Museum of New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO OFFICE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES FORT SUMNER BRIDGE: THE TESTING OF TWO SITES AND A DATA RECOVER PLAN FOR LA 111917, DE BACA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO Peter Y. Bullock Submitted by Yvonne R. Oakes Principal Investigator ARCHAEOLOGY NOTES 212 SANTA FE 1997 NEW rnXIC0 ADMINISTRATIVE SUMMARY Between September 30, 1996, and January 28, 1997, the Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of NewMexico, conducted limited testingat two sites in Fort Sumner, De Baca County, New Mexico. Limited testing was conductedat LA 111917 andLA 11 1918 at the request of the New Mexico State Highway andTransportation Department (NMSHTD) to determine the extent and importanceof cultural resources within the proposedproject area of planned improvements to U.S. 60 in Fort Sumner. The two sites are surface ceramic and lithic artifact scatters: peripheral portions of larger habitation sites. No intact cultural features or deposits were found at LA 11 1918. The resources have been adequately documented, and no additional investigations are recommended. Two intact stratified midden deposits were found within the proposedproject limits at LA 111917. We recommend that data recovery investigations be conducted at LA 111917. A third site, LA 111919, was originally within the proposed project area. After changes in project limits, resurvey of this site during testing showed that it is completely outside of the project area. Submitted in fulfillment of Joint Powers Agreement 500122 between the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department and the Officeof Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico. CPRC Archaeological Survey Permit No. SP-96-027 NMSHTD Project BR-(US)-060-5(31)327, CN 1683 MNM Project 41.623 (Fort Sumner Bridge) iii CONTENTS Administrative Summary ......................................... ii Introduction ................................................. 1 Environment ................................................. 3 Geology ............................................... 3 Climate ............................................... 4 Flora and Fauna .......................................... 4 Cultural History .............................................. 5 Paleoindian Period ........................................ 5 Archaic Period .......................................... 5 Pueblo Period ........................................... 6 Plains Indian Period ....................................... 7 Hispanic Period .......................................... 7 Anglo-American Period ..................................... 7 Testing Program .............................................. 9 FieldMethods ........................................... 9 LA111917 ............................................. 9 LA111918 ............................................ 17 Lithic Artifact Analysis ......................................... 21 Material Selection ....................................... 22 Artifact Morphology ...................................... 22 Utilization by Material .................................... 23 Analysis of Other Artifacts ....................................... 37 Ground Stone Artifacts .................................... 37 Ceramic Artifacts ........................................ 37 Bone ................................................ 37 Discussion ................................................. 39 Assessments and Recommendations ................................. 43 LA 111917 ............................................ 43 LA 111918 ............................................ 43 LA111919 ............................................ 43 A Data Recovery Plan for LA 111917 ............................... 45 Chronology ........................................... 45 Occupational History ..................................... 46 V Subsistence ............................................ 46 Field Methods .......................................... 48 Laboratory Methods ...................................... 51 Research Results ........................................ 51 References Cited ............................................. 53 Appendix 1: Site Location Information (removedfrom copies for public distribution) . 59 Appendix 2: State Historic Preservation Division Testing and bite EvaluationProposal 63 Appendix 3: Museum of New Mexico Policy on Collection. Display and Repatriation of Culturally Sensitive Materials ..................................... 69 Appendix 4: Vita. Peter Y . Bullock .................................. 79 Tables 1. Artifact morphology by material type. LA 11 1917(Jornadi Mogollon component) . 25 2. Artifact morphology by material type. LA 111917 (Midde~1) .............. 25 3 . Artifact morphology by material type. LA 11 1917 (Middenl2).............. 