DOCSLIB.ORG

A Further Assessment of Paleoindian Site-Use at Bonfire Shelter Author(S): Ryan M

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Further Assessment of Paleoindian Site-Use at Bonfire Shelter Author(S): Ryan M Society for American Archaeology A Further Assessment of Paleoindian Site-Use at Bonfire Shelter Author(s): Ryan M. Byerly, Judith R. Cooper, David J. Meltzer, Matthew E. Hill, Jason M. LaBelle Reviewed work(s): Source: American Antiquity, Vol. 72, No. 2 (Apr., 2007), pp. 373-381 Published by: Society for American Archaeology Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40035821 . Accessed: 13/01/2012 10:15 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Society for American Archaeology is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to American Antiquity. http://www.jstor.org A FURTHER ASSESSMENT OF PALEOINDIAN SITE-USE AT BONFIRE SHELTER Ryan M. Byerly, JudithR. Cooper,David J. Meltzer,Matthew E. Hill, and Jason M. LaBelle In Byerly et al. (2005) we explored the hypothesis that the Paleoindian component at Bonfire Shelter was the result of a jump kill. Our efforts involved extensive mapping and GIS analysis, a re-examination of the Paleoindian-age bison assem- blage, and consideration of the geomorphic history of the canyon in which the site is located. Weconcluded that the pre- ponderance of evidence indicated the Paleoindian-age bison remainsat Bonfire Shelter markeda processing site as Binford (1978) suggested, rather than a primary kill locality as originally interpreted(Dibble 1968). Bement (this issue) raises sev- eral concerns about our analysis and discussion, including that we omit pertinent informationrelevant to the interpreta- tion of the site. His comments,however, resultfrom a misreading of our discussion and a misconstrual of the data set, as we explain in this response. En Byerly et al. (2005) exploramosla hipotesis que el componentepaleoindio de BonfireShelter fuese el resultadode una matanzade salto. Nuestros esfuerzos incluyeronla preparacionde extensivosmapas y un andlisis SGI (GIS), una reexami- nacion de la asamblea bisontede fecha paloeoindia y la evaluacionde la historiageomorfologica del canon en que se encuen- tra el sitio. Concluimosque la mayorparte de la evidenciaindica que los restosbisontes de fecha paleoindia en BonfireShelter demuestranquefue un sitio de procesamientotal como sugirio Binford(1978), en vez de ser una localidad de una matanza primariatal como originalmentesepropuso (Dibble 1968). Bement(this issue) plantea variosproblemas sobre nuestroandli- sis, entre otras cosas que omitimosla informacionpertinente que tiene que ver con la interpretaciondel sitio. Sin embargo, su comentarioes el resultadode una mala interpretacionde nuestradiscusiony los datos, tal como explicamosen esta respuesta. et al. (2005) explored whether the how muchof the Late Glacialvalley fill was since Paleoindian-agebison bone assemblageat removed, a matter relevant to the question of BonfireShelter (41VV218) was the result whetherbison carcasssegments could have been of a jumpkill at thatspot, as originallyinterpreted hauledinto this shelter,now -18 m abovethe val- (Dibble and Lorrain1968), or alternativelywas a ley floor. localitywhere carcass parts of animalskilled else- Ourresults, in brief,indicated this would have where were transportedand processed (Binford been an ideal spot for jumping bison relativeto 1978:475).Our study involved three elements: (1) otherareas in the vicinity of the shelter.However, fieldmapping and Geographic Information System it maynot have been so used.Reanalysis of thebison (GIS) analysis of the terrain,in search of