DOCSLIB.ORG

University of Nevada, Reno Analysis of Paleoindian Site Structure and Toolstone Procurement at the Overlook Site

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

University of Nevada, Reno Analysis of Paleoindian Site Structure and Toolstone Procurement at the Overlook Site (26CH3413), Churchill County, Nevada A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology By Sarah K. Rice Dr. Geoffrey M. Smith/Thesis Advisor May 2015 © Sarah K. Rice 2015 All Rights Reserved THE GRADUATE SCHOOL We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by MS. SARAH K. RICE Entitled Analysis of Paleoindian Site Structure and Toolstone Procurement at the Overlook Site (26CH3413), Churchill County, Nevada be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Dr. Geoffrey M. Smith, Advisor Dr. Christopher Morgan, Committee Member Dr. Scott A. Mensing, Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School May, 2015 i ABSTRACT Based on lithic studies, it appears that the early inhabitants of the Great Basin were mobile, far-ranging, and possessed a flexible lithic toolkit. They left behind traces of ephemeral, often redundant, occupations across the landscape. While investigators have studied Paleoindian mobility patterns at large scales across the Great Basin, fine- grained analyses are rarely applied to individual open-air sites. This study evaluates the hypothesis that the archaeological record at a single Paleoindian site located in Churchill County, western Nevada the Overlook Site (26CH3413) represents the remains of a residential base camp; a place from which local toolstone was procured to replace broken and expended tools fashioned on non-local material. To test this hypothesis several methods are employed including the analysis of: (1) site structure vis-à-vis spatial distribution of artifacts; (2) components of the lithic assemblage; and (3) geomorphic processes. These data suggest that cultural and geomorphic processes affect the horizontal distribution of artifacts, eliminating observable internal structure at the site. The assemblage at the site suggests that the manufacture of mid-stage bifaces on local material and discard of broken and expended tools was the dominant activity and that the site was repeatedly visited. To conclude, I consider the Overlook Site within the broader context of Paleoindian sites in the region. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this thesis has unquestionably been a collective effort. Thanks to my committee, Drs. Geoffrey M. Smith, Scott A. Mensing, and Christopher Morgan, for their guidance, advice, and assistance. Huge thanks go to my advisor, Dr. Geoffrey M. Smith, who shared with me his knowledge of all things Paleoindian and was always available to answer questions and provide much-needed encouragement along the way. Research on a military base is tricky. Another huge thanks to Fallon, NAS Archaeologist, Mrs. Robin Michel, for spending her time guiding me through the permitting and research design process, not to mention her handling of the scheduling along with other logistical issues. I cannot thank her enough; suffice it to say, the research described herein would not have happened without her. I also want to thank Mr. Jason Wright at the Carson City, Bureau of Land Management and Ms. Jessica Axsom at the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. Thanks to Dr. Ken Adams, John Bell, and countless others who have engaged me in conversations about archaeology, geology, etc., and helped with editing including Eugene Romanski, Tucker Orvald, Dr. Daron Duke, and Mike Lenzi. I consider my colleagues at Far Western to be some of the best archaeologists in the Great Basin, not to mention some of the nicest humans with whom you could ever work. It is the brain trust at Far Western that provided the inspiration for me to return to school to gain a higher-level degree. I want to first thank Dr. D. Craig Young for not only supporting me with discussions, work, and an office throughout school but coming out to the site to lend his expertise to aid in my understanding of the geological aspect of iii the research. GIS specialist Melissa Murphy helped make the numerous maps and figures in this thesis. We also had discussions of many aspects of the spatial record and she is brilliant: thanks Melissa. Thanks to Kathleen Montgomery as well, who helped digitize the stratigraphic profiles, and Nicole Birney, who answered endless questions about formatting. Special thanks to the McCabes (Two Trowels), Allen and Susan, who worked nearly every day at the site and supplied their years of expertise, endless jokes, and general shenanigans: love y’all. I am also grateful to William Bloomer, Steve Erven (Swervin’ Erven), Amanda Rankin, Dave Ingbar, Vickie Clay, and Mike Lenzi for taking their Spring Break 2014 and getting up way too early to come out to the site and help record endless flakes: you guys and gals are the best and I owe you! Lastly, I want to thank my sister and best friend Marie Rice and my other partner in crime Thomas Lee Gardner. You have both given me the gift of self-confidence over the years and this research, and the surety that I could do it, would never have manifested without your support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 The Terminal Pleistocene-Early Holocene (TP-EH) .......................................................... 4 Climate and Environment................................................................................................ 6 Younger Dryas 12,900-11,600 cal BP. ........................................................................ 6 Early Holocene 11,600-8,200 cal BP. ......................................................................... 6 The Archaeological Record ............................................................................................. 8 Younger Dryas (12,900 to 11,600 cal BP). ............................................................... 10 Early Holocene (11,600-8,200 cal BP). ..................................................................... 12 Lithic Technological Organization and Mobility ............................................................. 16 Mobility Models ............................................................................................................ 16 Lithic Conveyance......................................................................................................... 19 Spatial Analysis and Occupation Span.......................................................................... 21 Geomorphic and Geological Analysis........................................................................... 22 Research Goals.................................................................................................................. 23 CHAPTER 2: MATERIALS AND METHODS .............................................................. 25 Southern Carson Desert Overview ................................................................................ 26 Geography. ................................................................................................................ 26 Biogeography and Climate. ....................................................................................... 26 Landforms and Geology. ........................................................................................... 28 The Paleoindian Record of the Carson Desert. .......................................................... 33 Materials: the Overlook Site (26CH3413) ........................................................................ 38 Site Discovery and Initial Findings ............................................................................... 38 Research Design Process, Permitting, and Access ........................................................ 41 Fieldwork: Mapping, Surface Collection, and Testing ................................................. 42 Methods: Lithic, Geologic, and Spatial Analysis ............................................................. 44 Lithic Analysis .............................................................................................................. 45 v Geological Analysis ...................................................................................................... 50 Spatial Analysis ............................................................................................................. 52 Restatement of Hypothesis ............................................................................................ 57 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS .................................................................................................. 58 The Overlook Site Lithic Assemblage .............................................................................. 58 Raw Materials ............................................................................................................... 58 Obsidian XRF and Hydration Analysis ......................................................................... 60 Debitage .......................................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • California Pika Consortium Mono Basin- Bodie Hills Field Trip Sunday, July 31, 2011 – Monday, August 1, 2011

