GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF SUBMERGED LATE PLEISTOCENE-AGED LANDFORMS DISCOVERED ALONG OREGON'S COAST

Research conducted since 2011 has sought to find remnants of submerged late Pleistocene-aged landforms and archaeological sites on the continental shelf of central Oregon's coast. Here, we summarize research progress made to date that culminated in the discovery of pre-transgression alluvial landforms and deposits dating to the late Pleistocene period. These discoveries highlight the presence and preservation of stratigraphic units that may hold archaeological evidence of early coastal peoples or signal the nearby presence of geoarchaeologically-relevant targets. The geoarchaeological implications of this research are important and far-reaching: late Pleistocene-aged landforms that were undoubtedly attractive to early coastal people are preserved on Oregon's continental shelf. Further exploration that focuses on these localities is a viable path forward for finding archaeological evidence of early human presence on the Pacific coast of North America.