drive remainsindicated that skeletal parts present at the lanes or topographicfeatures that might indicate site were more suggestiveof a processinglocality. how animalswere driven toward the cliff edge, and Importantly,we expresslystated this did not speak the feasibilityof doing so; (2) a thoroughreanaly- to howthe bison were killed, only that these remains sis of thebison remains recovered in the 1963-1964 didnot indicate this was the probable kill locus.And excavations,to see if the skeletalelement patterns althoughwe were unable to securely determine indicateda primarykill or secondaryprocessing; where the valley floor was in Late Glacial times, and (3) a study of the geomorphichistory of the evidencesuggested it was perhapsjust a few verti- canyonin whichthe shelteris located,to determine cal metersbelow the shelterentrance, and hence Ryan M. Byerly, Judith R. Cooper, and David J. Meltzer Departmentof Anthropology,Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275 ([email protected]) Matthew E. Hill Departmentof Anthropology,University of Arizona,Tucson, AZ 85721 Jason M. LaBelle Departmentof Anthropology,Colorado State University,Fort Collins, CO 80523 AmericanAntiquity, 72(2), 2007, pp. 373-381 Copyright©2007 by the Society for AmericanArchaeology 373 374 AMERICAN ANTIQUITY [Vol. 72, No. 2, 2007] hunters who had made a kill nearby were not case? Second, if the facts are as they appear(i.e., impededby the currentlysteep slope. BB2 resultedfrom a jump kill), why does such an Bementcriticized portions of ourstudy, leading anomalouspattern exist in thearchaeological record, with the suggestionwe omitted "pertinentinfor- and how might it be explained (Byerly et al. mationthat is directlyrelevant to the interpretation 2005:626; see also Forbis 1969; Frison 1991)? of the site and to an evaluationof [our] conclu- Some obvious hypothesesexplain the latter.For sions."As we had explicitly called for more evi- example,repeated jump kills on theNorthern Plains dence to resolve the use of this site in Paleoindian (e.g., Frison1991) were probably the result of inten- times (Byerlyet al. 2005), Bement'scomments, as sificationstrategies geared towards the relief of sea- a participantin the work at BonfireShelter in the sonallyconstrained resource limitations, such that early 1980s, are welcome. That said, they do not long-termnutrient storage in the form pemmican significantlyadvance the issue, sincethey are based productionwas implementedto subsidizelean win- on a misinterpretationof our argumentsand avail- ter months (e.g., Reeves 1990; Todd 1987). The able data.Although we arecontent to let ourpaper absenceof such sites on the SouthernPlains indi- standon its merits,we takethis opportunityto clar- catesthat hunter-gatherers in theregion were never ify the natureof the argumentand evidence, and faced with the same limitations,and thereforedid expandon our results. not need to use similaracquisition strategies. Bement(this issue) assertswe committeda log- But, of course,one must resolve the firstques- ical fallacy by reasoningthat the Paleoindian-age tionbefore turning analytical attention to thesecond. bonebedat Bonfire Shelter(BB2) "didnot result Thatis whywe analyzedthe BB2 faunalassemblage, froma jump because no otherPaleoindian jump site the surfacetopography, and the geomorphichistory has everbeen found."Had we actuallyreasoned in of thecanyon, and maintained a firewallbetween the thatmanner, he wouldhave been rightto makethat issue of the largerpatterning in the archaeological claim. However,we did not do so. To be sure,we record,and the empiricalevidence for/against BB2 illustratedthe distributionof bison