    California Pika Consortium Mono Basin- Bodie Hills Field Trip Sunday, July 31, 2011 – Monday, August 1, 2011

    California Pika Consortium Mono Basin- Bodie Hills Field Trip Sunday, July 31, 2011 – Monday, August 1, 2011 Amended with comments and observations in red font after the Field Trip: 13 August 2011 (cim) Field Trip Objectives: Provide a forum for California Pika Consortium (CPC) participants to observe and discuss topics of current interest at key and relevant field sites. In particular, to observe and contrast pika habitat abundance, quality, and connectivity in the Sierra Nevada and Bodie Hills; to visit low-elevation and high-elevation sites typical of the central-eastern Sierra Nevada; to observe and compare anthropogenic habitat (ore dumps) and native talus sites in the Bodie Hills; to discuss the relevance of these observations to climate relationships, talus thermal regimes, dispersal and connectivity (source/sink), population dynamics, and population processes in California and elsewhere in American pika’s range. Agenda Sunday, July 31 (see accompanying Road Log and Maps for specifics) 8:00 am Convene at USFS Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center, consolidate vehicles (don’t forget lunch, snacks, water) 8:15 am Depart Visitor Center for Stops 1-7 Stop 1: Lundy Cyn (short walk) Stop 2: Virginia Lks Cyn Trailhead (short walk) Stop 3: Conway Highlands Overview instead we made a brief stop to “Benjamin Buttes” Stop 4: Bodie Pass – LUNCH (bring your own) Stop 5: Syndicate Mine, Bodie (short walk) Stop 6: Chemung Mine weather did not allow us to visit this site Stop 7: Serrita Mine, New York Hill, Masonic District (short walk) weather did not allow us to visit this site Note: If time gets short, we might forego one or more of the final stops ~ 7pm? Dinner (no host) at Tioga Gas Mart, Tioga Toomey’s Café, 0.25 miles west on SR 120 of junction with US 395.
  • The Road to Iconicity in the Pa- Leoart of the American West

