“Late Prehistoric Bison Hunters of southeastern Oregon” by Scott Thomas (17 Sep 2026)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:30:00 GMT

Scott Thomas

Abstract: Sometime during the period 1400 to 1600AD, as buffalo herds in northern Nevada and SW Idaho diminished, Shoshone speaking people moved into Southeastern Oregon where buffalo were more plentiful. They brought with them a unique set of tools and cooking vessels not seen elsewhere in Oregon and left evidence of bison hunting and butchering. This presentation focuses on their unique tool set, evidence pointing to their geographic origins and some possible explanations for the short migration to the north of their homeland.

Reconstructed decorated cooking pot
discovered at Lost Dune Site in 1980

Bio: Scott Thomas, Retired Burns BLM District Archaeologist

Education

Bachelors of Science, Zoology, Oregon State University 1975
Masters of Arts, Anthropology, Portland State University 1982

Archaeological Research Interests – Clovis age sites; buffalo hunting in Harney County circa 1500 AD; edible plant harvest in Harney County; Rimrock Draw Rockshelter 17,000 years ago in Harney County; prehistoric pottery manufacture in Harney County; and public archaeology.

Other Interests – Vegetable and flower gardening, greenhouse vegetable production, native edible plants, willow basketry, wattle and daub fencing and construction, Craftsman house design, surf fishing, beach combing, reading historical fiction, camping.

Employment – Retired in 2018. Former District Archaeologist (24 years), Bureau of Land Management, Burns District

Museum of Natural & Cultural History and Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab at University of Oregon (1 Oct 2026)

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Thursday October 1st

Museum of Natural & Cultural History and Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab at University of Oregon

Registration opens Friday September 18th at 8:00AM

Participants limited to 16

Dear ASCO members,

We have a special opportunity, on Thursday October 1st, to visit the Museum of Natural & Cultural History and the Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab, both at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

This will be a full day, driving from Bend to Eugene and back. We will meet at Cascade Village Shopping Center, between Ashley and PetSmart, at 7:30am and depart Bend by 7:45am on Thursday October 1st. We expect to arrive at the Museum of Natural & Cultural History on the University of Oregon campus at 10:45am. The drive to the museum is 2 3/4 hours.

The museum is located 1680 East 15th Avenue, between the Knight Law Center and Global Scholars Hall, on the University of Oregon campus. Being in the middle of the vibrant campus, drivers should expect to pay for street parking at a meter or buy a day pass for the nearest parking lot (B East; select Zone B Daily) for $5. Parking passes become available online six days in advance. Lots can fill quickly, so reserving passes as soon as they become available is recommended.

We will have guided tours of both the Exhibit Hall and the Collections, starting at 11:00AM. Because of limited space in the Collections area and Lab, we will be limited to 16 participants. Our group will split in half and one half will do a collections tour while the other does the exhibit hall tour and then they will switch. The guided tours should finish at about noon, leaving time for additional time in the exhibits, visiting the museum gift store, enjoying a sack lunch on the campus grounds and then getting to Condon Hall by 1:15PM.

Condon Hall is about a 15-minute walk from the museum. Or, Parking Lot B-West is directly across from Condon Hall (see above information about parking passes). We will gather at the front of the building at 1:15 and then enter and go to the Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab to meet Katelyn McDonough. We may need to split into two groups for the lab tour.

We should be heading home by 3PM, however for those wanting more time in the museum, it will be open until 8PM.

The tour leader is Bob TImmer

Questions? E-mail Bob (bobtimmer@yahoo.com)

Archaeological Society of Central Oregon upcoming events

“Late Prehistoric Bison Hunters of southeastern Oregon” by Scott Thomas (17 Sep 2026)

Museum of Natural & Cultural History and Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab at University of Oregon (1 Oct 2026)