WILL THE TRUE AGE OF THE BORAX LAKE PATTERN g)RATION PLEASE STAND UP? ~BSIDlAN IN WESTERN THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF CA-HUM-573, AN EARLY HOLOCENE SITE ON THE SOUTH END OF PILOT RIDGE, HUMBOLDT \~I 61 COUNTY,

~_~TANDTHE Richard T. Fitzgerald ~ SIERRA NEVADA OF California Department ofTransportation Oakland, CA 94623 ~n 66 [email protected] ~ William R Hildebrandt Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc. ~trom 94 P.O. Box 413 Davis, CA 95617 " [email protected]

Nearly 20years have passed since site CA~HUM"573 was excavated as part ofthe benchmark Pilot Ridge Project conductedfor the Six Rivers National Forest. The site contained a remarkably well­ preserved house!foor associated with numerous Early Borax Lake Pattern tools. Althoutfi. relatively dated through obsidian hydration, no absolute date had been attained from this highly discrete Jeature. Recently an AMS radiocarbon date was attainedfrom the house floor, providing one ofthe few reliable Early Borax Lake Pattern dates in existence. This paper revisits HUM-573 and its implicationsfor the chronology ofthis early pattern in northern CalifomUl.

1n August of1982 a collection of mostly excavated using the then~innovative surface young archaeologists began an ambitious transect unit and more traditional types of data~recovery program for a timber sale on excavation; the deposit contained one the the Six Rivers National Forest. 'fhls finest Borax Lake features ever found in the endeavor was nameJ the Pilot Ridge North Coast Ranges. Archaeological Projecr. Lead by Bill Hildebranat, the project entailed me THE FEATURE excavation of 10 sites along a ridge system that included Pilot, Whiting, and Last One of the four transects laid across the site :1,' Chance ridges, and South Fork Mountain. revealed the edge of the feature, which was i The sites ranged in elevation from 1,370 to first represented by two large, thin river 1,830 meters, and most were located in cobbles stacked one on top of the other. rather dense montane forest habitats. Under They were located in a dense forest of often grueling field conditions, an excellent Brewer's oak, and achainsaw had to be used crew of 17 managed to excavate more than to clear the area for excavation. The river 325 cubic meters ofsoil in 11 weeks. cobbles turned out to be a milling slab and a manuport - the first hints of what the Of the 10 sites excavated that year, none was feature represented. more important than HUM-573. Located within one kilometer of Pilot Rock at an As the excavation continued, a number of elevation of about 1,370 meters, Hum-573 unmodified rocks were exposed, but soon a offered spectacular views to the east, south, handstone and a large chert biface were and west. Situated within a mixed prairie revealed. It was at this point that we realized scrub/Brewer's oak environment, die site there was an intact feature of some kind, a covered approximately 120,000 sg,uare first for the project. We eventually recovered meters ofthe south end of Pilot Ridge. Just an extensive assemblage of tools including over 30 cubic meters of deposit were 11 milling slabs, four hands tones, three hammerstones, one anvil, 11 edee~flaked in clear association with structural remains residence complete with alars! spalls, 11 flake tools, 11 cores, three cobble of a house. Structural indicators included of tools, one the rarest of fudi tools~ ~ne projectile points, and 32 bifaces, three discrete rock dusters interpreted as forested mountains of the NOI all wlthm a roughly 5-bj~ 5~meter area. The post supports that were arrayed around a Ranges. projectile points were all Borax Lake wide­ small remnant ofa house floor. The stems, or bifaces that were probably on their remnant section of floor was defined by its THE AGE , way to being wide-stem POInts (Figure 1). compactness relative to the surrounding soil - it was extremely packed, giving offa Determining the ~t ~ of! More important than the sheer number of distinctive ring When tappea by a troweL In a difficult problem mdeCd. FCi tools found was that all these artifacts were sum, this was an intact Borax Lake Pattern specimens of Medicine I..a.kc r obsidian produced a mean of4l standard (leviation of0.50 (tlJl Hayes 1993). Unfortunately, U materials suitable for radiOCarti were recovered from the feaM difficult to evaluate how the IR actually corresponded to calerI proposed for the Borax Lake fl occupation at the site. Neverdl Hildebrandt and Hayes (19831 time range of 3000-6000 yem o Borax Lake Pattern assemblae the hydration data and h~tb correlations between ueJaiid SCI reconstructed paleoenvlfonme Several Y.tars later, Basgall andl (1989) developed acalendric II Medicine Lake obsidian basedl hydration/radiocarbon pairs dII sites excavated during the Sacrr Canyon 1-5 Project. Byadjustli cooler mean average tem~ratu Humboldt County, Hildebran: (1993) applied the Sacramen. Canyon hydration rate to the! data, producing results they be "reasonably consistent" with d time estimates of 3000 to 600 THEHISfOR1