jump kills in being the resultof a jumpkill. time and space (Byerly et al. 2005:Figures1, 13). Inregard to thatempirical evidence, we deemed Yet,this merely reinforces the point, made long ago it usefulto reanalyzethe bison from the 1963-1964 by Dibble(Bonfire Shelter's original investigator), excavations ratherthan rely on published data, that Paleoindianbison jumps are scarce on the which would do little more than replicateother SouthernPlains (Dibble 1970:252;see also Forbis studies(e.g., Binford1978:475). We realized these 1969:91).We then went on to agree with Dibble dataare biased, most notablythat they come from thatjust becausea phenomenonis rare,that is not a relativelylimited area of the site (Byerly et al. evidence againstany particularlocality, say BB2 2005:605).Those biases, of course,equally hinder at BonfireShelter, being an expressionof thatphe- originalinterpretations of the site. We also did not nomenon (i.e., a bison jump; Byerly et al. reanalyzethe bison from the 1980s excavations 2005:597). Bement's commentabout our reason- but,as explained,that should not materiallyimpact ing is thereforeincorrect and irrelevant. our conclusions,since thatlater sample was small Moreover,if usingthe lack of Paleoindianbison (Numberof IndividualSpecimens [NISP] = 51; jumps as evidenceagainst BB2 being a jump is a Bement 1986:26)and represents a minorpercent- fallacy,then why is it logical for Bementto use the age (< 2.5 percent)of the total remainsfrom BB2 Late Archaicbison bonebed at Bonfire (BB3) as (Byerly etal. 2005:605). evidence/or a Paleoindianjump? (e.g., "Byerlyet Based on that analysis,we calculateda Mimi- al. fail to explorethe implicationsof BB3 which is mum Numberof Individuals (MNI) of 24 to 27 undeniablythe result of LateArchaic bison jumps" Bison antiquus(Byerly et al. 2005:625).Nowhere [Bementthis issue]). The logic cuts both ways, so do we suggestthis is the "totalor ultimate" (Bement too does thefallacy. For that reason, we also explic- this issue) numberof animalsin BB2. The origi- itly
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Plains Anthropologist Author Index
    Author Index AUTHOR INDEX Aaberg, Stephen A. (see Shelley, Phillip H. and George A. Agogino) 1983 Plant Gathering as a Settlement Determinant at the Pilgrim Stone Circle Site. In: Memoir 19. Vol. 28, No. (see Smith, Calvin, John Runyon, and George A. Agogino) 102, pp. 279-303. (see Smith, Shirley and George A. Agogino) Abbott, James T. Agogino, George A. and Al Parrish 1988 A Re-Evaluation of Boulderflow as a Relative Dating 1971 The Fowler-Parrish Site: A Folsom Campsite in Eastern Technique for Surficial Boulder Features. Vol. 33, No. Colorado. Vol. 16, No. 52, pp. 111-114. 119, pp. 113-118. Agogino, George A. and Eugene Galloway Abbott, Jane P. 1963 Osteology of the Four Bear Burials. Vol. 8, No. 19, pp. (see Martin, James E., Robert A. Alex, Lynn M. Alex, Jane P. 57-60. Abbott, Rachel C. Benton, and Louise F. Miller) 1965 The Sister’s Hill Site: A Hell Gap Site in North-Central Adams, Gary Wyoming. Vol. 10, No. 29, pp. 190-195. 1983 Tipi Rings at York Factory: An Archaeological- Ethnographic Interface. In: Memoir 19. Vol. 28, No. Agogino, George A. and Sally K. Sachs 102, pp. 7-15. 1960 Criticism of the Museum Orientation of Existing Antiquity Laws. Vol. 5, No. 9, pp. 31-35. Adovasio, James M. (see Frison, George C., James M. Adovasio, and Ronald C. Agogino, George A. and William Sweetland Carlisle) 1985 The Stolle Mammoth: A Possible Clovis Kill-Site. Vol. 30, No. 107, pp. 73-76. Adovasio, James M., R. L. Andrews, and C. S. Fowler 1982 Some Observations on the Putative Fremont Agogino, George A., David K.
