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Another Great Basin Atlatl with Dart Foreshafts and Other Artifacts: Implications and Ramifications

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Another Great Basin Atlatl with Dart Foreshafts and Other Artifacts: Implications and Ramifications Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology VoL 4, No. 2, pp. 80-106 (1982). Another Great Basin Atlatl with Dart Foreshafts and Other Artifacts: Implications and Ramifications DONALD R. TUOHY N February, 1981, I received a telephone regional study of any magnitude or signifi­ Icall from a resident of an eastern Nevada cance is Cohn Busby's (1979) study of the community who said he had found a whole prehistory and human ecology of Garden and atlatl, or dart-thrower. The man stated that he Coal vaUeys. had been exploring for prehistoric sites in The purpose of this paper then is to add southem Nevada and he had discovered a cave new data on yet another distinctive Great on the flanks of a mountain range in north­ Basin atlatl with attached weight and associ­ western Lincoln County (Fig. 1). While exca­ ated dart foreshafts, one of which still has a vating a pack rat's nest within the cave, he stone point attached to the shaft, and to had recovered a complete atlatl and several explore the implications of such a find to dart foreshafts, other wood and fiber arti­ studies of Great Basin culture dynamics. At facts, and some unidentified animal bones, the same time, the fallibility of the statistical plant parts, and so on. I expressed my interest support for the discriminant analysis which in seeing the atlatl and other specimens, and purportedly aUows one to classify unknown arranged to meet with him and to borrow the projectUe points as either arrowheads or dart collection for study in April, 1981. The tips (Thomas 1978) is examined. This paper, coUection subsequently has been returned to of course, buUds upon extant studies of Great the finder. Basin atlatls (Hester, Mildner, and Spencer The inventory consists of 40 artifacts, 13 1974), and other studies of atlatls known mammal bones, and 16 botanical specunens, archaeologicaUy and ethnographically in the for a total of 69 items. The coUection, of New Worid (Grant 1979; Hester 1974a, 6 course, represents only what the finder per­ W.Taylor 1966; L. G. Massey 1972 ceived to be important whUe rummaging W. Massey 1961; Driver and Massey 1957 through the cave's deposits. He did note an Metraux 1949; Cressman, WiUiams, and Krei- apparent association between the atlatl and ger 1940; Cressman, et al 1942; Cressman the dart foreshafts. Since neither the sur­ 1944) and particularly in the Southwest rounding envhonment nor the immediate (Kidder and Guemsey 1919; Guemsey and context of the artifacts and ecofacts as yet Kidder 1921; Guemsey 1931; Aveylera, has been examined, very httle can be said Maldonado-KoerdeU, and Martinez del Rio about the local archaeology. The closest 1956). Throughout this study I shall refer to the Donald R. Tuohy, Nevada State Museum, Capitol Complex, find spot of the collection as the "NC" site. Carson City, NV 89710. This temporary designafion should suffice [80] GREAT BASIN ATLATL AND DART FORESHAFTS 81 Fig. 1. Map of a portion of western North America showing areas mentioned and the distribution of atlatls and atlatl fragments in the Great Basin and northern Mexico, or in the peripheral Southwest (after Hester, Mildner, and Spencer 1974:Fig. 1). The sites shown are: (1) Plush Cave; (2) Roaring Springs Cave; (3) Last' Supper Cave; (4) Nv-Wa-197, the Nicolarsen Site; (5) Kramer Cave; (6) Lovelock Cave; (7)CouncU Hall Cave; (8) Juke Box Cave; (9) Hogup Cave; (10) "NC" Cave; (11) Virgin Area; (12) Kayenta Area; (13) Cowboy Cave and 42Em70; (14) Santa Barbara and Newberry Cave localities; (15) Big Bend Area of Texas; (16)Coahuila complex; (17) Las Palmas culture, Baja Cahfornia; (18) Potter Creek Cave, California; (19) Hidden Cave, Nevada; and (20) Lower Pecos caves, Texas. 82 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY until such time as the cave is visited person­ data are extrapolated, indicates a precipita­ ally and recorded using Smithsonian system tion rate of four to eight inches per year, designators. The "NC" designation conveni­ most of which faUs in the winter. The ently refers to the inifials of the finder whose temperature regime is continental, with the fuU name, I believe, should not be disclosed at winter months averaging close to freezing or this time. I acknowledge "NC's" patience and below, and with warm to hot summers. trust in aUowing me to complete this study, At the elevation of the site the dominant and can only hope the collection wiU find its vegetation has been mapped as part of the way to a permanent repository in the state of Northem Desert Shrub type which is domi­ its origin. One may also hope this experience nated by sagebrush, other shrubs, grasses, and has taught "NC" the importance of not forbs. At lower elevations