 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
Interior Plateau | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates:52°00′00″N123°00′00″W / 52.00000°N 123.00000°W /52.00000; -123.00000 | |
| Location | British Columbia andWashington |
| Part of | Intermontane Plateaus |
TheInterior Plateau comprises a large region of theInterior of British Columbia, and lies between theCariboo andMonashee Mountains on the east, and theHazelton Mountains,Coast Mountains andCascade Range on the west.[1][2] The continuation of the plateau into theUnited States is known there as theColumbia Plateau.
Physiographically, the Interior Plateau is a section of the larger Northern Plateaus province, which in turn is part of theIntermontane Plateaus physiographic division.
(The Interior Plateau isnot part of theInterior Mountains, a huge area that constitutes most of the northern two thirds of theCanadian province of British Columbia between the Coast Mountains,Rocky Mountains and the various small ranges on the inland lea of the Coast Mountains between theBulkley Ranges and theBella Coola River).
It has several subdivisions, these being:
TheCariboo andChilcotin Plateaus are separated by theFraser River. TheNechako Plateau flanks theFraser on both sides; its southern boundary is defined by theWest Road River (aka the Blackwater River) and theQuesnel River, and its northern boundary consists of theOmineca Mountains and theCassiar Mountains, which are two major subdivisions of theInterior Mountains.
Several mountain ranges and hill-systems are included in the definition of this region such as the following:
Some classifications systems assign the Pattullo Rangez to theHazelton Mountains, which are part of the largerSkeena Mountains complex, but then theoretically so zalso is the Quanchus Range. Also, theCariboo Mountains are sometimes included as part of the Interior Plateau.
Three areasliminal to the plateau, i.e. sometimes considered part of it rather than the adjoining mountain ranges, are theShuswap Highland,Okanagan Highland andQuesnel Highland.
The location of the Interior Plateau inNorth America is between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast Ranges.
It is cut by the basins and tributaries of two rivers: theColumbia and theFraser. The northern region is largely wooded, except in lowland and more southerly areas which resemble thesagebrushgrasslands which typify the southern part of the plateau in the Columbia drainage.
The first documented human presence was in8500 BC.Bison remains,Clovis and other fluted points date back to this time frame. An important sites in the area is atWenatchee site (located inWashington).
The Windust phase is dated between 10600 BC and 7100 BC. At theLind Coulee Archaeological Site in east-central Washington, leaf-shaped projectile points and knives date between 8500 and 5500 BC. Based onarchaeological evidence, it is suggested that these people were hunters, subsisting also fromfishing and plant gathering. The presence of sea shells gives an indication that trading took place. A small, oval-shaped dwelling was also found at thePaulina Lake site inOregon, dating to7100 BC.
TheCascade phase took place from 7100 to 4300 BC, and was marked by a slight change in toolkit technology from the Windust peoples. Aresidential structure was found for this group, dating between 5500 and 4300 BC. Other pithouses followed between 4000 and 2000 BC. Most residential structures are located on rivers. During the historic era, plants andsalmon were the staple foods, which give us an indication that Cascade groups harvested salmon runs in the summer and fall.
The Late Period, dated to about2500 BC, the pithouse (quiggly hole) came into existence, such as those at theKeatley Creek Archaeological Site. Other markers of this period include the increasing number of pithouses and settlements. Fishing continued to increase, and technology advanced, introducing more specialized barb fish spears and composite toggling harpoons. Other technology was used as well, including nets andweirs. Trade networks also flourished during this time, using sea shells, turquoise, fish grease and others.
| |||||||||
| Branches |
| ||||||||
| Techniques and tools |
| ||||||||
| Institutions, organizations, and societies | |||||||||
| Education | |||||||||
| Publication | |||||||||
 | ||
| History |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provinces and territories |
| ||||
| Geography |
| ||||
| Government |
| ||||
| Economy | |||||
| Demographics |
| ||||
| Society | |||||
| Culture |
| ||||
| Contents | |||||
| Research | |||||