    [Show full text]
  • Annotated Atlatl Bibliography John Whittaker Grinnell College Version June 20, 2012
    1 Annotated Atlatl Bibliography John Whittaker Grinnell College version June 20, 2012 Introduction I began accumulating this bibliography around 1996, making notes for my own uses. Since I have access to some obscure articles, I thought it might be useful to put this information where others can get at it. Comments in brackets [ ] are my own comments, opinions, and critiques, and not everyone will agree with them. The thoroughness of the annotation varies depending on when I read the piece and what my interests were at the time. The many articles from atlatl newsletters describing contests and scores are not included. I try to find news media mentions of atlatls, but many have little useful info. There are a few peripheral items, relating to topics like the dating of the introduction of the bow, archery, primitive hunting, projectile points, and skeletal anatomy. Through the kindness of Lorenz Bruchert and Bill Tate, in 2008 I inherited the articles accumulated for Bruchert’s extensive atlatl bibliography (Bruchert 2000), and have been incorporating those I did not have in mine. Many previously hard to get articles are now available on the web - see for instance postings on the Atlatl Forum at the Paleoplanet webpage http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/forums/26/t/WAA-Links-References.html and on the World Atlatl Association pages at http://www.worldatlatl.org/ If I know about it, I will sometimes indicate such an electronic source as well as the original citation. The articles use a variety of measurements. Some useful conversions: 1”=2.54
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Late Quaternary Climate and Pco2 Change on C4 Plant Abundance in the South-Central United States Paul L
    Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 207 (2004) 331–357 www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo The effects of late Quaternary climate and pCO2 change on C4 plant abundance in the south-central United States Paul L. Kocha,*, Noah S. Diffenbaugha,1, Kathryn A. Hoppeb,2 a Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA b Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA Received 28 July 2003; accepted 25 September 2003 Abstract The late Quaternary was a time of substantial environmental change, with the past 70,000 years exhibiting global changes in climate, atmospheric composition, and terrestrial floral and faunal assemblages. We use isotopic data and couple climate and vegetation models to assess the balance between C3 and C4 vegetation in Texas during this period. The carbon isotope composition of fossil bison, mammoth, and horse tooth enamel is used as a proxy for C3 versus C4 plant consumption, and indicates that C4 plant biomass remained above 55% through most of Texas from prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) into the Holocene. These data also reveal that horses did not feed exclusively on herbaceous plants, consequently isotopic data from horses are not reliable indicators of the C3 –C4 balance in grassland biomes. Estimates of C4 percentages from coupled climate–vegetation models illuminate the relative roles of climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in shaping the regional C4 signal. C4 percentages estimated using observed modern climate–vegetation relationships and late Quaternary climate variables (simulated by a global climate model) are much lower than those indicated by carbon isotope values from fossils.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Origin Sites and the World Heritage Convention in Eurasia
    World Heritage papers41 HEADWORLD HERITAGES 4 Human Origin Sites and the World Heritage Convention in Eurasia VOLUME I In support of UNESCO’s 70th Anniversary Celebrations United Nations [ Cultural Organization Human Origin Sites and the World Heritage Convention in Eurasia Nuria Sanz, Editor General Coordinator of HEADS Programme on Human Evolution HEADS 4 VOLUME I Published in 2015 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France and the UNESCO Office in Mexico, Presidente Masaryk 526, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, 11550 Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico. © UNESCO 2015 ISBN 978-92-3-100107-9 This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbysa-en). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Cover Photos: Top: Hohle Fels excavation. © Harry Vetter bottom (from left to right): Petroglyphs from Sikachi-Alyan rock art site.
    [Show full text]
  • Baker Cave, Val Verde County, Texas: the 1976 Excavations
    Volume 1983 Article 28 1983 Baker Cave, Val Verde County, Texas: The 1976 Excavations Mary Frances Chadderon Center for Archaeological Research Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ita Part of the American Material Culture Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, and the United States History Commons Tell us how this article helped you. Cite this Record Chadderon, Mary Frances (1983) "Baker Cave, Val Verde County, Texas: The 1976 Excavations," Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State: Vol. 1983, Article 28. https://doi.org/10.21112/ita.1983.1.28 ISSN: 2475-9333 Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ita/vol1983/iss1/28 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Regional Heritage Research at SFA ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State by an authorized editor of SFA ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Baker Cave, Val Verde County, Texas: The 1976 Excavations Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License This article is available in Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ita/vol1983/iss1/28 Center for Archaeological Research The University of Texas at San Antonio 78285 Thomas R. Hester, Director Spe.ual Re.pow Publications dealing with the archaeology of Texas and Mesoamerica.