    The Road to Iconicity in the Pa- Leoart of the American West

    ekkehart malotkI The Road to Iconicity in the Pa- leoart of the American West Introduction Throughout the world, all paleoart traditions considered to be the earliest uniformly display a remarkable noniconicity, whether they occur as port- able objects or in the context of rock art. This uniformity is believed to be attributable not to cultural difusion but to an evolved, predisposing neuro- biology shared by all human beings. This panglobal similarity of the most basic phosphene-like motif repertoires also holds for the Pleistocene-Hol- ocene transition period in the American West. From Canada to Northwest Mexico and from Texas to the Paciic Coast, canyon walls, boulder faces and rock shelters served as canvases for the arriving Paleoamericans and their descendants. Their non-igurative, geocentric marking systems, summar- ily labeled here Western Archaic Tradition (Fig. 1), lasted for thousands of years until in very limited areas full-blown iconicity in the form of distinct biocentric styles set in around the Middle Holocene (Fig. 2). Many regions, however, remained committed to the graphic Western Archaic Tradition mode until A. D. 600 or later or never developed representational motifs. Preceding the onset of imagery featuring anthropomorphs and zoomorphs, a seemingly restricted vocabulary of igurative designs –, primarily animal and bird tracks as well as hand- and footprints – that can be regarded as proto-iconic forerunners along the developmental path of rock art, observ- able in the American West. 171171 ekkehart malotkI Fig. 1: Typical WAT petroglyphs from a site north of St. George, Utah (photograph E. Malotki). Fig. 2: Typical »biocentric« style imagery of the Middle/Late Holocene that marks an ideo- logical shift from the long-lasting noniconic rock art of the WAT (photograph E.
  • Lovelock-Cave-Back-Country-Byway

    Lovelock-Cave-Back-Country-Byway

    Back Country Byways . An Invitation to Discover There is an axiom among seasoned travelers advising that the best way to get to know a new place is to get off the highway and visit the back roads, the side trails and the hidden, out-of-the-way corners where the true qualities wait to be discovered. The same axiom holds true for America’s public lands, the vast reaches of our nation that are all too often seen only from the windows of speeding cars or the tiny portholes of airliners. The Bureau of Land Management, America’s largest land managing agency, is providing an exciting opportunity for more Americans to get to know their lands by getting off the main roads for leisurely trips on a series of roads and trails being dedicated as Back Country Byways. The Back Country Byways Program, an outgrowth of the national Scenic Byways Program, is designed to encourage greater use of these existing back roads through greater public awareness. The system is BUREAUREAU OOFF LANDLAND MANMANAGEMENTGEMENT expected to expand to 100 roads when completed. In Nevada, each byway has a character and beauty of its own, taking travelers through scenery that is uniquely Nevadan, into historic areas that helped shape our state and near areas that have been largely untouched by man. They can see the multiple uses of their lands and come to a greater awareness of the need for the conservation and wise use of these resources. And all this can be accomplished at little cost to the taxpayer. Because the roads are already in place, only interpretive signs and limited facilities are needed to better serve the public.
  • The Museum of Northern Arizona Easton Collection Center 3101 N

