The Archaeological Potential of Artificial Ground in Postindustrial Landscapes: A Case Study at the “Lowell of the Pacific Coast,” Oregon City, Oregon

Historical developments on the flood-prone terraces below Willamette Falls involved deliberate modification of the landscape through construction of artificial ground. Evidence of this practice was found on the north side of the Oregon City Woolen Mill, built in 1864–1865, where at various times a saloon, hotel, and grocery stood before 1890, when the area was encompassed within the mill’s North Addition. A trench excavated within the foundation of the North Addition encountered fill material containing Native American artifacts, indicating that these sediments originated in a nearby former Native American settlement used as a borrow area. Also recovered from the fill were historical artifacts from as many as three different sources: the Hudson’s Bay Company, pre-1890 businesses, and woolen-mill operations. This case study underscores the potential for artificial ground to be a primary depositional context for archaeological evidence associated with historical urban and industrial developments in what today are postindustrial landscapes.