UC Merced Journal of and Great Basin Anthropology

Title Archaeological Investigations at Tucker Hill, Lake County,

Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0fd3j20j

Journal Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, 21(1)

ISSN 0191-3557

Authors Hutchins, James Simons, Dwight D.

Publication Date 1999-07-01

Peer reviewed

eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California 112 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY

mains from Four Santa Barbara Channel 1990a, 1990b), but this investigation of Tucker Island Archaeological Sites. Report on Hill is one of very few archaeological studies of file at the Department of Anthropology, upland sites in this vicinity. University of California, Santa Barbara. White, Theodore E. 1953 A Method of Calculatmg die Dietary Per­ TUCKER HILL is a peninsula extending into centage of Various Food Animals Utilized by Aboriginal Peoples. American Antiqui­ the wetlands formed by the upper Chewaucan ty 13(4):396-398. Marsh (now drakied) and the lower Chewaucan Yesner, David R. Marsh (Fig. 1). Both of these shallow basins are 1976 Aleutian Island Albattosses: A Population remnants of pluvial Lake Chewaucan, a Pleisto­ History. The Auk 93:263-280. cene lake which left wave-cut terraces on the Tucker Hill landform at elevation levels of 4,370 ft., 4,460 ft., and 4,520 ft., tiie high water stand for Lake Chewaucan (Allison 1982). The summk of Tucker Hill is 4,984 ft. above mean sea level, well above the high water stand. Studies of pa- leomagnetic variation in fine-grained lake sedi­ ments have shown that the most recent high water stand (i.e., 4,520 ft.) of Lake Chewaucan oc­ curred no earlier than 16,800 years ago (Grayson Archaeological Investigations 1993:100). Skice then, the oscillating lake levels at Tucker Hill, Lake County, have trended steadily downward, isolating small­ er bodies of water, and leaving Summer Lake, Oregon Lake Abert, and the Chewaucan marshes as rem­ nants which have persisted—perh^s with occa­ JAMES HUTCHINS and DWIGHT D. SIMONS sional periods of complete desiccation—from the Kautz Environmental Consultants, Inc., 5200 Neil Early Holocene (ca. 11,000 to 6,900 years B.P.) Rd., Ste. 200, Reno, NV 89502. to the present (Allison 1982). Wetiand environ­ ments can be especially productive in terms of Tucker Hill is located in the Lake Abert- food resources (plants, waterfowl, etc.), so the Chewaucan Marsh Basin in Lake County, Tucker Hill landform is well situated to have ac­ Oregon. In 1995, as part of the requirements cumulated cultural deposits associated with ab- associated with the permitting process for a origkial settiement and subsistence activities fi-om mining company to conduct a perlite quarry­ ing operation, the authors conducted a cul­ the Early Holocene imtil recent reclamation and tural resources inventory of the upper slopes agricultural activities dismpted these patterns. and top of Tucker Hill (Hutchins 1995), as well as a program of archaeological testing ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS for 13 sites located on and around Tucker Hill (Hutchins et al. 1996). Evidence de­ AT TUCKER HILL rived from archaeological survey and site testing provided what the authors believe to The cultural resources inventory conducted in be a representative view of the types of sites 1995 covered 570 acres on the upper slopes and occurring on the Tucker Hill landform. Stud­ top of Tucker Hill, as well as a corridor 18 feet ies of lowland sites in the Lake Abert-Che- waucan Marsh Basin have been conducted by wide for a haul road that connects Tucker Hill to Oetting and Pettigrew (1985, 1987), Petti- State Route 31 (Hutchkis 1995). A total of 30 ar­ grew (1985), and Oetting (1988, 1989, chaeological sites and five isolated finds was re- REPORTS 113

SMUes -^

Fig. 1. The Lake Abert-Cbewaucan Marsh Basm.

corded for these sl(q)es, while five sites and three nodules, and pebbles, and the tested portion of isolated finds were recorded in the corridor. All site 35LK3056 includes an aboriginal of the sites have prehistoric components, and one source quany. (35LK3056) also has a small historical compo­ Archaeological testing was conducted for the nent. Most of the sites are small flake scatters 13 sites that were within the defined area of po­ with no visible features and few formed tools, al­ tential effect (Hutchins et al. 1996). Nine of though several have associated cairns, stone tiiese sites are on top of the Tucker Hill landform rkigs, and/or short alignments of stones. Obsid­ (Fig. 2): 35LK2991, -3048, -3050, -3051, -3056, ian is present along the erodmg margins at tiie -3057, -3058, -3059, and -3065. The haul road top of the landform in the form of cobbles, passes through four sites; 35LK3069, -3071, 114 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY

Fig. 2. Tucker HUl, and the locations of the nine tested sites.

