Examples from Range Creek Canyon, Utah, U.S.A
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Assessing The Importance Of Past Human Behavior In Dendroarchaeological Research: Examples From Range Creek Canyon, Utah, U.S.A. Item Type Article; text Authors Towner, Ronald H.; Salzer, Matthew W.; Parks, James A.; Barlow, K. Renee Citation Towner, R.H., Salzer, M.W., Parks, J.A., Barlow, K.R., 2009. Assessing the importance of past human behavior in dendroarchaeological research: Examples from Range Creek Canyon, Utah, U.S.A. Tree-Ring Research 65(2):117-128. Publisher Tree-Ring Society Journal Tree-Ring Research Rights Copyright © Tree-Ring Society. All rights reserved. Download date 27/09/2021 14:17:51 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622611 TREE-RING RESEARCH, Vol. 65(2), 2009, pp. 117–127 ASSESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF PAST HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN DENDROARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH: EXAMPLES FROM RANGE CREEK CANYON, UTAH, U.S.A. RONALD H. TOWNER1*, MATTHEW W. SALZER1, JAMES A. PARKS1, and K. RENEE BARLOW2 1Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA 2College of Eastern Utah, Price, Utah, 84501, USA ABSTRACT Dendroarchaeological samples can contain three kinds of information: chronological, behavioral, and environmental. The decisions of past people regarding species selection, beam size, procurement and modification techniques, deadwood use, and stockpiling are the most critical factors influencing an archaeological date distribution. Using dendrochronological samples from prehistoric and historic period sites in the same area of eastern Utah, this paper examines past human behavior as the critical factor in dendroarchaeological date distributions. Keywords: Dendroarchaeology, past human behavior, species selection, beam selection, Range Creek Canyon, Utah, Fremont Culture. INTRODUCTION dendroarchaeology. He compares Navajo and Puebloan wood use practices and their effects on Dendroarchaeology is the use of dendrochro- dating quantity, quality, and date distributions. nological materials, wood and charcoal, to address The Puebloan construction of masonry rooms and questions of archaeological, anthropological, and use of stone axes limited the number of deadwood historical interest. Dendroarchaeological samples elements, promoted stockpiling of timbers for contain three kinds of information: chronological, communal projects, necessitated the selection of behavioral, and environmental (Dean 1996a; long straight timbers to span rooms, and favored Ahlstrom 1997; Towner 2002), all of which are species with those attributes. In contrast, the interconnected. This paper examines one factor in Navajo construction of a multiplicity of structures dendroarchaeology—the wood-use behaviors of using metal axes resulted in the use of many tree past people and the resultant impacts on den- species, irregular timber size and shape, abundant droarchaeological dating quantity and quality. deadwood use, and frequent structure repair and The decisions (behavior) of past people regarding remodeling. These differences in wood use behav- wood use determine the quantity and quality of chronological and environmental information that iors create the dendroarchaeological records that can be derived from archaeological tree-ring are available today and thus impact our ability to samples. In this particular case, we examine the conduct dendroarchaeological research. past behaviors of the inhabitants of the Range Ahlstrom (1985, 1997) demonstrates how Creek area of eastern Utah, U.S.A., by comparing construction techniques, architectural type, and prehistoric Fremont and historical period Anglo- abandonment processes have influenced dating American wood-use practices (Figure 1). quality and quantity for much of the prehistoric Dean (1996a, 1996b) has provided an excel- northern Southwest U.S. He used three large data lent theoretical basis for understanding how and sets to examine variation in the prehistoric why past human behavior is the critical factor in archaeological tree-ring record across the Color- ado Plateau and identified six major factors that * Corresponding author: [email protected] impact regional date distributions (Ahlstrom Copyright ’ 2009 by The Tree-Ring Society 117 118 TOWNER, SALZER, PARKS, and BARLOW Figure 1. Range Creek, Utah, area. 1997:322–323). Of these, the three factors most and historic samples; the use of metal axes and germane to the Range Creek data sets are: (1) the draft animals may have influenced tree selection in wood procurement practices of the site builders; Range Creek during the historical period, but we most importantly, did the prehistoric residents cannot quantify technology at this time. All these have access to and use dendrochronologically factors are