Archaeology in Washington, Vol. 11, 2005. FRYINGPAN ROCKSHELTER (45PI43): A SUBALPINE FAUNA IN MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK Patrick M. Lubinski1 and Greg C. Burtchard2 ABSTRACT but information remains limited by the presence of relatively few published site excavation Fryingpan Rockshelter, located at 5400 feet accounts. In part, this is due to a lack of scientifi c on Mount Rainier, was subjected to limited investigation, but it also refl ects the diffi culty of investigations in 1964 and 2001. These yielded access to high-elevation mountain areas, poor subsurface features, chipped stone tools and visibility of archaeological remains in montane debitage, fi re-cracked rock, charred botanical forests, and poor preservation of archaeological specimens, and faunal remains, associated materials in wet and acidic Northwest montane with dates ranging from 250 to 1150 RCYBP. soils. The poor preservation of bone also severely The faunal assemblage is dominated by small limits our knowledge of the past distribution fragments of calcined, unidentifi ed mammal and history of mammals, such as elk (Cervus bone, but includes mountain beaver, marmot, elaphus), in the high country (Gustafson 1983; and a small artiodactyl, probably mountain goat. Harpole and Lyman 1999). As a consequence, The site is one of the few with identifi ed fauna high elevation Cascade sites with preserved to be excavated at elevation in Washington’s mammal bone, such as Fryingpan Rockshelter, Cascade Range. are signifi cant sources of information because they are so rare. INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF INVESTIGATION Human use of mountains in the Pacifi c Northwest The Fryingpan Rockshelter Site (45PI43) lies prior to the arrival of Euroamericans is not well northeast of Fryingpan Glacier and south of known; particularly relative to the wealth of Goat Island Mountain in the eastern half of archaeological information for the coasts and Mount Rainier National Park. The site is set major rivers of the region. In the Washington into an andesite cliff in the lower subalpine Cascades, much has been learned about the forest at 5400 feet elevation. The small shelter archaeological record in the past 20 years is about 11m (36 feet) wide by 4m (13 feet) (Burtchard 1998; Lewarch and Benson 1991; deep behind the drip line, with a roof about 5m Mack 1989; McClure 1989; Mierendorf 1986; (16 feet) above the fl oor. A large Pacifi c silver Mierendorf et al. 1998; Zweifel and Reid 1991), fi r (Abies amabilis) bisects the shelter. 1Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7544, [email protected] 2Mount Rainier National Park, Tahoma Woods, Star Route, Ashford, WA 98304, Greg_Burtchard@ nps.gov 35 Archaeology in Washington, Vol. 11, 2005. The site initially was brought to professional of 1964 backfi ll, limited new excavation, and attention by Park Naturalist Terry Patton. It was preparation of detailed shelter fl oor plan and subsequently recorded by a Washington State cross section maps (Figs. 1, 2). Work was University survey crew under the direction of completed by Greg Burtchard, Adam Nickels, Richard Daugherty in 1963 (Daugherty 2006), and Andrea Weiser on September 11, 12, 13, 14, and tested by David Rice and Charles Nelson and 18. with a single unit in 1964 (Rice 1965). Their unit was placed to the west of the tree and measured The 2001 investigation removed fi ll from the 1.85 x 1.25 x 0.4 m deep. Excavated sediments 1964 unit to its original depth. This fi ll, and were passed through 1/4 inch screen. Artifacts an adjacent backdirt pile apparently removed recovered in 1964 included 2 projectile points, from the Rice and Nelson unit by vandals 4 knives, 4 scrapers, 3 utilized fl akes, and 100 subsequent to the original excavation, were pieces of chipped stone debitage (Rice 1965). A screened through 1/8 inch mesh and recorded pumicite pipe was also recovered from a “cleft in as bulk Levels 1 and 1a respectively. The the wall of the shelter” during the initial survey easternmost meter of the original 1964 unit was in 1963 (Rice 1965:7). Faunal remains from the then excavated as Level 2 an additional 20 cm to excavation were reported by Rice (1965) and assure that excavations exhausted the range of later by Gustafson (1983). culturally relevant sediments in the original unit. Following preparation of a profi le map (Fig. 3), Rice (1965:Table 1) reported that 25 unburned two new 50 x 60 cm units (Unit A and B) were and 71 burned bone fragments, plus 4 tooth excavated adjacent to the east wall of the 1964 fragments, were recovered from the upper 30 unit. Excavation proceeded in these units to a cm of the excavation unit. The bones apparently maximum depth of 94 cm below surface. All were not analyzed in detail, but Rice (1965:3) excavated fi ne sediments