-3072, and -3073. Testing procedures included surface area for the test excavations was 53.25 m.^ subsurface excavation, surface collection of sam­ Depths of test units varied from 10 to 84 cm., ples of litiuc debitage, surface collection of func­ yieldkig a total volume of 17.46 m.^ of excavated tionally and/or temporally diagnostic artifacts, sediment. All sediment was passed through Va-in. and in a few cases, collection of the entire arti­ mesh. fact assemblage visible on tiie surface. A total of Five of the sites are sufficiently rich in fea­ 174 test units, consisting of 161 shovel probes tures and diagnostic artifacts to qualify for nom- (50 cm. X 50 cm.) and 13 excavation imits (1 x kiation to the National Register of Historic Places 1 m.), was excavated using standard archaeologi­ under Criterion D (i.e., they are likely to yield cal procedures and techiuques. The combined knportant kiformation for local or regional prehis- REPORTS 115

Table 1 TESTING PROCEDURES

Site Maximum Excavated Artifiacts Collected from Lithic Debitage Collected from Depth (cm.) Yolume (m.^

35LK2991 50 1.69 road corridor 100 m. wide 4 san^le blocks, 400 m.^ 35LK3048 30 1.02 road corridor 20 m. wide 3 san^le blocks, 300 m.^ 35LK3050 10 0.40 endre site entire site, 653 m.^ 35LK3051 40 0.62 entire site 1 san^le block, 100 m.^ 35LK3056 100+ 2.12 nordieast half of site only 4 sanq)le blocks, 400 m.^ 35LK3057 10 0.35 entire site entire site, 518 m.^ 35LK3058 30 1.17 entire site 2 sample blocks, 200 m.^ 35LK3059 30 0.70 entire site 2 sample blocks, 200 m.^ 35LK3065 40 0.81 entire site 2 sample blocks, 200 m.^

toty). The remaining 30 sites have been classified 35LK3056, where two excavation units produced as "unevaluated" pending fiartherinvestigation . obsidian debitage and two obsidian flaked stone tools (a biface fragment and an edge-modified TESTING RESULTS flake) at a depth of 60 to 70 cm. Auger probes As the focus in this report is on upland sites, placed ki the bottoms of these units resulted in the the following presents the results of archaeologi­ recovery of obsidian debitage to a depth of 100 cal testing for the nine sites on the upper slopes cm. As these two uitits were situated on a slope, and top of Tucker Hill. Specific testing proce­ auger probes were utilized because it was imprac­ dures for the nine sites on top of Tucker Hill are tical to excavate the uitits any deeper. summarized in Table 1. Although the maximum The projectile points recovered from the tested depths of cultural materials at the sites varied sites (Table 2) attest to the importance of large considerably, most cultural deposits were con­ game huntkig (e.g., deer, pronghom, and/or centrated within the upper 20 cm. of the sites. mountain sheep) in the subsistence economies of Cultural materials recovered from depths greater the aboriginal peoples who visited Tucker Hill. than 20 cm. were vety sparsely distributed and Most of the recovered points are fragments of consisted entirely of small flakes of lithic debi­ bases, midsecticMis, and tips, as well as edge frag­ tage. No evidence of stratified cultural deposits ments. Most of these (85%) exhibit impact firac- was foimd at any of the tested sites. The pres­ tures and impact flutes, demonstrating that the ence of subsurface cultural materials at these pokits were broken during use, rather than during sites seems best explained by trampling (e.g., manufacture. Many of the fragments (61%) lack Giflbrd-Gonzalez et al. 1985), biotiu-bation, per­ typological characteristics, and can be classified colation, and other natural processes. In general, only as small or medium size. However, several then, the sites on Tucker Hill represent shallow points are sufficiently complete to classify into deposits of prehistoric cititural materials. The morphological types that are temporally diagnos­ only exception is the obsidian quarry at site tic. The Late Archaic Period is represented by 116 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY

Table 2 PROJECTILE POINTS'

Site Rosegate Elko Humboldt Small Medium Site untyped untyped Total

35LK2991 2 7 1 8 5 23 35LK3048 3 2 — 3 8 35LK3050 -- 35LK3051 2 2 35LK3056 2 3 35LK3057 ~ 1 1 35LK3058 ~ 2 3 35LK3059 ~ 2 2 35LK3065 ~ 2 2 Total 7 10 17 44

" Defmed by Thomas (1981).