the blackbrush disturbing or removing anything from community, dominated by the dark-gray deposits in caves unless professional help or blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) is inter­ supervision is avaUable. spersed with the desert shrubs. The Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is commonly found THE GEOGRAPHICAL REGION throughout the community, as is the banana In lieu of other control data it seems yucca (Yucca baccata), sagebrush (Artemisia pmdent to describe the environment in the spinescens), and a variety of other shmbs vicinity of the cave. In general terms, the (Bradley and Deacon 1967: 213-218). At region may be described as typical Great higher elevations where there is greater rain­ Basin basin and range country of southeastem fall there is an open shmb woodland com­ Nevada. The site is located in the vicinity of a posed mainly of pinyori pines (Pinus mono- high mountain range with elevations over phylla), and junipers (Juniperus osteosperma). 8000 feet (2438 m.). The range trends north- Prior to 1850, the mountain range served as south, and is bordered by two vaUeys, one of habitat for a variety of mammals including which is structuraUy connected with pluvial the mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), White River (Hubbs and MiUer 1948:50), and now extinct there (McQuivey 1979: 13-14). the other with modem drainages cutting The range of mountains is not considered through a semi-bolson and an adjacent range critical habitat for desert bighorn sheep popu­ to drain into a modem playa. (To protect the lations currently present in southem Nevada. identity of the site, both the mountain ranges MISCELLANEOUS ARTIFACTS and the adjacent basins wUl not be named.) Apparently the cave or rockshelter was dis­ The coUection of 40 artifacts may be split covered along the southwest flank of the into three classes. The first class is composed mountain range at a moderate elevation where of chipped stone pieces, of which there are the youngest rocks, of Devonian age, occur. four types and a total of four specimens. The mountain range is quite steep-sided, and Wood artifacts comprise the second class, of contains a variety of other sedimentary depos­ which there are eight types and 18 specimens, its such as limestone, and volcanic and gran­ including a stone-tipped dart foreshaft. The itic rocks which have been thrust-faulted thhd class, fiber artifacts, was also spht into (Tschanz and Pampeyen 1970). four types also with a total of 18 specimens. According to Houghton, Sakamoto, and Chipped Stone Artifacts Gifford (1975:69), the climate in the vicinity of the site is classified as a semi-arid mid- Only four chipped stone artifacts were latitude steppe type, which, when rainfaU retrieved from the "NC" site. Three of them GREAT BASIN ATLATL AND DART FORESHAFTS 83 were made from a variety of obsidian which, smaU size and weight; 5.3 cm. long, 3.4 cm. when candled, has a banded gray, dendritic wide, 1.5 cm. thick, and weighing 24.8 g. appearance. Since all of the obsidian pieces Both faces of the core exhibit overall flake had this attribute and other surficial similari­ removal, but one face shows an imperfect ties, the immediate (and possibly erroneous) collateral flaking pattem, whUe the obverse conclusion was that all material for these face exhibits random, or non-patterned flake tools probably came from the same source. removal scars. Secondary flake removal The fourth specimen was a dart point made attempts along the convex edges have resulted from a mottled and banded brown jasper. It in step fractures being located closer to the was attached to a hardwood dart foreshaft by edges than to the mid-line. The non-patterned means of wrapped sinew. The foreshaft and chipped face contains one smaU area of the the hafting detaU wUl be described more fuUy original cortex. The cortex suggests the parent later. Description of the lithics, three bifaces material was an obsidian nodule. All edges of and a uniface, foUows, and they are iUustrated the core tool are quite sharp, seemingly in Fig. 2a, b, c, d. lacking any type of obvious use wear. In fact, The terminology used in the descriptive the only obvious "EU" (employable unit) analysis follows Crabtree (1972) for the flint- (Knudson 1979:105), or segment of an imple­ working, and Heizer and Hester (1978) for ment individually defined, is located at the the projectUe point typology. WhUe many distal tip where a small retouched protuber­ Great Basin archaeologists prefer to use ance, possibly a functional graving tip, exists Thomas's "Key 1" system (1970: 27-60) to (Fig. 2a). quantify and to classify Great Basin projectUe Ovate Keeled Flake Scraper. The second point types, I prefer to foUow Heizer and obsidian artifact to be considered is an ovate- Hester (1978). As the latter typologists note, shaped flake with one concave, and one the "Key 1" system as promulgated by convex, or keeled face.
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