The Hajny Mammoths: Age Profiles and Species Peggy Flynn
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Interdisciplinary Studies of the Hajny Mammoth Site, Dewey County, Oklahoma by Don G. Wyckoff Brian J. Carter Peggy Flynn Larry D. Martin Branley A. Branson and James L. Theler Studies of Oklahoma's Past No. 17 Oklahoma Archeological Survey University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma February 1992 Interdisciplinary Studies of the Hajny Mammoth Site, Dewey County, Oklahoma Don G. Wyckoff Oklahoma Archeological Survey University of Oklahoma Nonnan, Oklahoma Brian J. Carter Department ofAgronomy Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma Peggy Flynn Edmond, Oklahoma Larry D. Martin Kansas Museum of Natural History University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Branley A. Branson College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky James L. Theler Department of Sociology/Anthropology University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse LaCrosse, Wisconsin and Special Art Work by Irene Johnson Comanche, Oklahoma Studies of Oklahoma's Past No. 17 Oklahoma Archeological Survey University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma February 1992 To order a copy of this volume, please send $15.00 plus $2.00 for postage and handling for the first copy. The postage for each additional copy is $0.50. Publisher's address: Oklahoma Archeological Survey 1808 Newton Drive, Room 116 Norman, OK 73019-0540 ISBN: 1-881346-00-5 ©1992 by Oklahoma Archeological Survey Norman, Oklahoma 73019-0540 Printed in the United States of America -ii- THE PRODUCTION AND PUBLICATION OF THE COLOR PLATES HEREIN WERE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS DONATIONS OF: Mr. R.W. Bellamy (Vian, OK) Dr. Jim Cox (Newcastle, OK) Mr. Wendel Hajny (Oakwood, OK) Mr. C.B. Hannum (Ardmore, OK) Ms. Adrienne Huey (Oklahoma City, OK) Mr. Tom Laity (Houston, TX) First N ationa! Bank of Leedey (Leedey, OK) J. Peter Thurmond, President Mr. Wendel J. Nelson (Oakwood, OK) Mr. Don Shockey (Oklahoma City, OK) Illustration courtesy of Irene Johnson. -iii- DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF Frank C. Leonhardy 1935 -1991 On August 19, 1991, Dr. Frank C. Leonbardy In 1966, Frank left the Museum of the Great suffered a fatal heart attack while attending Plains and went to Washington State Univer an archeological dig along the Salmon River sity where he received his Ph.D. in 1970. He in Idaho. If Frank could have chosen a remained there as a teacher and researcher place to die, it probably would have been until the late 1970s when he assumed a faculty there. position at the University of Idaho. As a teacher, Frank was demanding but fair. He never expected more than he himself would This volume is dedicated to Frank. Al give. He was a dear friend to his students, to though an Oklahoma study, the Hajny mam the Nez Perces of Lapwai, and the many who moth study was inspired by the kind of shared his interests in folk music, broadcast interdisciplinary research that Frank sup ing, soils studies, ecology and archeology. We ported and in which he participated. In 1963 will miss him while also remembering the many he was hired as an archeologist by the good, kind things he did. Museum ofthe Great Plains (Lawton). While there, he was able to pull together, synthesize and publish the diverse reports of the (The photo of Frank was taken in 1982 when several scholars who helped study the he assisted Dan Rogers and Dr. Jim Brown in Domebo mammoth-kill in Caddo County. studies ofthe Brown and Copple Mounds at the This was the first truly interdisciplinary Spiro site, LeFlore County. At the time of the study of Oklahoma's Pleistocene record, and photo, he was recording the microstratigraphy thus it is appropriate to recognize Frank here. in the Copple Mound.) -iv- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Everything undertaken, accomplished, or Herbert Haas and Curtis McKinney of learned at the Hajny mammoth site was pos Southern Methodist University. Peter J. sible mainly because of the cooperation and Mehringer (Washington State University) interest of landowner Wendell Hajny. A daily tried several ways to obtain meaningful pollen visitor during the field work, Wendell openly records from unproductive sediments. Jeff admitted he didn't always understand what we Saunders (Illinois State Museum) kindly were doing, but if it was helping us gain spent a day working with Peggy Flynn to study knowledge he was supportive. Likewise, son and record the mammoth teeth. Several Gary Hajny was instrumental by helping in so times, Charles Rippy (Tulsa Zoo) provided many ways: securing use of the backhoes, thoughts on Pleistocene paleontology and manually uncovering and preserving bones, mammalian taxonomy, and we always fencing the site, and even leading guided tours benefited from his perspectives. Jack Hof for the busloads of school children. In a real man (University of Kansas) and Pete Thur sense, Wendell and Gary's humor, practical mond helped with some final mapping and knowledge, and love of their Dewey County served as sounding boards when we were con neighborhood