8/18/2019 Great Basin
1/12
8/18/2019 Great Basin
2/12
INTRODUCTION
A cultural marinality! com"ared to t#eSout#$est! Nort#$est Coast! and Great%lains&
Eastern Basin "eo"les ado"ted %lains'i(estyles&
T#eir Arc#aic %eriod! called t#e Desert Tradition! lasted (rom )!*** B&%&+,-.* A&D&
Based on reional at#erin variations&
Seeds $ere t#e ma/or sta"le! #untin $assecondary&
8/18/2019 Great Basin
3/12
8/18/2019 Great Basin
4/12
EN0IRON1ENT
An arid ste""e+desert 2ordered 2y u"lands on allsides3 Sierra Nevadas to t#e $est! Colum2ia%lateau to t#e nort#! 4asatc# and Roc5y1ountains to t#e east! and t#e Colorado River to
t#e sout#& T#e Great Basin culture area is a dry sout#ern
e6tension o( t#e Intermontane %lateau& A 72asin8due to in$ard drainae&
To"ora"#y consists o( s#ort rides and mountainsless t#an ,*!*** (t&
8/18/2019 Great Basin
5/12
EN0IRON1ENT
T#e Great Basin literally turned in$ard! most o( t#eround $ater doesn9t reac# t#e %aci:c&
T#e ;+.*8 o( annual rain(all eva"orates or runs2ac5 into t#e 2asin! creatin sin5s! al5aline !***+-!;** (t&! and -!*** (t&+,,!*** (t& #ad ,@s"ecies o( edi2le rass&
Tem"erature E6tremes o( ,* derees ?& Deat#0alley
8/18/2019 Great Basin
6/12
TRIBA' GROU%S
1a/ority $ere S#os#onean s"ea5ers3 Utes!4estern S#os#oni! and %aiutes&
T#e Comanc#e $ere a S#os#onean rou" t#atmirated east to t#e %lains most o( t#e Basin"eo"les le(t a(ter o2tainin #orses! 7Dier8Indians stayed&
1ost tri2es $ere autonomous inde"endent&
A 7Dier8 derived (rom a diet o( rasses!ru2s! $orms! larvae! seeds! roots! and %inyonNuts&
8/18/2019 Great Basin
7/12
GREAT BASIN SUBSISTENCE
No storae o( dried meat or :s#&
Seeds $ere "laced in conical 2as5ets and roasted2y addin #ot coals and s#a5in t#em around&
S"rin+ ne$ "lant ro$t#! "lants $ere eaten ra$&
Early Summer+ seeds 2ean to ri"en&
'ate ?all+ Tu2ers! 2erries! and %inyon nuts& @!***+,*!*** (t&
Over >; "lant s"ecies $ere utilied&
8/18/2019 Great Basin
8/12
GREAT BASIN SUBSISTENCE
Huntin $as secondary to at#erin! e6ce"t (or t#eUtes and Nort#ern S#os#oni 4ind River S#os#oni!$#o acFuired #orses in t#e late ,@**s&
Seasonal (orays sudden attac5s on enemy territory
to t#e Hi# %lains to #unt 2ison& Overall ame scarcity in t#e Great Basin& All o( t#e
edi2le animals deermountain s#ee" and insects$ere #unted 2y solitary #unters in t#e #i# lands&
Communal surrounds (or ra22its! deer! andantelo"e&
8/18/2019 Great Basin
9/12
GREAT BASIN SUBSISTENCE
Communal surrounds durin t#e ?all&
Com"osite 2ands (ormed! $omen at#ered %inyon nutsand men conducted ra22it drives&
Collective #unts only $#en ra22it "o"ulations $ere #i#!
t#e "o"ulation decreased (or several years& Ra22it (urs $ere used (or 2lan5ets and $inter clot#in&
Elderly men $#o o$ned t$ined nets initiated t#e #unts&
Nets s"aced at dierent intervals in arroyos! concealed
men $ere "ositioned 2y eac# net&
8/18/2019 Great Basin
10/12
GREAT BASIN SUBSISTENCE
Anot#er rou" o( men (ormed a laresemicircle! 2eat 2rus# $it# stic5s and drove t#era22its into a dra$&
Ra22its $ere #erded into nets! 5illed $it#arro$s! stic5s& T#e meat $as eatenimmediately&
Antelo"e and deer drives $ere led 2y s#amans&
No coo"eration in at#erin&
8/18/2019 Great Basin
11/12
GREAT BASIN SOCIA'ORGANIATION
Early S"rin to late ?all+ small nuclear (amilies!"er#a"s .+! traveled toet#er&
4inter+ 2and level villaes! de"endin on (oodavaila2ility! "ossi2le dis"ersal&
Bands coalesced in late ?all to #arvest %inyonnuts& Timin $as im"ortant and t#eirindienous 5no$lede is $#at #el"ed t#em :ndt#em& Transmission o( in(ormation caused someto /ourney *+* miles (rom $inter villaes&
8/18/2019 Great Basin
12/12
GREAT BASIN SOCIA'ORGANIATION S#os#onean $inter cam"s lasted as lon as (ood su""ly! and a
0illae C#ie( $as #ead o( t#e $inter cam"&
C#ie( 5ne$ location o( ot#er cam"s and ame&
Gam2lin and dancin sta"les o( $inter cam"s&
T#e Circle Dance $as "er(ormed (or (ertility and "ros"erity! later2ecame t#e G#ost Dance&
1arriae $as (or alliances& %olyyny and %olyandry $ere 2ot#"racticed&
No oranied $ar(are! :#ts $ere over $omen&
Accusations $ere o(ten made a2out "eo"le reardin $itc#cra(t&
Reliion $as individualied& S#amans $ere curers&
Top Related