This time frame was consider~ v recent than that assigned by ~ Harrington, the first archaeok excavate at LAK-36 (the Bora: site) back in the 1940s. Harril recovered what he called "Fob crescents, wide-stems, handst( milling slabs, among other an and had lumped everyr!ling ir Figure I. Biface5 and wide stem fragments from houllC feature at CA·HUM·573, "Borax Lake Comelex." With (scale I: I ,. of radiocarbon datmg, Hartin a date of 10,000 B.P., basedr

2 rMsociation with structural remains residence complete with a large assemblage he felt was the minimum age of "Folsom," ~..'. Structural indicators included of tools, one the rarest of finds in the and on the geological and climatic data of ~ete rock dusters interpreted as forested mountains of the North Coast IfOrts that were arrayed around a his era (Harrington 1948). rPWnt ofahouse floor. The Ranges. Clement Meighan, in his Archaeology ofthe it section ~f floor was defi ned by its :mess relative to the surrounding soil THE AGE North Coast O'anu.s, placed the Borax Lake l,exa:emely packed, giving off a Complex "somewhere in California's long Determining the exact a~ of the house was and inadequately defined Middle Horizon" ~ nng ~hen tappea by ~ trowel In a difficult problem indeed. Forty-eight B'WlIS an tntact Borax Lake Pattern (Meighan 1955:27), or sometime before specimens of Medicine Lake Highland 2000 B.P., althou~ he considered that the obsidian {'roduced a mean of 4.2 tt and a "Borax Lake Complex" was the basement standard (leviation of 0.50 (Hildebrandt and culture of the northern North Coast Ranges. Hayes 1993). Unfortunately, however, no materials suitable for radiocarbon dating C. Vance Haynes and Charles Rozaire were recovered from the feature, making it returned to LAK-36 in the mid-I960s and difficult to evaluate how the hydration data conducted further excavations, finding that acrually corresponded to calendric dates the site lacked stratigraphic integriry:. proposed for the Borax Lake Pattern Nevertheless, by generating 80 obsidian occupation at the site. Nevertheless, hydration readings on projectile points, ther. Hildebrandt and Hayes (1983) proposed a were able to esta6lish discrete morphological time range of 3000-6000 years B.P. for the types that tended to cluster and thus give Borax Lake Pattern assemblages, based on some chronological order to the deposir. On the hydration data and hypothesized the basis of these hydration measurements, correlations between upland settlement and Meighan and Haynes (1970) proposed a reconstructed paleoenvironments. hypothetical sequence that ~ 12,000 years ago with the ap~arance of the fluted !:-•. Several years later, Bas~all and Hildebrandt points and crescents. This, according to j. (1989) (leveloped a calendric rate for Mei~an and Ha~es, was followed by a Medicine Lake obsidian based on seven period of site abandonment and then a hydration/radiocarbon pairs derived from major occupation characterized by the Borax sites excavated during the Sacramento River Lake wide-stems that lasted from 6,000 to Canyon 1-5 Project. By adjusting for the 3,000 years ago. cooler mean average temperature of Humboldt County, Hildebrandt and Hayes Shortly thereafter, Dave Fredrickson (1973, (1993) applied the Sacramento River 1974) revised the taxonomic and Canyon hydration rate to the Pilot Ridge chronologicallandscap<: of the North Coast data, producing results they believed were Ranges by introducing his now-familiar "reasonably consistent" with their original construct of Periods, Patterns, As~ts, and time estimates of 3000 to 6000 B.P. Phases. Fredrickson folded the earliest materials from IAK-36 into the Post THE HISTORY Pattern of the Paleo-Indian Period, which he originally {'laced between 12,000 and This time frame was considerably more 8000 B.P. ana later adjusted to recent than that assigned by Mark ~proximately 11,500 to 10,000 B.P. The Harrington, the first archaeologist to following interval he named the Borax Lake excavate at IAK-36 (the BoraxLake type­ Aspect of the Borax Lake Pattern, which fell site) back in the 1940s. Harrington had into the Lower Archaic Period. This he recovered what he called "Folsom points," characterized by the presence of square­ crescents, wide-stems, handstones, and stemmed p

