Hoko River Archeological Site - Food Models

Food Models

There are two models for food consumption of the Hoko River inhabitants which were created by Dr. Dale Croes. The first model predicts that the people ate about the same percentage of each available food source over the course of each year. Under this model, the people of the Hoko River Site would have relied heavily on roundfish, halibut, flatfish, and elk in the winter and a similar diet in summer, with an elevated reliance on halibut and flatfish. The spring would have been a time of transition, shifting from winter food sources to summer food sources. In the fall, the people would have relied heavier on salmon than on other available food sources.

The second model of food consumption became more popular overtime beginning in approximate 3000 B.P. as the inhabitants learned how to preserve food. This model operates under the assumption that the people would have relied on a food storage system, evidence of which was found at the site. Between the two models, the non-storage model predicts a more balanced reliance on all food sources throughout the year, while the storage model would have allowed the people to consume halibut and salmon in greater quantities throughout a greater portion of the year, leading to greater consumption of their favorite food sources year round. The food storage model would lead to a higher level of resource depletion over time.