    The Museum of Northern Arizona Easton Collection Center 3101 N

    MS-372 The Museum of Northern Arizona Easton Collection Center 3101 N. Fort Valley Road Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928)774-5211 ext. 256 Title Harold Widdison Rock Art collection Dates 1946-2012, predominant 1983-2012 Extent 23,390 35mm color slides, 6,085 color prints, 24 35mm color negatives, 1.6 linear feet textual, 1 DVD, 4 digital files Name of Creator(s) Widdison, Harold A. Biographical History Harold Atwood Widdison was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 10, 1935 to Harold Edward and Margaret Lavona (née Atwood) Widdison. His only sibling, sister Joan Lavona, was born in 1940. The family moved to Helena, Montana when Widdison was 12, where he graduated from high school in 1953. He then served a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1956 Widdison entered Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, graduating with a BS in sociology in 1959 and an MS in business in 1961. He was employed by the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington DC before returning to graduate school, earning his PhD in medical sociology and statistics from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1970. Dr. Widdison was a faculty member in the Sociology Department at Northern Arizona University from 1972 until his retirement in 2003. His research foci included research methods, medical sociology, complex organization, and death and dying. His interest in the latter led him to develop one of the first courses on death, grief, and bereavement, and helped establish such courses in the field on a national scale.
  • Bibliography

    Bibliography

    Bibliography Many books were read and researched in the compilation of Binford, L. R, 1983, Working at Archaeology. Academic Press, The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology: New York. Binford, L. R, and Binford, S. R (eds.), 1968, New Perspectives in American Museum of Natural History, 1993, The First Humans. Archaeology. Aldine, Chicago. HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco. Braidwood, R 1.,1960, Archaeologists and What They Do. Franklin American Museum of Natural History, 1993, People of the Stone Watts, New York. Age. HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco. Branigan, Keith (ed.), 1982, The Atlas ofArchaeology. St. Martin's, American Museum of Natural History, 1994, New World and Pacific New York. Civilizations. HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco. Bray, w., and Tump, D., 1972, Penguin Dictionary ofArchaeology. American Museum of Natural History, 1994, Old World Civiliza­ Penguin, New York. tions. HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco. Brennan, L., 1973, Beginner's Guide to Archaeology. Stackpole Ashmore, w., and Sharer, R. J., 1988, Discovering Our Past: A Brief Books, Harrisburg, PA. Introduction to Archaeology. Mayfield, Mountain View, CA. Broderick, M., and Morton, A. A., 1924, A Concise Dictionary of Atkinson, R J. C., 1985, Field Archaeology, 2d ed. Hyperion, New Egyptian Archaeology. Ares Publishers, Chicago. York. Brothwell, D., 1963, Digging Up Bones: The Excavation, Treatment Bacon, E. (ed.), 1976, The Great Archaeologists. Bobbs-Merrill, and Study ofHuman Skeletal Remains. British Museum, London. New York. Brothwell, D., and Higgs, E. (eds.), 1969, Science in Archaeology, Bahn, P., 1993, Collins Dictionary of Archaeology. ABC-CLIO, 2d ed. Thames and Hudson, London. Santa Barbara, CA. Budge, E. A. Wallis, 1929, The Rosetta Stone. Dover, New York. Bahn, P.
  • Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone Land Use in Northern Nevada: a Class I Ethnographic/Ethnohistoric Overview

    Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone Land Use in Northern Nevada: a Class I Ethnographic/Ethnohistoric Overview

    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management NEVADA NORTHERN PAIUTE AND WESTERN SHOSHONE LAND USE IN NORTHERN NEVADA: A CLASS I ETHNOGRAPHIC/ETHNOHISTORIC OVERVIEW Ginny Bengston CULTURAL RESOURCE SERIES NO. 12 2003 SWCA ENVIROHMENTAL CON..·S:.. .U LTt;NTS . iitew.a,e.El t:ti.r B'i!lt e.a:b ~f l-amd :Nf'arat:1.iern'.~nt N~:¥G~GI Sl$i~-'®'ffl'c~. P,rceP,GJ r.ei l l§y. SWGA.,,En:v,ir.e.m"me'Y-tfol I €on's.wlf.arats NORTHERN PAIUTE AND WESTERN SHOSHONE LAND USE IN NORTHERN NEVADA: A CLASS I ETHNOGRAPHIC/ETHNOHISTORIC OVERVIEW Submitted to BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Nevada State Office 1340 Financial Boulevard Reno, Nevada 89520-0008 Submitted by SWCA, INC. Environmental Consultants 5370 Kietzke Lane, Suite 205 Reno, Nevada 89511 (775) 826-1700 Prepared by Ginny Bengston SWCA Cultural Resources Report No. 02-551 December 16, 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................v List of Tables .................................................................v List of Appendixes ............................................................ vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................1 CHAPTER 2. ETHNOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW .....................................4 Northern Paiute ............................................................4 Habitation Patterns .......................................................8 Subsistence .............................................................9 Burial Practices ........................................................11
  • University of Oklahoma

