Examination of the Owens Cache in Southeastern Colorado
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EXAMINATION OF THE OWENS CACHE IN SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO by THADDEUS HARRISON SWAN B.A., Fort Lewis College, 1999 A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts Department of Geography and Environmental Studies 2019 © 2019 THADDEUS HARRISON SWAN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This thesis for the Master of Arts degree by Thaddeus Harrison Swan has been approved for the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies by Brandon Vogt, Chair Thomas Huber Stance Hurst Date: May 8, 2019 ii Swan, Thaddeus Harrison (M.A., Applied Geography) Examination of the Owens Cache in Southeastern Colorado Thesis directed by Associate Professor Brandon Vogt ABSTRACT Throughout North America, caches are recognized as an important feature type in prehistoric research. Unlike other site or feature types, the materials associated with these assemblages are not a result of discard, breakage during manufacture, or accidental loss, but represent a rare window into prehistoric toolkits where usable items within various stages of manufacture are stored for future use. In addition, cache locations and the raw material source locations of the feature contents can assist with research questions regarding mobility and settlement/subsistence strategies (among others). However, many caches have been removed from their original context either through disturbance or discovery by non-archaeologists, who unwittingly destroy the context of the find. In other instances, archaeologists discover cache locations that are largely disturbed by erosion or lack the organic or temporal-cultural diagnostic artifact traits necessary for placement in a chronological framework, which greatly restricts the interpretive value of these assemblages. Therefore, when caches are discovered that retain contextual integrity, these resources are highly regarded for their information potential in prehistoric research. First discovered in 2010, the Owens Cache (5LA12616) consists of a tightly clustered group of artifacts identified below a small bedrock ledge and crevice. Remnant portions of the crevice overhang exhibit depositional integrity where intact portions of the cache could feasibly be recovered. The fundamental goals of this thesis research are to perform test excavations of this feature in an attempt to reconstruct the depositional history and landscape features of the cache from a geomorphological perspective and provide a temporal framework for the assemblage. During the course of this investigation, a bisecting trench of the cache feature was iii established with excavation terminating at bedrock. The results showed that an intact portion of the cache exists underneath one of the more prominent overhangs of the small bedrock shelf with three lithic tools identified within a solid depositional context. Through recovery of datable organics and an interpretation of landform stratigraphy, the feature could be reliably placed within the Protohistoric period and the geomorphic attributes of the landform defined. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Brandon Vogt, who provided patience, guidance, and support through the course of my graduate work, as well as the rest of my committee, Dr. Thomas Huber and Dr. Stance Hurst (Texas Tech University). All of who provided expertise and knowledge crucial to my research endeavors. I would also like to pay special attention to my father, Mark Swan, who provided help in many ways through the course of the field and laboratory work. I would have been hard pressed to accomplish my research goals without his tireless efforts and enthusiasm. I am also grateful to Wayne Thomas and Jennifer Kolise of the Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Division, Fort Carson, for their support in acquiring Archaeological Resources Protection Act permissions and facilitating access to the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site for the conduction of the fieldwork. As with many excavation projects, the fieldwork would not have been possible without volunteer help and my thanks goes out to Daniel Martinez, Bernard Schriever, and Benjamin Zandarski II for providing several days of help in the field; as well as Brian Brockman, Kendra Rodgers McGraw, Ryan Mills, Mark Owens, Kari Pittman, Glenn Swan, Lynn Swan, and Erica Ward for devoting time when possible. Thanks to Dr. Vogt for committing his time and energy to provide a LiDAR digital scan of the cache. I would also like to thank Mark Owens and Roger Walkenhorst for their insights into developing the best possible methodology for this research. I would also like to thank the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, particularly Dr. Brandon Vogt, Dr. Thomas Huber, and Monica Killebrew, for their support in providing access to the geomorphology lab and the use of the university total station for the fieldwork. A thanks also goes out to Julie Erickson and Stell for allowing me to utilize screens and other necessary field supplies. v An Alice Hamilton Scholarship through the Colorado Archaeological Society provided financial support for this research, which helped to fund processing of samples sent for specialized analysis, which was performed by Linda Scott-Cummings and PaleoResearch Institute. While an Optically-Stimulated Luminescence sample was collected and ultimately not necessary to obtain a date for the assemblage, Dr. Amanda Keen-Zebert of Desert Research Institute provided the equipment and expertise in order to collect this sample in preparation for a possible need. I am very grateful to these institutions for all of their support. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER II: PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND ........................................... 5 PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE PIÑON CANYON MANEUVER SITE .. 5 HYDROLOGY .................................................................................................................... 15 MODERN CLIMATE .......................................................................................................... 17 PALEOENVIROMENT/PALEOCLIMATE ........................................................................... 18 FLORA AND FAUNA .......................................................................................................... 26 CULTURAL OVERVIEW .................................................................................................... 27 CACHING BEHAVIOR ....................................................................................................... 28 CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN ................................................ 31 PALEOINDIAN STAGE (>11,500 TO 7,800 BP)................................................................. 31 PRE-CLOVIS PERIOD (>11,500 BP) ...................................................................... 32 CLOVIS PERIOD (11,500 TO 10,950 BP) ............................................................... 33 FOLSOM PERIOD (10,950 TO 10,250 BP) .............................................................. 35 PLANO OR LATE PALEOINDIAN PERIOD (10,250 TO 7,800 BP) ............................ 36 ARCHAIC STAGE (7,800 TO 1,850 BP) ............................................................................ 37 EARLY ARCHAIC PERIOD (7,800 TO 5,000 BP) .................................................... 37 MIDDLE ARCHAIC PERIOD (5,000 TO 3,000 BP) .................................................. 40 LATE ARCHAIC PERIOD (3,000 TO 1,850 BP) ...................................................... 42 LATE PREHISTORIC STAGE (1,850 TO 225 BP) .............................................................. 44 DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD (1,850 TO 900 BP) ..................................................... 45 DIVERSIFICATION PERIOD (900 TO 500 BP) ......................................................... 46 PROTOHISTORIC PERIOD (500 TO 225 BP) ........................................................... 49 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION ........................................ 52 vii INITIAL SURVEY AND LANDFORM ANALYSIS ................................................................ 52 EXCAVATION PROCEDURES ............................................................................................ 53 LABORATORY PROCEDURES ........................................................................................... 56 ARTIFACT AND FAUNAL REMAIN ANALYSIS ................................................................. 58 CHIPPED-STONE LITHIC ARTIFACT ANALYSIS .................................................... 58 CHAPTER IV: OWENS CACHE EXCAVATION RESULTS.............................................. 62 OWENS CACHE LANDFORM ............................................................................................ 62 SITE OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................... 65 CACHE EXCAVATION RESULTS ...................................................................................... 68 DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY ................................................................................................ 70 CARBONATE COATINGS AND OXIDATION ON ROCK FRAGMENTS ............................... 84 CULTURAL MATERIALS FROM EXCAVATION ................................................................ 86 FAUNAL