    [Show full text]
  • Earliest Known Use of Marine Resources by Neanderthals
    Earliest Known Use of Marine Resources by Neanderthals Miguel Corte´s-Sa´nchez1, Arturo Morales-Mun˜ iz2,Marı´a D. Simo´ n-Vallejo3, Marı´a C. Lozano-Francisco4, Jose´ L. Vera-Pela´ez4, Clive Finlayson5,6, Joaquı´n Rodrı´guez-Vidal7, Antonio Delgado-Huertas8, Francisco J. Jime´ nez-Espejo8*, Francisca Martı´nez-Ruiz8, M. Aranzazu Martı´nez-Aguirre9, Arturo J. Pascual-Granged9, M. Merce` Bergada`-Zapata10, Juan F. Gibaja-Bao11, Jose´ A. Riquelme-Cantal8,J. Antonio Lo´ pez-Sa´ez12, Marta Rodrigo-Ga´miz8, Saburo Sakai13, Saiko Sugisaki13, Geraldine Finlayson5, Darren A. Fa5, Nuno F. Bicho14 1 Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueologı´a, Facultad de Geografı´a e Historia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain, 2 Laboratorio de Arqueozoologı´a, Departamento de Biologı´a, Universidad Auto´noma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 3 Fundacio´n Cueva de Nerja, Nerja, Malaga, Spain, 4 Museo Municipal Paleontolo´gico de Estepona, Estepona, Ma´laga, Spain, 5 The Gibraltar Museum, Gibraltar, United Kingdom, 6 Department of Social Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 7 Departamento de Geodina´mica y Paleontologı´a, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Huelva, Spain, 8 Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientı´ficas, Universidad de Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain, 9 Departamento de Fı´sica Aplicada I, Escuela Te´cnica Superior de Ingenierı´a Agrono´mica, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain, 10 Seminari d’Estudis i Recerques Prehisto`riques, Departamento de Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueologı´a,
    [Show full text]
  • 2009 Meltzer, DJ, First Peoples in a New World: Colonizing Ice
    DAVID J. MELTZER – PUBLICATIONS BOOKS & MONOGRAPHS: 2009 Meltzer, D.J., First peoples in a New World: colonizing Ice Age America. University of California Press, Berkeley. (Paperback edition, 2010) 2006 Meltzer, D.J., Folsom: new archaeological investigations of a classic Paleoindian bison kill. University of California Press, Berkeley. 1998 Meltzer, D.J., editor, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. 150th Anniversary Edition. By E.G. Squier and E.H. Davis. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1993 Meltzer, D.J., Search for the first Americans. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C. and St. Remy’s Inc., Montreal. 1992 Meltzer, D.J. and R.C. Dunnell, editors, The archaeology of William Henry Holmes. (In the series Classics of Smithsonian Anthropology). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1991 Dillehay, T.D. and D.J. Meltzer, editors, The first Americans: search and research. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. 1986 Meltzer, D.J., D.D. Fowler and J.A. Sabloff, editors, American archaeology: past and future. A celebration of the Society for American Archaeology. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. (Second edition, 1993). 1985 Mead, J.I. and D.J. Meltzer, editors, Environments and extinctions: man in late glacial North America. Center for the Study of Early Man, University of Maine, Orono. 1979 Meltzer, D.J., Archaeological excavations at an historic dry dock, Lock 35, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. National Park Service, Denver. JOURNAL ARTICLES & BOOK CHAPTERS: In press Meltzer, D.J., Pléistocène peuplements l’Amérique du Nord. In Les premiers peuplements préhistoriques sur les différents continents, H. de Lumley, ed. l’Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
