Placed in a larger context, the sequence at LoDaisKa seems to reflect
the interaction of geographical, cultural and environmental factors.
Their relation poses a series of interesting questions.
The region is located geographically on the fringe between two
well-known culture areas, the Great Basin and the Plains. At the same
time, it is environmentally distinct from either, combining some
characteristics of each, while preserving its own sub-montane biome.
These factors determine the essentially marginal character of the area.
For the same reasons, it should be especially sensitive to the forces
of cultural dynamics and to changes in environment.
The sequence at the LoDaisKa Site reflects this situation. The shifting
orientation of the cultures represented alternates between the Plains
and Basin. This shifting may be an essentially cultural phenomenon,
possibly reflecting events in the nuclear culture areas. Alternatively,
there may be evidence of climatic fluctuation at the site, and
environmental change could have been an important factor.
It remains a question whether this was, at least briefly, a contact
area for Plains and Basin cultures. From the available material it
is not possible to determine whether groups of divergent affiliation
ever inhabited the area synchronously. The considerable overlapping of
the culture units seems to point in this direction; but, as indicated
above, this phenomenon may be partially due to the telescoping of the
stratigraphy. This plus certain traditional continuums provide possible
evidence of the influence of these groups on each other.
Further research may provide answers for some of these questions.
Accurate dating by Carbon 14 will of course be invaluable in setting
the LoDaisKa sequence in proper relation to known Recent developments
in the West. Continued paleobotanical and geological study will help
clarify the chronological and environmental situation. Investigation of
single component sites in the area should provide a concrete regional
sequence and supply more data on the kind of cultural phenomena
represented here.
This suggests a few of the problems to be solved and indicates the
great amount of research which remains to be done.