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Large Domestic Pits On The Northwest Coast Of North America, Kenneth M. Ames, Cameron M. Smith, Alexander Bourdeau

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Excavations of prehistoric and contact-period houses on the southern Northwest Coast of North America have exposed very large interior pit complexes. The complexes are either long trenches or rows of pits beneath the house floors. They are associated with substantial permanently occupied houses dated to between 300 CAL B.G. and A.D. 1830. The pits add significantly to the storage potentials of these houses and suggest surplus production.