    University of Oklahoma

    UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE ALTERNATE PATHWAYS TO RITUAL POWER: EVIDENCE FOR CENTRALIZED PRODUCTION AND LONG-DISTANCE EXCHANGE BETWEEN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN CADDO COMMUNITIES A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By SHAWN PATRICK LAMBERT Norman, Oklahoma 2017 ALTERNATE PATHWAYS TO RITUAL POWER: EVIDENCE FOR CENTRALIZED PRODUCTION AND LONG-DISTANCE EXCHANGE BETWEEN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN CADDO COMMUNITIES A DISSERTATION APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY BY ______________________________ Dr. Patrick Livingood, Chair ______________________________ Dr. Asa Randall ______________________________ Dr. Amanda Regnier ______________________________ Dr. Scott Hammerstedt ______________________________ Dr. Diane Warren ______________________________ Dr. Bonnie Pitblado ______________________________ Dr. Michael Winston © Copyright by SHAWN PATRICK LAMBERT 2017 All Rights Reserved. Dedication I dedicate my dissertation to my loving grandfather, Calvin McInnish and wonderful twin sister, Kimberly Dawn Thackston. I miss and love you. Acknowledgements First and foremost, I want to give my sincerest gratitude to Patrick Livingood, my committee chair, who has guided me through seven years of my masters and doctoral work. I could not wish for a better committee chair. I also want to thank Amanda Regnier and Scott Hammerstedt for the tremendous amount of work they put into making me the best possible archaeologist. I would also like to thank Asa Randall. His level of theoretical insight is on another dimensional plane and his Advanced Archaeological Theory class is one of the best I ever took at the University of Oklahoma. I express appreciation to Bonnie Pitblado, not only for being on my committee but emphasizing the importance of stewardship in archaeology.
  • Bureau of Land Management Manages 270 Million Acres of Public Lands in the \\"Est and What We Learn About Past People and How They Adapted to Their Alaska

    Bureau of Land Management Manages 270 Million Acres of Public Lands in the \\"Est and What We Learn About Past People and How They Adapted to Their Alaska

    ·suoptUaua8 aimnJ JOJ .\ofua no.\ saJJnosai aqJ 3AB31 sn d1aq asB<Jid 1l()C)-)LL L0£ £00Z8 AM. 'auuakiq:) 8Z81 xog "O"d anuaAy ua.l.fll.M )l)Z ~UJWOA.M. lZOV-6£) 108 rn£z-mvs m '-<lD a)\lll. ltllS IO£ al!nS '"llPIH "JD 'trnU!d Sd:) l;i;)JlS alinS rnnos ti£ LSZL -OSZ £OS )96Z-80ZL6 ~0 'ptrn\µOd !>96Z XOH "O"d anuaAy qltt ·g-N 00£1 UO~<lJO 91£9-886 sos 6ttliiO!>L8 WN 'ail intrns 6ttl xog "O"d "llPIH tllJapaiJ pm~ a;,!JJO lSOd QZ[ OJJX<lW M<lN 00£9-8Z£ WL 9000-QZ)68 AN 'oua~ OOOZl xog "O"d A'Bh\ pIDAmH 0)8 8pBA<lN £16Z-!>!>Z 90I' LOI6!> .LW 'sllUffi!H 0089£ XOH "O"d l;i;)JlS PUZ£ N zzz uumuow 000£1'8£ soi 90L£8 GI 'aS!OH a;,-eJJa.L 'Btrn;)µawy 08££ oqBpJ OL9£-6£Z £0£ )[ZQ8 Q:) 'pooMa:l{tq l;i;)JlS ppyllunox 0!>8Z opmo103 9VLV-8L6 916 )Z8)6 Y:) 'OlUaW'Bl;)'BS 1vsz-3 '-<-e.M all-eno:) oosz BJWOJJ18:) 170!>!>-QP<J ZOCJ I T0!>8 zy 'iquaoqd £9)9[ X08 "Q"d l;i;iJlS qlL "N LOL£ suozµv ))))-[lZ L06 66)L-£I)66 )JV' 'all-emq;,uy £!# 'anuaAy qlL ".M zzz BlfSBIV :saJ!JJO aJBJS W'UI asaq1 PBJUOJ 'lsnd aqJ D! saimuaApy JOOQE UO!JEWJOJU! aJOW JO..{ The Bureau of Land Management Manages 270 million acres of public lands in the \\"est and what we learn about past people and how they adapted to their Alaska.
  • Program of the 75Th Anniversary Meeting

