Mark Swindell, an avocational archaeologist in Invermere BC, was contacted during an archaeological project in Kootenay National Park. Mr. Swindell had systematically collected a unique assemblage of animal bones from along the Columbia River, including many that eroded from the Salmon Beds site.  He generously permitted their photography and recording and encouraged investigations at the Salmon Beds.  Species present in this collection included salmon, elk, bison, deer, mountain sheep, mountain goat, dog (canid sp?), bear, and beaver.  Because of this unique collection of materials, the Salmon Beds offered considerable research potential.

Figure 7: 
View north of the excavations along the Columbia River
B.J. Stevens (right) and Nicole Shovar (centre) excavating at the Salmon Beds. (Parks Canada 9001T-162t).

Figure 8: 
View of small A block of excavation units at the Salmon Beds. (Parks Canada 9001T-163t).

Figure 9: 
Liz Croome water screening to recover artifacts from the wet soil matrix. (Parks Canada 9001T-164t).

Figure 12: 
Typical soil profile at the Salmon Beds. Between 70 and 80 cm of sands and clays have been deposited above a gravelly substrate to form the site.
Photograph of Soil, East Wall, Units 5n0, 6n0, 7n0.  (Parks Canada 9001T-160t)