were passed through mentioned that “deer bones were recovered nested 1/4 and 1/8 inch screens, while roof fall from the archaeological deposits.” Gustafson rock fragments were set aside. (1983:28) reexamined some or all of these remains, and reported that all were unidentifi able GENERAL FINDINGS fragments except for several hypsodont tooth fragments derived from either bighorn sheep The uppermost rockshelter deposits are recent, (Ovis canadensis) or mountain goat (Oreamnos as indicated by a steel nut and a rubber fragment americanus). Contrary to Rice’s (1965) found about 2 cm below surface by Rice assertion, Gustafson (1983) found no evidence (1965:5). However, lower deposits consisting of deer in the assemblage, but he noted that of interbedded volcanic tephra and andesite some bones recovered in 1964 may not have roof fragments appear undisturbed by recent been present in the collection he examined in activities. Two charcoal-stained cultural pit 1983 (i.e., some might have been lost). features were revealed in the eastern wall of the original 1964 unit during the 2001 excavation The site was revisited on a number of occasions (Fig. 3). These features were sampled in 2001 over the years (Burtchard 1998), but was not through excavation of two new 60 x 50 cm formally reinvestigated until September, 2001. units (A and B) that split the profi le in half and Spurred by possible vandalism at the site and conformed to the approximate width of the absence of a widely distributed excavation original 1964 unit. Feature 1, in the south half report, the reinvestigation sought to refi ne earlier of the profi le, was particularly well defi ned by work through excavation and re-screening a charcoal and burned bone concentration at 36 Archaeology in Washington, Vol. 11, 2005. Figure 1. Plan map of Fryingpan Rockshelter. Unit 1 was the original 1964 excavation unit, while Units A and B were 2001 units. In 2001, Unit 1 was re-excavated to the base of the 1964 excavations as Level 1, then the east half was excavated further as Level 2. its base, and is considered to be the remains of the principal lithic activity at the site was tool an incompletely combusted hearth. Feature 2 maintenance. The dominant raw material was a had less well defi ned boundaries, but yielded cryptocrystalline silicate, red or white in color. cultural materials to a depth of about 70 cm No obsidian was found. Debitage recovered below surface. Five radiocarbon samples from from the screens included 87 pieces of shatter and the 2001 excavations were submitted to Beta 1494 fl akes (including complete fl akes, broken Analytic for assay (Table 1). All dates are in fl akes and fl ake fragments). The fl akes were proper stratigraphic order. The youngest date nearly all tertiary (1486, 99%), although 7 were (250±40 RCYBP) was obtained from 27 cm secondary. The size distribution of the fl akes below surface, while the oldest date (1150±40 was 40% <5mm, 57% between 5 and 10mm, RCYBP) was obtained from the base of cultural and only 3% >10mm in maximum dimension. deposits in Unit B at about 69 cm below An additional 394 fl akes were recovered in surface. These dates are thought to span the the fl otation samples. Tools recovered in 2001 range of occupations represented in the deposits included 2 projectile points, 11 biface fragments excavated in 1964 and 2001. (including point tips), 2 retouched fl ake tools, and 2 blades (fl akes with a 3:1 length to width Over 1900 artifacts (all chipped stone tools ratio). Heat-altered fragments of rounded to or debitage) were recovered from the 2001 subrounded river cobbles, with blackening and/ excavations and analyzed by Greg Burtchard or thermal fractures, were common throughout and Adam Nickels. Most of these were small the cultural levels. tertiary fl akes and fragments, suggesting that 37 Archaeology in Washington, Vol. 11, 2005. Figure 2. Sectional view of Fryingpan Rockshelter. See Figure 1 for location of section. Both projectile points recovered in 2001 were Three fl otation samples taken in 2001 were small, broad triangular forms with large barbs examined by Botana Labs of Seattle (Stenholm and small, expanding stems. Both fall into 2002). The samples yielded a variety of charred the Columbia Corner-notched “B” style as botanical specimens, dominated by conifer described in Carter’s (2002) proposed projectile wood, bark, and needles, which constituted 82% point key for central Washington. Consistent of the total sample by weight. Other material in with dates at Fryingpan Rockshelter, this style the sample included edible material (17%), and is thought to date about 2000-150 B.P. based traces of hardwood fragments (poplar or willow), on data from Chief Joseph Dam project in bunchgrass seeds, tiny lily bulbs, and unidentifi ed northeastern Washington (Lohse 1985:351).