    Program of the 75Th Anniversary Meeting

    PROGRAM OF THE 75 TH ANNIVERSARY MEETING April 14−April 18, 2010 St. Louis, Missouri THE ANNUAL MEETING of the Society for American Archaeology provides a forum for the dissemination of knowledge and discussion. The views expressed at the sessions are solely those of the speakers and the Society does not endorse, approve, or censor them. Descriptions of events and titles are those of the organizers, not the Society. Program of the 75th Anniversary Meeting Published by the Society for American Archaeology 900 Second Street NE, Suite 12 Washington DC 20002-3560 USA Tel: +1 202/789-8200 Fax: +1 202/789-0284 Email: [email protected] WWW: http://www.saa.org Copyright © 2010 Society for American Archaeology. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted in any form or by any means without prior permission from the publisher. Program of the 75th Anniversary Meeting 3 Contents 4............... Awards Presentation & Annual Business Meeting Agenda 5……….….2010 Award Recipients 10.................Maps of the America’s Center 12 ................Maps of Renaissance Grand St. Louis 14 ................Meeting Organizers, SAA Board of Directors, & SAA Staff 15 .............. General Information 18. ............. Featured Sessions 20 .............. Summary Schedule 25 .............. A Word about the Sessions 27............... Program 161................SAA Awards, Scholarships, & Fellowships 167............... Presidents of SAA . 168............... Annual Meeting Sites 169............... Exhibit Map 170................Exhibitor Directory 180................SAA Committees and Task Forces 184………….Index of participants 4 Program of the 75th Anniversary Meeting Awards Presentation & Annual Business Meeting America’s Center APRIL 16, 2010 5 PM Call to Order Call for Approval of Minutes of the 2009 Annual Business Meeting Remarks President Margaret W.
  • Fort Rock Cave: Assessing the Site’S Potential to Contribute to Ongoing Debates About How and When Humans Colonized the Great Basin

    Fort Rock Cave: Assessing the Site’S Potential to Contribute to Ongoing Debates About How and When Humans Colonized the Great Basin

    RETURN TO FORT ROCK CAVE: ASSESSING THE SITE’S POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO ONGOING DEBATES ABOUT HOW AND WHEN HUMANS COLONIZED THE GREAT BASIN Thomas J. Connolly, Judson Byrd Finley, Geoffrey M. Smith, Dennis L. Jenkins, Pamela E. Endzweig, Brian L. O’Neill, and Paul W. Baxter Oregon’s Fort Rock Cave is iconic in respect to both the archaeology of the northern Great Basin and the history of debate about when the Great Basin was colonized. In 1938, Luther Cressman recovered dozens of sagebrush bark sandals from beneath Mt. Mazama ash that were later radiocarbon dated to between 10,500 and 9350 cal B.P. In 1970, Stephen Bedwell reported finding lithic tools associated with a date of more than 15,000 cal B.P., a date dismissed as unreasonably old by most researchers. Now, with evidence of a nearly 15,000-year-old occupation at the nearby Paisley Five Mile Point Caves, we returned to Fort Rock Cave to evaluate the validity of Bedwell’s claim, assess the stratigraphic integrity of remaining deposits, and determine the potential for future work at the site. Here, we report the results of additional fieldwork at Fort Rock Cave undertaken in 2015 and 2016, which supports the early Holocene occupation, but does not confirm a pre–10,500 cal B.P. human presence. La cueva de Fort Rock en Oregón es icónica por lo que representa para la arqueología de la parte norte de la Gran Cuenca y para la historia del debate sobre la primera ocupación de la Gran Cuenca. En 1938, Luther Cressman recuperó docenas de sandalias de corteza de artemisa debajo de una capa de cenizas del monte Mazama que fueron posteriormente fechadas por radiocarbono entre 10,500 y 9200 cal a.P.
  • Quaternary International Colonisation and Early Peopling of The