Rosegate series points, and the Middle Archaic the remainder are tiny, unidentified bone fi'ag- Period is represented by Elko series points. No ments. The two tooth fragments suggest that ar- Late Prehistoric Period Desert series points were tiodactyls such as deer, pronghom, and/or moim- recovered. All of the projectile points are manu­ taki sheep were present at the Tucker Hill locali­ factured from obsidian. Oetting (1994) refined ty, and were the most likely prey for aboriginal the date ranges for the Lake Abert-Chewaucan himters. Marsh Basin as follows: Pre-Archaic or Initial The bifaces from the tested sites were classi­ Archaic (11,000 to 7,000 B.P.), Early Archaic fied according to the five-stage system of Calla­ (7,000 to 5,000 B.P.), Middle Archaic (5,000 to han (1979), in which Stage I is an unmodified 2,000 B.P.), and Late Archaic (2,000 B.P. to flake blank. Stage V is a finishedtool , and Stages Euroamerican contact). n through IV are intermediate stages of progres­ Unfortunately, none of the nine tested sites sive biface reduction. All but three of the col­ on top of Tucker Hill yielded any faunal re­ lected bifaces are obsidian: one is ignimbrite, one mains, so there is no direct archaeological evi­ is perlite, and one is chert. The distribution of in­ dence concerning the types of game animals termediate biface stages at the tested sites (Table himted. The only faimal remains recovered dur­ 3) suggests that the reduction process proceeded ing the testmg program were 14 small bone frag­ from flake blaitic (Stage I) to at least the second- ments (2.3 g. aggregate weight) from site 35LK- aty thinning or "preform" stage (Stage IV). All 3072 at the base of Tucker Hill in tiie haul road three mtermediate stages are represented, al­ corridor. Two of these are medium-sized ungu­ though the numbers tend to decline for each suc­ late (probably artiodactyl) molar fragments, four cessive stage. The paucity of recovered pressure are recent lagomorph long bone fragments, and flakes (Table 4) suggests that on-site biface re- REPORTS 117

wear, and were classified simply as edge-modi­ Table 3 fied flakes. Some of these edge-modified flakes INTERMEDIATE STAGE BIFACES" may be the result of trampling, rather than use wear (Gifford-Gonzalez et al. 1985:813-815). Site Stage Stage Stage Total A sample of 76 obsidian artifacts was submit­ II III IV ted to Geochemical Research Laboratory in Cali­ 35LK2991 6 12 10 28 fornia for determination of sources. The sample 35LK3048 5 2 3 10 included all 44 projectile points, plus 29 selected 35LK3050 1 ~ ~ 1 bifaces and three selected expedient flake tools. The sample was selected using two criteria: (1) 35LK3051 1 - ~ 1 projectile points were considered the most likely 35LK3056 22 16 11 49 artifacts to represent the greatest diversity of 35LK3057 -- ~ -- ~ sources; and (2) within budget constraints, as 35LK3058 -- ~ -- ~ many sites as possible were represented in the se­ 35LK3059 - ~ ~ ~ lection of bifaces and expedient flake tools. In retrospect, the sample data would probably have 35LK3065 1 ~ ~ 1 been more informative if debitage had been in­ Total 36 30 24 90 cluded and a stratified random sampling technique had been employed to select artifacts from each ' Defined by Callahan (1979). class regardless of site, including debitage, expe­ dient flake tools, intermediate stage bifaces, and duction may not have gone beyond early Stage formed tools (i.e., the projectile points and the un­ IV. The intent of tiie aboriginal Tucker Hill identified Stage V tool fragments). knappers seems to have been to produce rough- The sample specimens were derived from 15 outs, blanks, and occasional preforms, rather than sources, three of which do not match any of the fuiished artifacts. These rough-outs, blanks, and known obsidian sources in the Geochemical Re­ preforms could have been transported elsewhere search Laboratoty data base (Table 5, Fig. 3). to be finished, carried in tool kits for future use, The majority (61.8%) of the obsidian in the sam­ and/or traded as a commodity. ple was derived from Tucker Hill, including the The flakes stmck from a core typically have expedient flake tools and all but two of the inter­ sharp cutting edges and may be used as expedient mediate stage bifaces. Considering the abun­ tools "as is." The working edges of flake tools dance of obsidian available at Tucker Hill and the show the removal of numerous small flakes, extent to which Tucker Hill obsidian was utilized either by deliberate retouch or through pressure (50% of die Stage V bifaces), it seems surprising and bending as a result of use. Cutting, scrap­ that so many geographically dispersed and distant ing, planing, and wood shaving are tasks for obsidian sources are represented in the sample. which expedient flake tools would have been ap­ Obsidian derived from Tucker Hill and the near­ propriate. Expedient flake tools often appear to by sources at the Coglan Buttes and McComb have been discarded after casual use, since the Butte accounts for 75% of the obsidian in the working edges normally do not show extensive sample, and was most likely extracted directfy at wear. Such tools occurred at every tested site on die sources. The data available at present are in­ Tucker Hill, and all were made of obsidian. Nine sufficient to determkie whether the obsidian from of these were clearly used for scraping tasks; more distant sources was acquired indirectly another 142 showed no clear patterns of use through exchange, or extracted directiy at the 118 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY

Table 4 LITHIC DEBITAGE SAMPLE"

Site Flake Type Total

Core Biface Pressure Shatter Flake Reduction Tliimiing Fragment

35LK2991 89 (12%) 110(15%) 40(5%) 137(18%) 378 (50%) 754 (100%) 35LK3048 61 (14%) 92 (22%) 5(1%) 73 (17%) 198 (46%) 429 (100%) 35LK3050 35 (34.5%) 6 (6%) - (0%) 15(15%) 45 (44.5%) 101 (100%) 35LK3051 31 (37%) 7 (9%) 1(1%) 12 (14%) 33 (39%) 84(100%) 35LK3056 986 (3%) 3,679(11%) 752 (2%) 7,211 (22%) 20,556 (62%) 33,184(100%) 35LK3057 22 (23%) 11 (11%) 2(2%) 21 (22%) 40 (42%) 96 (100%) 35LK3058 32 (20%) 25 (15%) 6 (4%) 22 (14%) 77 (47%) 162 (100%) 35LK3059 8 (16%) 6(12%) 1(2%) 9(18%) 26 (52%) 50(100%) 35LK3065 60 (20%) 41 (14%) 8(3%) 56(18%) 135 (45%) 300(100%) Total 1,324(4%) 3,977(11%) 815 (2%) 7,556 (22%) 21,488(61%) 35,160(100%) Total except 35LK3056 338(17%) 298(15%) 63 (3%) 345 (18%) 932 (47%) 1,976(100%)

" Nearly all collected debitage is obsidian; and chert occur only in trace amounts. sources during population movements or seasonal occur in a variety of forms: C-shaped stmctures, subsistence rounds. Ikiear alignments, stone rings,an d cairns. The C- During both the inventoty and testing phases, shaped stmctures are several courses high, and are ground stone was noted at only two sites on top of generally associated with lithic debitage and pro­ Tucker Hill. Site 35LK3048 has a number of jectile point fragments; they appear to be himting large, tabular boulders with lightiy abraded grind­ blinds for ambushing large game animals. The ing slicks, as well as several fragments of ground Ikiear alignments are also several courses high and stone. The only other site to yield ground stone seem to be associated with the C-shaped stmc­ is 35LK2991, where an unshaped, unifacial mano tures; tiiey may be control mechanisms (e.g., drift and a small, tabular boulder with a grinding slick fences) for driving game animals toward prear­ were recovered from the surface during testing ranged ambush pokits. The stone rings occur in a operations. The paucity of observed specimens context which seems to exclude an interpretation and the minimal wear noted on all ground stone as house rings; they may be "prayer seats" or artifacts suggest that seed grinding was an expe­ some other kkid of stmcture intended for ceremo­ dient subsistence activity which occurred inciden­ nial purposes. The numerous cairns have several tal to other aboriginal activities, such as possible functions, and are open to a number of and/or obsidian quarrying. possible interpretations, including hunting aids, There are more than 50 prehistoric stacked ceremonial constmctions, and the remnants of stone features on die Tucker Hill landform, which traps (see below). REPORTS 119

Table 5 OBSIDIAN SOURCES

Obsidian Source Distance Direction Expedient Biface Stages" Source (km.) (azimuth) Flake Tool Total II III IV yt- Tucker Hill Local - 3 7 4 6 27 47 (61.8%) Coglan Buttes 12 28° - ~ -- 1 6 7 (9.2%) McComb Butte 15 273° -- ~ -- - 3 3 (4.0%) Drews Creek/Butcher Flat 44 220° - ~ - - 4 4(5.3%) Spodue Mountain 67 270° ~ - - - 1 1 (1.3%) Silver Lake 73 310° ~ - - -- 1 1 (1.3%) Guano Valley 87 128° ~ -- - ~ 2 2 (2.6%) Sugar Hill 87 172° ~ - - - 2 2 (2.6%) Buck Mountain % 171° - ~ ~ - 2 2 (2.6%) Beatys Butte 97 108° ~ - - - 2 2 (2.6%) Glass Buttes 116 15° - - -- - 1 1(1.3%) Quartz Mountain 127 340° - ~ ~ -- 1 1 (1.3%) unknown ~ - ~ ~ - 1 2 3 (4.0%) Total ~ ~ 3 7 4 8 54 76

" Defmed by Callahan (1979). " Includes projectUe points, as well as unidentified formed tool fragments.

