Besant Beginnings at the Fincastle Site: a Late Middle Prehistoric Comparative Study on the Northern Plains
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BESANT BEGINNINGS AT THE FINCASTLE SITE: A LATE MIDDLE PREHISTORIC COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE NORTHERN PLAINS CHRISTINE (CHRISSY) FOREMAN B.A., University of Lethbridge, 2008 A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS Department of Geography University of Lethbridge LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, CANADA © Christine Foreman, 2010 Abstract The Fincastle Bison Kill Site (DlOx-5), located approximately 100 km east of Lethbridge, Alberta, has been radiocarbon dated to 2 500 BP. Excavations at the site yielded an extensive assemblage of lithics and faunal remains, and several unique features. The elongated point forms, along with the bone upright features, appeared similar to those found at Sonota sites within the Dakota region that dated between 1 950 BP and 1 350 BP. The relatively early date of the Fincastle Site prompted a re- investigation into the origins of the Besant Culture. The features, faunal and lithic assemblages from twenty-three Late Middle Prehistoric sites in Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas were analyzed and compared. The findings show that Fincastle represents an early component of the Besant Culture referred to as the Outlook Complex. This analysis also suggests a possible Middle Missouri origin of the Fincastle hunters, as well as the entire Besant Culture. iii Acknowledgments The last two years have been the most exhilarating and rewarding of my life. For this I have so many people to thank. First, I would like to thank my parents. They have been and continue to be extremely supportive of my academic and career choices, and they taught me to take pride in my work, follow my dreams and argue my opinion. I would also like to thank the rest of my family and friends for their help, especially Robin and Gin for all of their emotional and technological support. Past graduate students and close friends, Tammi Mills and Angela Watts were very supportive as well, and helped me through the thesis writing process. I would also like to thank SSHRC, the University of Lethbridge, the Friends of Head-Smashed-In Association and the Lethbridge Centre of the Alberta Archaeological Society for their financial support. As I met more of the people who work within the Great Plains region, I became pround to be a part of such a passionate supportive group of professional archaeologists. I have come in contact with so many professionals, from government officials to university professors and archaeologists within the private sector, who have all found the time to share their knowledge and experience with me. For that I am extremely grateful. I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Kevin McGeough, Dr. Bruce MacKay and Dr. Janice Newberry for agreeing to work with me and for all of their patience, guidance and support. I would also like to thank Dr. Trevor Peck for taking time out of his busy schedule to offer his expertise. Finally, I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Shawn Bubel. Shawn, words cannot describe my gratitude for the experience you have given me. You have been an extraordinary example of how a strong female professional archaeologist should conduct iv herself, and I can only hope that one day I can live up to a fraction of what you have shown me. I want you to know that working with you has been an extremely rewarding experience. Every one of my achievements for the rest of my academic career will be because of what you have done for me. For that, I cannot thank you enough. v Table of Contents Signature Page .................................................................................................................... ii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi Table of Tables .................................................................................................................. xi Table of Figures ................................................................................................................ xii CHAPTER 1 – Introduction................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Research Objectives ........................................................................................................ 1 Thesis Overview ............................................................................................................. 2 Chapter 2 - Literature Review/Culture ....................................................................... 2 Chapter 3 – The Fincastle Site .................................................................................... 3 Chapter 4 – Late Middle Prehistoric Comparison Sites .............................................. 3 Chapter 5 – Interpretation of the Fincastle Site .......................................................... 3 Chapter 6 – Conclusions of the Comparative Study and the Reassessment of the Besant Culture and Associated Groups....................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 2 – Terminology Overview .............................................................................. 5 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 5 Variables and Attributes ................................................................................................. 5 Determinates ................................................................................................................... 6 Types ............................................................................................................................... 6 Tradition, Phase and Sub-phase ...................................................................................... 7 The Culture Type/Complex ............................................................................................ 8 Defined Complexes ......................................................................................................... 9 Besant ........................................................................................................................ 10 Besant Material Culture ......................................................................................... 13 Sonota ....................................................................................................................... 14 Sonota Material Culture ......................................................................................... 16 Sandy Creek .............................................................................................................. 18 Outlook or Unnamed Complex ................................................................................. 19 Cultural Models ............................................................................................................ 20 Reeves’ Model .......................................................................................................... 20 vi Peck’s Model ............................................................................................................ 20 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 3 – The Fincastle Site (DlOx-5) .......................................................................... 25 Site Description ............................................................................................................. 25 Flora and Fauna............................................................................................................. 26 Excavations ................................................................................................................... 27 Field Methodology ........................................................................................................ 27 2004............................................................................................................................... 28 2006............................................................................................................................... 29 2007............................................................................................................................... 29 Stratigraphy ................................................................................................................... 31 Radiocarbon Dating ...................................................................................................... 32 The Fincastle Assemblage ............................................................................................ 32 Lithics ........................................................................................................................... 33 Projectile Points ........................................................................................................ 34 Small and Large Tools .............................................................................................. 35