    [Show full text]
  • ARC HEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume 57/1986 2
    Bulletin of the TEXAS ARC HEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume 57/1986 2. 2 i PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT AUSTIN, TEXAS, 1987 TEXAS ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY The Society was organized and chartered in pursuit of a literary and scientific undertaking: the study of man’s past in Texas and contiguous areas. The Bulletin offers an outlet for the publication of serious research on history, prehistory, and archeological theory. In line with the goals of the Society, it encourages scientific collection, study, and publication of archeological data. The Bulletin is published annually for distribution to the members of the Society. Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Society or editorial staff. Officers of the Society 1985-1986 President: Elton R. Prewitt (Austin) President-Elect: J. Rex Wayland (George West) Treasurer: C. K. Chandler (San Antonio) Secretary: Anne A. Fox (San Antonio) Bulletin Editor: James E. Corbin (Nacogdoches) Newsletter Editor: Beth O. Davis (Austin) Immediate Past President: C. K. Chandler (San Antonio) Directors 1985-1986 (in addition to above): Sam D. McCulloch (San Marcos), Laurie Moseley III (Springtown), Robert L. Smith (Stinnett), Norman G. Flaigg (Austin), James C. Everett (Arlington), Roy Dickinson (Wichita Falls). Regional Vice-Presidents 1985-1986: Meeks Etchieson (Canyon), Brownie Roberts (Lamesa), Jimmy Smith (Cleburne), Bonnie McKee (Dallas), Sheldon Kindall (Seabrook), Jimmy L. Mitchell (Converse), Gladys Short (Corpus Christi), John H. Stockley, Jr. (Quemado), Carol Kehl (Temple), James D. Hall (San Angelo), Carrol Hedrick (El Paso), Membership and Publications Membership in the Society is for the calendar year. Dues (current 1986) are as follows: Individual (regular), $15.00; Family, $20; S tudent, $10; Contributing, $30; Chartered Societies and Institutional, $15; Life, $300.
    [Show full text]
  • Prehistory Chapter
    LOWER PECOS PREHISTORY: THE VIEW FROM THE CAVES by Solveig A. Turpin Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, Balcones Research Center, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, Texas 78758-4497 INTRODUCTION The Lower Pecos River region is one of the few areas of Texas where early history and prehistory are largely reconstructed from the archeology of caves and rock shelters. Prehistoric people lived in rock shelters, buried their dead in caves, and left an artistic record of their worldview in both. The region can claim one of the longest and most detailed records of human lifeways in Texas and, for that matter, North America, in part thanks to the arid climate and in part due to the environment afforded their remains by rock shelters and caves. The story begins with the Paleoindians, the first people to enter the region, ca. 12,000 years ago, and ends in the 20th century, when the last of the poor but ambitious settlers set up camp in the same sites their native predecessors had used for thousands of years. CHRONOLOGY small cave adjacent to a large occupied rock shelter, produced the broken and burned bones of extinct The broad six-part cultural sequence usually used species of horse, camel, bison and bear in company in Texas consists of Paleoindian; Early, Middle and Late with flint flakes and tools in strata radiocarbon-dated Archaic; Late Prehistoric; and Historic periods (Hester, to the range between 14,500 and 12,100 years ago 1989). In the Lower Pecos region, scores of (Collins, 1976; Lundelius, 1984; Toomey, this volume).