Throughout the western Great Basin, stone sites also have the C-shaped stone stmctures, and cairns are often associated with hunting (e.g., El- one of these sites is near talus pits which may have ston 1986:138; Fowler 1986:79, 1989:19; Pen­ functioned as hunting blinds (e.g., Bowen 1986). dleton et al. 1988:11). The hunting fimction of At least some of the cairns at Tucker Hill, then, the cairns was twofold: (1) they served as control were probably associated with hunting. mechanisms to channel driven game animals to­ Another common interpretation of cairns, es­ ward prearranged ambush points or toward a cul- pecially in the northwestern Great Basin, is that de-sac (either natural or constmcted) where the they had a ceremonial function. For example, animals could be trapped; and (2) they provided among the edinographic Klamath and Modoc peo­ a place of concealment where hunters could hide ples, stone cairns were sometknes erected to assist imtil thek quany came within the effective range in personal quests for esoteric knowledge or pow­ of their weapons. Typically, these cairns (often er (Ray 1963:23, 27; Minor etal. 1979:114-115). called "stone soldiers") were arranged in a Ikie, either relatively straight or slightiy curved, to Certam crises in the life of the individual were chaimel the driven game animals in the desired occasions for observance of a quest involving fast- kig, isolation, strenuous artificial activities, and dkection. Lkiear arrangements of calms occur at ritual bathing. The occasions for such rituali- three sites on top of Tucker Hill. Two of these zation were puberty, the birth or death of one's 120 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY

Quartz Mountain Glass Buttes

Harney Lake Malheur Lake

Silver Lake

Summer Lakep Coglan Buttes

McComb Butte • Spodue Warner Lakes Mountain Chewaucan River Beatys Butte Drews Creek/ Butcher Flat Bidwell Mountain A Guano Valley Rainbow Mines OREGON CALFORNIA NEVADA Goose Lake

KEY Sugar Hill Obsidian Source Buck Mountain

^ 10 20 Miles 0 10 20 30 Kilometers

S.Hedicke 1996 I Fig. 3. Obsidian source localities represented at Tucker Hill.

