Salish Sea Islands Archaeology and Precontact History.

Salish Sea islands archaeology and precontact history are reviewed in light of Coast Salish history and the archaeological record. Our examination shows that (1) the ancestors of Salish people have occupied and used the archipelago continuously since its formation approximately 14,000 years ago; (2) archaeological work has not been conducted uniformly across the archipelago, resulting in places, landforms and times being differentially represented; and (3) as an inland seaway the Salish Sea basin is more geographically similar to the Mediterranean than the Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]