    [Show full text]
  • Bonfire Shelter: a Zooarchaeological
    BONFIRE SHELTER: A ZOOARCHAEOLOGICAL REEVALUATION OF BONE BED 2 by James O. Ramsey, B.A. A thesis submitted to the Graduate Council of Texas State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts with a Major in Anthropology August 2020 Committee Members: James David Kilby, Chair Stephen L. Black Jodi A. Jacobson Copyright By James O. Ramsey 2020 FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT Fair Use This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of this material for financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed. Duplication Permission As the copyright holder of this work I, James O. Ramsey, refuse permission to copy in excess of the “Fair Use” exemption without my written permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people whose contributions and assistance made this thesis possible. To thank all of them would require a second thesis worth of space, but this thesis would not be complete without recognizing a few of them. Firstly, I would like to thank my parents, Nathan and Susan Ramsey, for their constant support and for instilling in me a love for history and the natural world. Secondly, I would like to thank Dr. Kilby for offering me the opportunity to work at Bonfire Shelter and be a part of the long history of research carried out at such an incredible site. I would also like to thank the other members of my thesis committee: Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pennsylvania State University the Graduate School College Of
    The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College Of Earth and Mineral Sciences LOCAL AND BROAD SCALE CHANGES IN NORTH AMERICAN SMALL MAMMAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE: THE LATE PLEISTOCENE THROUGH THE LATE HOLOCENE A Thesis in Geosciences by Melissa I. Pardi © 2010 Melissa I. Pardi Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science May 2010 The thesis of Melissa I. Pardi was reviewed and approved* by the following: Russell W. Graham Associate Professor of Geosciences Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum Director Thesis Adviser Mark E. Patzkowsky Associate Professor of Geosciences Richard B. Alley Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences Alan H. Taylor Professor of Geography Director of Vegetation Dynamics Laboratory Associate Director of Earth Environmental Systems Institute Katherine H. Freeman Professor of Geosciences Associate Head for Graduate Programs and Research Department of Geosciences *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School ii ABSTRACT A new late Quaternary IDXQDIURP'RQ¶V*RRVHEHUU\3LWLQWKH%ODFN+LOOVRI6RXWK Dakota provides the first continuous late Pleistocene through late Holocene paleobiological record for the North American Northern Great Plains. A paleoecological history of the Black Hills was constructed using the small mammal remains from this cave. In addition, twelve radiocarbon dates were taken from dental elements of specific taxa to identify non-analog associations. A cOXVWHUDQDO\VLVRIVDPSOHVLQGLFDWHWKDW'RQ¶V*RRVHEHUU\3LWFRQWDLQVD fauna that is representative of a cold moist environment in the late Pleistocene, which then transitions into a drier and more open late Holocene environment. This over-all trend was accomplished through episodic changes from closed to open forest, and not a linear change from cold to warm.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring Paleoindian Site-Use at Bonfire Shelter (41VV218)
    Exploring Paleoindian Site-Use at Bonfire Shelter (41VV218) Ryan M. Byerly, David J. Meltzer, Judith R. Cooper, and Jim Theler ABSTRACT Bonebed 2 at Bonfire Shelter (41VV218) has long been interpreted to be the site of a Paleoindian (ca. 10,080 radiocarbon years B.P.) bison jump (Dibble and Lorrain 1968), although in recent years it was suggested that it might instead represent a secondary processing site (Binford 1978). To explore these different interpretations more thoroughly, in 2003 we began a multi-pronged study of the site, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis and reanalysis of the bison skeletal remains (Byerly et al. 2005). While our GIS analysis did not reject the possibility that Bonfire Shelter was a jump kill, our zooarcheological analysis indicated that the types and frequencies of elements recovered suggested a processing site assemblage. However, if Bonfire Shelter was a processing locality, it raises several additional questions: namely, why are lithic artifacts so rare? where did the kill take place? and, how and in what form were carcass parts transported into the shelter? To address these questions, we conducted additional field research at Bonfire Shelter during the summer of 2005. We present those results here, which include new radiocarbon dates from the site, as well as gastropod data recovered from a sediment column. BONFIRE SHELTER: SITE-USE Witkind 1971). However, general consensus holds INTERPRETATIONS AND that bison jumps were a communal hunting strategy QUESTIONS in which hunters drove animals over precipices to injure or kill them (Byerly et al. 2005:599; Frison Bonfire Shelter is located near the northeastern 2004; Hurt 1962).
    [Show full text]