child, and consistent and serious losses in gam­ would make offerings (usually food) and say bling; also, occasionally, chronic klness, or the prayers at cairn locations. As Aikens (1993:36) death of one's spouse. The basic ritual pattem was identical for all. . . . The fi:ameworko f the pointed out, these cairns (often called "offering ritual was a quest in which the individual wan­ cairns") typically occur as relatively isolated fea­ dered about the woods and bills in areas isolated tures, rather than in linear arrangements. Un­ fiom human settlements. That which was sought aligned and somewhat isolated cairns occur at four in the quest was a prophetic and satisfying dream. This was achieved by engaging in energy-consum- sites on top of Tucker Hill, and they were prob­ mg but economically worthless activities (such as ably associated with ceremonial activities, such as pking rocks), followed by a short period of sleep personal vision quests. [Ray 1963:77]. Yet another interpretation of stone caims in After such cairns were constmcted, other indi­ the western Great Basin is that they are the rem­ viduals regarded them as places of power, and nants of coyote traps. The ethnographic North- REPORTS 121 em Paiute constmcted ingenious stone arrange­ 400 ft. (122 m.). This sharply contrasts with the ments held up by a stick attached to a dead ani­ well-watered eastem Chewaucan Basin lowlands mal (e.g., a rabbit), which would collapse and surroundkig Tucker Hill (Allison 1982:16-22), pin a coyote that attempted to take the bait (Fow­ obviating the likelihood of sustained logistical ler 1989:26). The remnants of these coyote traps base camps or other modes of aboriginal habita­ woitid be indistinguishable from a collapsed stone tion on die Tucker Hill landform. The conspicu­ cairn. It is possible that some of the isolated ous lack of drinking water, as well as the nature caims at Tucker Hill are the remains of coyote of the artifact assemblages, indicate that the traps, since the ethnogr^hic Northern Paiute for­ Tucker Hill sites were aboriginal activity loci. merly utilized the area encompassing Tucker Hill Although some of the sites seem vety large, they (Fowler and Liljeblad 1986:437, Fig. 1). are best explained as palimpsests comprised of many small activity loci concentrated in favored DISCUSSION areas, rather than as base camps. The results of archaeological investigations at The activity loci at Tucker Hill are generally Tucker Hill provide evidence for several infer­ similar to the sites at nearby Coffeepot Flat, ap­ ences regarding the activities of the aboriginal proximately 16 km. (10 mi.) to the west (Aikens peoples who utilized the floral, faunal, and lithic and Minor 1977). Coffeepot Rat is a large moun­ resources there. Upland hunting was an impor­ tain meadow bounded on the north by Coffeepot tant subsistence activity conducted at Tucker Hill Creek, a tributaty to the Chewaucan River. The during both the Middle Archaic and Late Archaic average elevation is about 4,950 ft. above mean periods. Procurement of obsidian raw material sea level, which is comparable to the elevation of and manufacture of knapped rough-outs, blanks, Tucker Hill. The presence of a creek is the major and preforms were other important activities well environmental difference between Tucker Hill attested by the numerous intermediate stage ob­ and Coffeepot Flat, and undoubtedly accounts for sidian bifaces and nearly ubiquitous surface dis­ the three base camps recorded at the latter site. tribution of early stage obsidian debitage. Cere­ A total of 47 activity loci was recorded as well. monial activities involving cairn constmction, Like Tucker Hill, the upland floral, faunal, and such as personal vision quests, seem to be an­ mineral resources available at Coffeepot Flat in­ other knportant aspect of aboriginal utilization of cluded abundant obsidian nodules, and obsidian the Tucker Hill landform. Although some seed debitage is nearly ubiquitous at the sites. Aikens processing took place on Tucker Hill (assumed and Minor (1977:27-28) concluded tiiat these from slicks), it appears to have been an inciden­ upland sites were utilized during the warmer tal activity, probably to provide expedient meals months by aboriginal people who probably win­ while engaged in other activities. tered at the Chewaucan Marsh. The projectile The duration and extent of prehistoric visits pokit types include Gunther Barbed, Rose Spring to the Tucker Hill landform were limited by the Comer-notched, Elko Comer-notched, Elko lack of permanent or ephemeral sources of drink­ Eared, Elko Side-notched, Northem Side-notched, ing water on Tucker Hill. No springs or seeps Bare Creek Eared, Humboldt Basal-notched, are currentiy active, no spring mounds or con­ Black Rock Concave-base, and a possible Scotts- centrations of organically rich soil are present to bluff point. Using projectile point chronology (no indicate that springs or seeps were active in the other datable materials were recovered), Aikens past, and drilling reports associated with evalua­ and Minor (1977:22) inferred a date range from tion of mining claims indicate that no subsurface historical times to at least 3,0(X) B.P., possibly as pools or aquifers are present to depths of at least early as 8,000 B.P. 122 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY

Tucker Hill is vety similar to Far View Butte source procurement cycle. Seasonal exploitation in tiie Silver Lake Valley (Aikens 1993:35-36; of upland resources during the Middle Archaic Paul-Mann 1994), a high, prominent, flat-topped and Late Archaic periods seems to have occurred butte with a panoramic view of the surrounding at Coffeepot Flat as well. While the portion of Fort Rock Basin and Cascade Range. Far View the Chewaucan River extending eastward from Butte is situated ki the Connley Hills just north of the Lower Chewaucan Marsh to the south end of Silver Lake and east of Paulina Marsh, approxi­ Lake Abert became a focal point of village settle­ mately 69 km. (43 mi.) northwest of Tucker Hill. ments during this time, several villages were lo­ Like Tucker Hill, there is abundant evidence of cated at the periphety of the marsh around the aboriginal big game hunting on Far View Butte, base of Tucker Hill. Subsistence resources, how­ as well as some indications of plant food gather­ ever, were not the only attraction at Tucker Hill. ing. Projectile point types include Rosegate The unobstmcted, panoramic view from the top series, Elko series, Northem Side-notched, Cas­ of Tucker Hill can be justifiably described as in­ cade, and Great Basin Stemmed, indicating a po­ spiring; and the many unaligned, relatively iso­ tential date range extending from historical times lated caims provide visible evidence that spiritual to the Western Pluvial Lakes period (11,000 to enrichment was most likely an important aspect 7,500 B.P.). The most striking similarity with of Tucker Hill's resources. Tucker Hill, however, is the abundance of stone cairns. More than 250 caims are widely distri­ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS buted over the top of Far View Butte. Many of We sincerely thank the anonymous reviewers, these occur in alignments along the southem and Robert Kautz, Ttmrnas Lajlon, and Albert (Chip) Get­ eastem edges of the butte, strongly suggesting ting for thek comments and suggestions on a draft of that they were associated with hunting (Aikens this paper. The art work was done by Jerry Oothoudt 1993:36). Many other caims, especially the larg­ and Sandra Hedicke. Thanks to Ricl^d Hanes of the Bureau of Land Management, and to Carla Bumside, er ones, occur as single, relatively isolated piles Bob Musk, and Chip Oetting of the Association of of stone. Aikens (1993:36) and Paul-Mann (1994) Oregon Archaeologists, for thek assistance in resolv­ have interpreted these caims as visible renmants ing some difficult issues related to the project. of personal vision quests (also see Ray 1963:77). REFERENCES The himting and vision quest interpretations of the caims at Far View Butte seem equally applica­ Aikens, C. Melvin ble to the caims at Tucker Hill. 1993 Archaeology of Oregon. Portland: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Oettmg's (1989, 1990b) model of aboriginal Management. occupation of the Lake Abert-Chewaucan Marsh Aikens, C. Melvin, and Rick Mkior Baski kivolves a fission-fusion settlement pattern 1977 The Archaeology of Coffeepot Flat, Soutii- from about 4,000 B.P. imtil shortly before Euro­ Central Oregcm. University of Oregon An­ thropological Papers No. 11. american contact (i.e., during the Middle Archa­ Allison, Ira S. ic and Late Archaic periods), with dispersion to 1982 Geology of Pluvial Lake Chewaucan, Lake exploit and collect food resources during the County, Oregon. Oregon State University warm months, followed by aggregation in winter Studies ki Geology No. 11. villages. The numerous activity loci on Tucker Bowen, Thomas Hill, as well as temporally diagnostic projectile 1986 It's die Pits: Talus Pits and die Hunting pokits from tiie Middle Archaic and Late Archaic Blind Hypothesis in the Great Basin and theGuIf of California. Paper presented at periods, indicate that the upland resources of the Great Basin Anthropological Confer­ Tucker Hill were included in this seasonal re­ ence, Las Vegas, Nevada. REPORTS 123