enriched our lives and made fronted by disparities in findings and dis the field work most enjoyable. We were also couraged about report progress. Pete blessed with the support and interest of their deserves special acknowledgment for wives, Willie J 0 and Sue, and their relatives - generating the computerized orthographic the Mark Nelson family, especially Wendel views of the study locality. Nelson, and Harry and Mildred Klein. Thank you all. Numerous citizen volunteers comprised the main labor force to uncover the mammoths We are especially grateful to Jerry and Judy around Spring #2. Among the many volun Bmwick (Oakwood), operator Richard Weist, teers, Clarence Westfahl, Barry Splawn, and Kevin and Gayle Holsapple (Taloga) for Terry Nowka, Harold Brown, Charlette Gif donating use of their backhoes. Only with this ford, and John Flick were stalwart workers equipment was it possible to expose major seg through major segments of the field work. ments of the site's intriguing alluvial deposits. Also helpful were Preston and Margaret George, George and Nina Hangii, Claude Long, Jimmie Martin, John Northcutt, Luke Scholars with diverse interests in Quater Robison, James Taylor, Bob Newberry, Ivan nary research were sought for advice and in Stout, Roy Patterson, Jim Briscoe, Roger sight, and they never failed to be graciously Burkhalter, Randy Ernst, Jane Bowen, Bud helpful. Dennis Stanford (Smithsonian In Doke, Bill and Julie May, James Vater, Mr. stitution) initially encouraged us to undertake and Mrs. Tim Ferguson, Paula Barrett, Kelley the excavations and advised us on appropriate McCallay, Gene Hellstem, Marilyn Johnson, ways to obtain data for key questions. Useful Jack Oliver, Brad Claussen, Jared Baldwin, ideas on the site's geology came from Ken Richardson, Leah Wyckoff, and Ruth Wakefield Dort, Jr. (University of Kansas), Wyckoff. Robert O. Fay (Oklahoma Geological Sur vey), Jan van Donk (Phillips University), and Lyman Williams (Phillips University). Ef Several Oklahoma Archeological Survey forts to radiocarbon date the site were aided staff members took time from their own by the interests of John Sheppard and Peter duties to assist during the field work. Their Weigand of Washington State University and help is most appreciated. Larry Neal helped -v- direct the October 1985 excavations and, as produce the graphics. The interpretive art work always, was a valued colleague and team was kindly donated by Irene Johnson member. Bob Brooks, Pat Neal, Lois Albert, and Alan Wormser also assisted at critical times, Finally, special recognition should go to Dr. Rus and we are indebted to them. The preparation sell Graham (IDinois State University). Russ took of this monograph has benefited from the word time from an already busy schedule to review an processing diligence of Publications Assistant early draft of this manuscript His constructive Martha Lopez. Julie Rachel endeavored to criticisms were helpful and most appreciated. -vi- ABSTRACT When gravel quarrying exposed mammoth of cooler summers and warmer winters than bones buried deeply in a prominent terrace of today. the Canadian River in Dewey County, Ok lahoma, controlled archeological excavations The mammoth bones were arranged and were undertaken to ascertain if the animals damaged by large animals and subsequent had been killed by Paleoindian hunters. Al chemical and fluvial processes. The springs though no traces of humans were found, the apparently existed temporarily during a site did yield a small, but intriguing, array of period of floodplain stability before being Pleistocene animals in an interesting geologic covered with several meters of interbedded setting. sand and gravel, after which nearly three meters of soil accumulated. Subsequently, Manual stripping and extensive backhoe soil and some underlying fluvial sediments trenching revealed the presence of five an were eroded away and mass-wasting of the cient spring deposits. Located at similar hillside occurred. elevations above the Canadian's modern course and embedded within fluvial sands and Dating of the site remains problematic. The gravels, these springs formed by upwelling mammoth molars share attributes with both ground water when the river was aggrading a Mammuthus imperator and M. columbi. Ex terrace 35 meters higher than its modern perimental uranium series dating of the teeth flood plain. Two springs contained bones of enamel yielded results ranging from roughly Pleistocene elephants, but only those around 140,000 to 165,000 years ago, but radiocarbon Spring #2 were uncovered and studied in dated samples of gastropod shells from two detail. Portions of two mammoths and scat different springs indicate a Wisconsinan age tered bones of turtles, frogs, a water rat, a of some 21,500 to 34,000 years ago. The form wood duck, a pocket gopher, a horse, and a of water rat and the elevation of the terrace pronghorn were recovered there. Along with seem more congruent with the late Illinoian nearly a dozen taxa of aquatic and terrestrial or early Sangamon age. Resolution of the gastropods, these fauna attest to a marshy site's age awaits continued study of Pleis setting and adjacent grasslands.