important in the interpretation of the useful species (i.e. Douglas-fir, pinyon, ponderosa Range Creek dendroarchaeological record. pine, juniper), (2) the wood-use practices of the Assigning accurate dates to archaeological site occupants; did they use freshly cut or recycled samples requires the matching of ring-width timbers, deadwood, or stockpiled beams in con- patterns in the archaeological wood against a struction, and (3) whether a site/structure was previously constructed reference chronology for built in an open or sheltered environment; an the region. In general, the higher the quality of the important factor in the preservation of den- reference chronology, the better suited it is for droarchaeological samples. We add a fourth dating purposes. Chronology quality is measured factor, technology, when comparing prehistoric by various statistics (i.e. mean series intercorrela- Dendroarchaeological Research at Range Creek Canyon, Utah, U.S.A. 119 tion, signal to noise ratio, signal strength, etc., see in nearby Price, Green River, and Nutter’s Ranch Fritts 1976). However, in dendroarchaeological averages only about 10–12 in. (25–30 cm) per dating many archaeologists and others often annum, with a relatively even distribution through- assume that more samples and a stronger chro- out the year. The predominant dendrochronologi- nology—as measured by dendroarchaeological cally useful tree species are Douglas-fir (Pseudot- sample depth—will result in a higher success rate suga menziesii) and pinyon (Pinus edulis); other for dating archaeological specimens. In areas with conifers, such as juniper (Juniperus spp.), have yet to few developed chronologies this may be partially be crossdated. true, but as the examples below illustrate, past human behavior is the critical factor in the success Previous Research of archaeological tree-ring dating. The purpose of this paper is to examine the The first dendrochronological research in the dating quantity and quality of two different area was conducted by Edmund Schulman. In 1946, collections from the same area of eastern Utah he expanded his interest in old-age conifers and the (Figure 1): samples from historic period Anglo- Colorado River Basin into northeastern Utah American homestead structures and samples from (Schulman 1948). Schulman collected living tree archaeological structures built by the prehistoric samples from Nine Mile Canyon, approximately 50 Fremont culture. We compare the collections air miles (ca. 80 km) north of Range Creek in 1947 graphically and numerically, both internally and and 1948 and actively sought the collaboration of between collections. Initially, however, we exam- archaeologists to extend his chronology using ine the variability of our master chronology for archaeological samples. Using samples from several each time period. living tree and archaeological sites, he extended his chronology back to A.D. 397 (Schulman 1948). After Schulman’s efforts, dendroarchaeology PROJECT SETTING in northeastern Utah languished for almost four During the past three years, we have developed decades. In 1984, the U.S. National Park Service’s living tree chronologies and dated historic and Midwest Archaeological Center conducted exca- prehistoric structures in the Range Creek area of vations in a small rockshelter (42 UN 1103) in eastern Utah (Figure 1). On the northern Colorado Dinosaur National Monument 90 mi. (145 km) Plateau adjacent to the Rocky Mountains, Range northeast of Range Creek. The eight samples Creek is one of the deep canyons of the Green River submitted, all pinyon, yielded seven dates with drainage, with a confluence just below Desolation ring series ranging from 1291p-1682vv (see Rob- Canyon. The area is characterized by steep V- inson et al. 1974 for an explanation of archaeo- shaped canyons, narrow flat floodplains, and high- logical date symbols used by the Laboratory of elevation plateaus. Range Creek elevation ranges Tree-Ring Research [LTRR]). Finally, in 1987, from 4,230 ft. (1,290 m) a.s.l. at its confluence with Abajo Archaeology submitted 12 samples, of the Green River to 10,117 ft. (3,084 m) at its head– which four produced dates with ring series ranging Bruin Point. The terrain is rugged and steep, heavily from A.D. 1046p to 1156+r from a Fremont vegetated, and the catchment area supports a wide pithouse (Site 42 Em 2095) approximately 40 air array of indigenous flora and fauna. Ecological miles (ca. 64 km) west-southwest of Range Creek. zones range from mixed subalpine and riparian taxa It was not until the initiation of the Range Creek at elevations above 8,000 ft. (2,440 m) in the upper project that additional dendroarchaeological re- canyon, to hot desert shrub communities in the search was conducted in the area. lower canyon at 4,250 ft. (1,295 m). The climate is typically continental with cold snowy winters