Callahan, Errett Report on file at the Department of An- 1979 The Basics of Biface Knapping in the East­ ttoqxjlogy, University of Oregon, Eugene. em Fluted Point Tradition: A Manual for Oettmg, Albert C. Flintknappers and Lithic Analysts. Ar­ chaeology of Eastem North America 7(1): 1988 Archaeological Investigations on the East 1-180. Shore of Lake Abert, Lake County, Ore­ gon, Vol. 2. Oregon State Museum of An­ Elston, Robert G. thropology Report No. 88-6. 1986 Prehistory oftbe Western Area. In: Hand­ book of North American Indians, Vol. 11, 1989 Villages and Wetiands Adaptations in the Great Basin, Warren L. d'Azevedo, ed., Northem Great Basin: Chronology and pp. 135-148. Washington: Smithsonian Land Use ki the Lake Abert-Chewaucan Institution. Basin Lowlands, Lake County, Oregon. University of Oregon Anthropological Pa­ Fowler, Catherine S. pers No. 41. 1986 Subsistence. In: Handbook of North Amer­ ican Indians, Vol. 11, Great Basin, Warren 1990a Testkig House Pits at die ZX Site, L. d'Azevedo, ed., pp. 64-97. Washing­ Lake County, Oregon: A Report on the ton: Snuthsonian Institution. 1939 Investigations. Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology 12(1): 101- Fowler, Catherine S. (ed. and comp.) 111. 1989 WUlard Z. Park's Edinograpbic Notes on the Northem Paiute of Westem Nevada, 1990b Aboriginal Settiement m the Lake Abert- 1933-1944, Vol. 1. University of Utah Cbewaucan Marsh Basin, Lake County, Anthropological Papers No. 114. Oregon. In: Wetiand Adaptations in the Great Baski, Joel C. Janetski and David B. Fowler, Catherine S., and Sven Liljeblad Madsen, eds., pp. 183-205. Brigham 1986 Northern Paiute. In: Handbook of North Young University Museum of Peoples and American Indians, Vol. 11, Great Basin, Cultures Occasional Papers No. 1. Warren L. d'Azevedo, ed., pp. 435-465. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. 1994 Chronology and Tkne Markers in the Grayson, Donald K. Northwestem Great Basin: The Chewau­ 1993 The Desert's Past: A Nattiral Prehistory of can Basin Cultural Chronology. In: Ar­ the Great Baski. Washington: Smithsoni­ chaeological Researches in the Northem an Institution Press. Great Basin: Fort Rock Archaeology Since Cressman, C. Melvin Aikens and Dennis Gifford-Gonzalez, Diane P., David B. Damrosch, De- L. Jenkins, eds., pp. 41-62. University of bra R. Damrosch, John Pryor, and Robert L. Thunen Oregon Anthropological Papers No. 50. 1985 The Thkd Dknension m Site Stmcture: An Experiment in Tramplmg and Vertical Oetting, Albert C, and Richard M. Pettigrew Dispell. American Antiquity 5(X4):803- 1985 An Archaeological Survey ki the Lake 818. Abert-Cbewaucan Basin Lowlands, Lake Hutchins, James County, Oregon. Oregon State Museum of 1995 A Cultural Resources Inventory of Tucker Anthropology Report No. 85-5. Hkl, Lake County, Oregon. Report on file 1987 Archaeological Investigations in the Lake at tte Bureau of Land Management, Lake- Abert-Chewaucan Basin, Lake County, view, Oregon. Oregon: The 1986 Survey. Portland: Cul­ Hutchins, James, Dwight D. Simons, and Teri H. tural Heritage Foundation Report No. 1. Christensen Paul-Mann, Teri 1996 Archaeological Testkig and Evaluation of 1994 Far View Butte: An Archaic Hunting, 13 Sites at Tucker HUl, Lake County, Ore­ Gathering, and Vision (Juest Site in the gon. Report on file at the Bureau of Land SUver Lake Valley, Oregon. In: Archaeo­ Management, Lakeview, Oregon. logical Researches in the Northem Great Minor, Rick, Stephen Dow Beckham, and Kathryn Baski: Fort Rock Archaeology Since Cress- Anne Toepel man, C. Melvin Aikens and Dennis L. Jen­ 1979 Cultural Resource Overview of the BLM kins, eds., pp. 329-348. University of Ore­ Lakeview District, South-Central Oregon. gon Antiiropological Papers No. 50. 124 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY

Pendleton, Thomas, and Associates lowing experiments that demonstrated how the 1988 A Research Design for the Management of debitage is produced, this report describes its Cultural Resources at the Pistone/Black characteristic shape and provides suggestions Mountam Con^lex, Mmeral County, Nev­ as to what sorts of contexts might contain this ada (Pistone Phase 11). Report on file at evidence. the Bureau of Land Management, Carson City, Nevada. Pettigrew, Richard M. RECENT professional rock art literature has fo­ 1985 Archaeological Investigations on the East Shore of Lake Abert, Lake County, Ore­ cused on traditional archaeological recovety meth­ gon, Vol. 1. University of Oregon Anthro­ ods and techniques at rock art sites to recover data pological Papers No. 32. that frequentiy have importance for placing rock Ray, Veme F. art motifs in a chronological context or otherwise 1963 Primitive Pragmatists: The Modoc Indians interpretkig the images (Loendorf 1994). The re­ of Northem California. Seattie: Universi­ ty of Washington-Press. sults of such work have yielded important infor­ mation for a variety of sites (Steinbring MS; Thomas, David Hurst 1981 How to Classify the ProjectUe Pokits fipom WhiUey et al. MS; Brink 1979; Loendorf 1990; Monitor VaUey, Nevada. Journal of Cali­ Park 1990; Prison and Van Norman 1993). Cer­ fornia and Great Basin Anthropology 3(1): tainly the most romanticized of these discoveries 7-43. is the exposure of art knages buried by dated sedi­ ments (Buchner MS; Cannon and Ricks 1986; Walker and Francis 1989), but a potentially more common and probably more useful result is the possibility of fkidkig rock art manufacturing tools ki datable context ki association with rock art pan­ els. Evidence of manufacturing activities in the form of tools and related items that have been re­ covered in the archaeological record include en- gravkig implements, hammerstones, abraders (or Petroglyph Manufacture by possibly pigment ^jpHcators), and actual splatters Indirect Percussion: The of pigment (Brink 1979; Bahn and Verttit 1988: Potential Occurrence of Tools 57; Loendorf 1990; Bednarik 1998). and Debitage in Datable Context Unfortunately, only a handful of North Ameri­ can rock art site excavations have focused on the JAMES D. KEYSER retrieval of archaeological materials associated United States Forest Service, Dept. of Recreation, with the production of rock art, and for those few Lands, and Minerals, P.O. Box 3623, Portland, OR 97208. that have, the effort of the investigator was often GREER RABIEGA focused on searching for obvious manufacturing 438 SE Gilham, Pordand, OR 97215. tools that might have worn out and been left be­ hind. Obviously, finding such specimens requires Petroglyph manufacture probably often in­ at least three fortuitous occurrences: (1) the ex­ volved indirect percussion, especially for care­ haustion of a tool at the site; (2) the discard of that fully made lines and edges of larger figures. tool in the immediate area of the art image; and Experimental replication shows that during in­ (3) the archaeologist recognizing and recovering direct percussion, debitage is produced from the chisel-stone that should be recoverable in the tool. Even if a tool became worn past its point archaeological context at rock art sites. Fol­ of functional utility, it may have been saved for