaeology--which finds ways of making archaeology relevant to wider society. She is the lead organizer for the "Archaeology Roadshow," a celebration of archaeology and heritage that takes place in late May in Portland, with sister celebrations in Central Oregon and Harney County.

***Photo Credit:
Photo taken May 25, 2004 by Sarah Sterling. Used with permission by Washington State Department of Transportation & the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

These monthly, free events are open to everyone interested in Oregon and Pacific Northwest history. Co-sponsored by like-minded historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers and historians who expound on topics from Lewis and Clark to shipwrecks, hop growing to women pioneers and far, far beyond. It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp