CHACO’S UPPER CLASS • DID THE CLOVIS HAVE NEIGHBORS? • A HIGHWAY TO PREHISTORY american archaeologyWINTER 2015-16 americana quarterly publication archaeology Vol. 19 No. 4 of The Archaeological Conservancy SavingSaving IceIce PatchPatch ArtifactsArtifacts $3.95 american archaeologyWINTER 2015-16 a quarterly publication of The Archaeological Conservancy Vol. 19 No. 4 COVER FEATURE 12 ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE ICE PATCHES BY TAMARA STEWART Archaeologists are racing to preserve fragile artifacts that are exposed when ice patches melt. 19 THE ROAD TO PREHISTORY BY ELIZABETH LUNDAY A highway-expansion project in Texas led to the discovery of several ancient Caddo sites and raised issues about preservation. 26 CHACO’S UPPER CLASS EE L BY CHARLES C. POLING New research suggests an elite class emerged at RAIG C / Chaco Canyon much earlier than previously thought. AAR NST 32 DID THE CLOVIS PEOPLE HAVE NEIGHBORS? I 12 BY MARCIA HILL GOSSARD Discoveries from the Cooper’s Ferry site indicate that two different cultures inhabited North America 44 new acquisition roughly 13,000 years ago. CONSERVANCY ACQUIRES A PORTION OF MANZANARES PUEBLO IN NEW MEXICO 38 LIFE ON THE NORTHERN FRONTIER Manzanares is one of the sites included in the Galisteo BY WAYNE CURTIS Basin Archaeological Sites Protection Act. Researchers are trying to understand what life was like at an English settlement in southern Maine around 46 new acquisition the turn of the 18th century. DONATION OF TOWN SQUARE BANK MOUND UNITES LOCAL COMMUNITY Various people played a role in the Conservancy’s 19 acquisition of a prehistoric mound. 47 point acquisition A LONG TIME COMING The Conservancy waited for 20 years to acquire T the Dingfelder Circle. DO 48 point acquisition SAVING SOUTHWESTERN NEVADA PREHISTORY ADOR, TX The Conservancy obtains a site in an area that’s seeing AM extensive development. MICHAEL MICHAEL 2 LAY OF THE LAND 50 FiELD NOTES 52 REVIEWS 54 EXPEDITIONS 3 LETTERS 5 EVENTS COVER: Researchers stabilize a drill in preparation for 7 IN THE NEWS coring an ice patch. They core the patches to see their internal structures, which offer paleoecological data. • Headless Burials Suggest Familal Ties • Mammoth Discovered In Michigan CREDIT: INSTAAR/Jennie Borresen Lee. • Early Mississippian—Fort Ancient Contact View more images of our feature articles online at www.archaeologicalconservancy.org american archaeology 1 Lay of the Land Rethinking CRM Archaeology OGRAPHY ultural Resource Management were excavated. Human graves and T (CRM) primarily refers to the other elements of the past were found. field of American archaeology Similar projects are going on all over C LIZ LOPEZ PHO that mitigates sites that are to be the country, and these projects are impacted by development, private or the largest employers of archaeolo- Mark Michel, President governmental. Highways, pipelines, gists. Often CRM firms advocate for a water projects, and subdivisions are mixture of data recovery and resource are struggling to find the proper bal- some of the most common projects that preservation. Highways and pipelines ance between data recovery and pres- require archaeologists to mitigate the can be moved a few feet to avoid sites ervation. Diverting more funds to pres- effects of construction. CRM archaeolo- and preserve the information in situ. ervation and avoidance would both gists are the most active excavators in But this does not happen nearly as save money and be a better solution in America today, producing tons of arti- often as it should. Funds could be set many cases. Regulators and policy mak- facts and reams of data. In this issue of aside from multi-million-dollar proj- ers should be more creative in structur- American Archaeology we report on ects to purchase and preserve similar ing alternatives, and the archaeologi- a CRM highway project in Texas. (See sites. This policy is well established for cal community must lead the way to “The Road To Prehistory,” page 19.) wildlife habitat, but for archaeological improving the current system. In this case, three small Caddo resources it is still relatively rare. sites in the path of a highway expan- These are difficult issues, and CRM sion were discovered, two of which archaeologists and government officials 2 winter • 2015-16 Letters Report Of Death Greatly Exaggerated Bruce J. Kennedy’s letter to the editor about Editor’s Corner the Old Vero Man site, in the Fall 2015 issue of How and when prehistoric socio- American Archaeology, states “With no sites political hierarchies formed is an on the West Coast of the U.S. dating any ear- interesting topic. Our feature “Cha- lier than 13,000 years old, I think the results co’s Upper Class,” (see page 26) tells of the new excavations of Vero Beach put of recent research that appears to the final nail in the coffin of the Pacific identify when a hierarchy emerged Coastal migration hypothesis as a plausible at Chaco Canyon, the Anasazi capital explanation of the initial settlement of the in northwest New Mexico. Americas.” We wonder why the coffin is A team of researchers has con- being nailed shut while the Coastal Migra- cluded that Chaco’s elite class was tion hypothesis remains very much alive. established in the ninth century, For example, consider that people which is long before archaeologists were living in Oregon’s Paisley Five-Mile Point Caves some 14,500-14,200 had previously thought. The research- years ago; the Manis mastodon in coastal Washington was killed with a bone- ers arrived at their conclusion by tipped projectile about 13,800 years ago; and Arlington Springs Man died on Santa radiocarbon dating macaw remains. Rosa Island, off the southern California coast, roughly 13,000 years ago. That might seem to be a curious way Considering the known age, distribution, and cultural diversity of Paleoameri- to learn about Chaco’s class struc- can sites, it is probable that the New World was initially settled by peoples from ture, but in fact their examination of various geographic points of origin, potentially traveling across open seas, along the exotic birds was revealing. coastlines, and overland. Thus, the respectable antiquity of sites in the Eastern U.S. The macaw remains were found neither confirms nor refutes any hypothesis dealing with migration routes along at Chaco over 100 years ago. Given the West Coast. that the birds are native to Meso- america, the researchers believe that Michael J. Moratto, Ph.D. Jon Erlandson, Ph.D. they were prestige items that were Applied EarthWorks, Inc University of Oregon brought from their home all the way Westlake Village, California Eugene, Oregon to Chaco. It’s thought that such an undertaking was orchestrated by an Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation 1. Publication Title: American Archaeology. 2. Publication No.: 1093-8400. 3. Filing Date: September 28, 2015. 4. Issue Frequency: Quarterly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 4. 6. Annual Subscription Price: upper class for its own benefit. $25.00. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: The Archaeological Conservancy, 1717 Girard Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: same as No. 7. 9. Full Names and To this day, macaws are valued by Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher—Mark Michel, address same as No. 7. Editor—Michael the Pueblo people who descended Bawaya, address same as No. 7. Managing Editor—N/A. 10. Owner: The Archaeological Conservancy, address same as No. 7. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other from the Chacoans. According to eth- Securities: None. 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: American Archaeology. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: (A) nographic accounts, colors have cos- Total No. Copies (net press run): 29,800. (B) Paid Circulation (By mail and outside the mail): (1) Mailed Outside County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.): 18,671; (2) mological associations, and macaws Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, don’t lack for color. Birds are also and exchange copies.): 0; (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 3,437; (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class thought to have magical qualities Mail): 1,328. (C) Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)): 23,436. (D) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0; (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County that can serve humans. Their ability Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0; (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): 55; (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): 1,729. (E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution to fly is believed to cause rain, snow, (Sum of 15D (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 1,784. (F) Total Distribution (Sum of 15C and E): 25,220. (G) Copies not Distributed: 4,580. (H) Total (Sum of 15F and G): 29,800. (I) Percent Paid (15C divided by 15F times 100): 92.93%. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Number sunshine, and heat. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: (A) Total No.