    Quaternary International Colonisation and Early Peopling of The

    Quaternary International xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Quaternary International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quaint Colonisation and early peopling of the Colombian Amazon during the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene: New evidence from La Serranía La Lindosa ∗ Gaspar Morcote-Ríosa, Francisco Javier Aceitunob, , José Iriartec, Mark Robinsonc, Jeison L. Chaparro-Cárdenasa a Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia b Departamento de Antropología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia c Department of Archaeology, Exeter, University of Exeter, United Kingdom ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Recent research carried out in the Serranía La Lindosa (Department of Guaviare) provides archaeological evi- Colombian amazon dence of the colonisation of the northwest Colombian Amazon during the Late Pleistocene. Preliminary ex- Serranía La Lindosa cavations were conducted at Cerro Azul, Limoncillos and Cerro Montoya archaeological sites in Guaviare Early peopling Department, Colombia. Contemporary dates at the three separate rock shelters establish initial colonisation of Foragers the region between ~12,600 and ~11,800 cal BP. The contexts also yielded thousands of remains of fauna, flora, Human adaptability lithic artefacts and mineral pigments, associated with extensive and spectacular rock pictographs that adorn the Rock art rock shelter walls. This article presents the first data from the region, dating the timing of colonisation, de- scribing subsistence strategies, and examines human adaptation to these transitioning landscapes. The results increase our understanding of the global expansion of human populations, enabling assessment of key inter- actions between people and the environment that appear to have lasting repercussions for one of the most important and biologically diverse ecosystems in the world.
  • In Search of the First Americas

    In Search of the First Americas

    In Search of the First Americas Michael R. Waters Departments of Anthropology and Geography Center for the Study of the First Americans Texas A&M University Who were the first Americans? When did they arrive in the New World? Where did they come from? How did they travel to the Americas & settle the continent? A Brief History of Paleoamerican Archaeology Prior to 1927 People arrived late to the Americas ca. 6000 B.P. 1927 Folsom Site Discovery, New Mexico Geological Estimate in 1927 10,000 to 20,000 B.P. Today--12,000 cal yr B.P. Folsom Point Blackwater Draw (Clovis), New Mexico 1934 Clovis Discovery Folsom (Bison) Clovis (Mammoth) Ernst Antevs Geological estimate 13,000 to 14,000 B.P. Today 13,000 cal yr B.P. 1935-1990 Search continued for sites older than Clovis. Most sites did not stand up to scientific scrutiny. Calico Hills More Clovis sites were found across North America The Clovis First Model became entrenched. Pedra Furada Tule Springs Clovis First Model Clovis were the first people to enter the Americas -Originated from Northeast Asia -Entered the Americas by crossing the Bering Land Bridge and passing through the Ice Free Corridor around 13,600 cal yr B.P. (11,500 14C yr B.P.) -Clovis technology originated south of the Ice Sheets -Distinctive tools that are widespread -Within 800 years reached the southern tip of South America -Big game hunters that killed off the Megafauna Does this model still work? What is Clovis? • Culture • Era • Complex Clovis is an assemblage of distinctive tools that were made in a very prescribed way.