26 4. Artifact morphology by material type. LA 11 191 8 ..................... 27 5 . Flake by platform. LA 111917 (Jornada Mogollon compon$nt).............. 27 6 . Flake by platform. LA 11 1917 (Midden 1)........................... 28 7 . Flake by platform. LA 111917 (Midden 2) ........................... 28 8 . Flake by platform. LA 111918 .................................. 28 9 . Percent of cortex by material type. LA 111917 (Jornada Mogollon component) ... 29 10. Percent of cortex by material type. LA 111917 (Midden 1) ............... 30 11. Percent of cortex by material type. LA 111917 (Midden 2) ............... 31 12. Percent of cortex by material type. LA 11 1918 ....................... 32 13. Artifact function by material type. LA 111917 (Jornada hfogollon component) ... 33 14. Artifact function by material type. LA 11 1917 (Midden1) ................ 33 15. Artifact function by material type. Midden 2.LA 111917 ................ 34 16. Artifact function by material type. LA 11 191 8 ........................ 35 17 . Comparison of the two midden assemblagesat LA 111917 ................ 41 Figures 1. Project vicinity map .......................................... 2 2 . LA 111917 site map ......................................... 10 3 . LA 11 19 17. looking northeast .................................. 11 4. LA 111917. looking west ..................................... 11 5 . LA 111917. northeastern portion of site; view is south ................... 12 6 . Profile of Test Unit 5. LA 111917 ................................ 15 7 . Profile of Test Unit 8. LA 111917 ................................ 15 8 . LA 111918 site map ......................................... 18 9 . LA 111918. looking southwest .................................. 19 10. Projectile point. LA 111918 ................................... 24 vi INTRODUCTION At the request of William L. Taylor, environmental program manager, New Mexico State Highway andTransportation Department (NMSHTD), a testing program was conducted at LA 11 1917 and LA 11 19 18 within the area of proposed improvements to U. S. 60 in Fort Sumner, New Mexico (Fig. 1). Limited testing was conducted underCPRC Archaeological Survey Permit No. SP-96-027. Fieldwork, which took place between September 30 and October 6, 1996, was conducted by Peter Y. Bullock, assisted by Marcy Snow, Stephen A. Lakatos, Raul Troxler, and Phil Aldritt. Sherry Butler worked as a volunteer. Yvonne R. Oakes acted as principal investigator. Ceramic analysis was conducted by C. Dean Wilson. Faunal analysis was conductedby Nancy J. Akins. Maps weredrafted by Ann Noble, and the report was edited by Tom Ireland. Photographs were printed by Nancy Warren. Testing was conducted at LA 111917 and LA 111918 to determine the nature and extent of the portions ofthe sites within the proposed projectarea, LA 111917 and LA11 1918 are on private land and NMSHTD highway right-of-way acquired from private sources. LA 111919, located completely outside the projectarea, was not tested. Testingwas restricted to the area of proposed improvements to U. S. 60 in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Site location information is in Appendix 1. Prior to fieldwork, current listings of theNational Register of Historical Places, the State Register of Cultural Properties, and the site filesof the New MexicoCultural Resource Information System were consulted. No properties listed on, nominated to, or approved for submission to either inventory are inthe immediate vicinity of LA11 1917 or LA 11 1918. 1 'S I '1 'N II 'NZ'l 'NP'J ENVIRONMENT The project area is on both sides of the PecosRiver in the middle Pecos Valley. The elevation within the projectarea ranges from 1,225.2 m (4,020 ft) to 1,234.4 m (4,050 ft). The countryside in the area of Fort Sumner is rolling mixed grassland (Castetter 1956: Fig. 1). Both sites are on the thirdterrace above the PecosRiver. LA 1 1 1918 is also on thefirst terrace above Truchas Creek. Thus, both sites are in ecotones: areas of contact between the mixed grassland and riverine biotic communities. Overgrazing in the region has reduced the local grasses, allowing the spread of invasive species suchas mesquite, sage, and yucca. Geology The Pecos River joins the Rio Grande near Comstock, Texas (Anonymous 1975: 1). Part of the Great Plains province, the Pecos River Valley is a long trough between the High Plains (Llano Estacado) to theeast, and the Basin and Range provinceto the west. This valley cuts through an alluvial-filled basin thatrepresents the eroded extension of theHigh Plains to the Diamond A Plain to the west. The terrain of the valley ischaracterized at the local level by its underlying material. In the Fort Sumner area, the Pecos Valley hasan uneven surface resulting from the degradation of the underlying deposits oflimestone, sandstone,