3 analysis of the soil samples of I' 1977). The time frame for this aspect, collected as part of the field effort. The floor at HUM-573. which was spatially restricted to the Clear samples languished in storage for nearly two Lake Basin, was originally set by Fredrickson decades; fortunately, they: were never REFERENCES 0: at 8000~3000 B.P., but which he has since discarded Upon their rediscovery and with adjusted to 10,000~7500 B.P. (White help from avariety of people (including a 2000). grant from Ken Wilson of the Six Rivers National Forest), asmall amount of charcoal ~~~L~'~! Outside of the Clear Lake Basin, the Borax Canyon Shasta ~ was floated out of this soil sample and DaVIS: Centerfor A* Lake Pattern was thought to be by~and-Iarge submitted to Beta Analytic for a single AMS Research at Davis No.9 1 much younger, with only a few scattered date (Figure 2). Clewett, S. Edward ," radiocarbon determinations to ~o on. Most 1977 CA~SHA475: An Itt notablr on the older end was a C charcoal Estimates on what date this sample might on S

4 ItA as ~ of the field effort. The analysis of the soil samples of the house 1977 Hupa Mountain Archaeological ~ed in storage-for nearly two floor at HUM-573. Project: Report of Salvage Il~rtunateo/, they were never Excavations at 4-HUM-245 and 4­ ~ Upo!! dieir redisco~err. and with REFERENCES CITED HUM-246. Report on file at the !I'D avariety ofpeople (mcluding a Bureau of Land Management, Ukiah. rom Ken Wilson of the Six Rivers Bas23ll, Mark and William R Hildebrandt King, Thomas F. iaI Forest), asmall amount of charcoal 1'989 Prehistory of the Sacramento River 1974 Manos on the Mountain; Borax ~ out of this soi.l sample and Canyon Shasta County, California. Lake Pattern High-Altitude I!d to Beta AnalytiC for asingle AMS Davis: Center for Archaeological Settlement and Subsistence in the p2). Research at Davis No.9 North Coast Ranges of California. Clewett, S. Edward Report on file at me U.S. Forest l~:' .,on what date this sample might 1977 CA-SHA475: An Interim Report Service,California Region, San lied from 4000 to 6500 B.P. on S'l!law Creek, AComplex Francisco ~, it was much older: the Stratified Site in the Southern Meighan, Clement W. tional date turned out to be 7120 ± Klamath Mountains. Paper Presented 19'55 Archaeology of the North Coast phon years B.P., which calibrates at the Symposium on the Archaeology Rang,es, California. University of F.of7945 cal BP, or nearly 8,000 ofthe Northern Coast Ranges, California Archaeological Survey Id. This date is one of the oldest ever University ofCalifornia, Davis. Reports 30: l-39.Berkeley. III from ahouse structure in Fredrickson, Davia Meighan, Clement W. and C. Vance .... 1973 Ear& Cultures ofthe North Coast Haynes -..~' Ranges, Califi!rnia Ph.D. dissertation, 1970 The Borax Lake Site Revisited. ~ this date should not have been University of California, Davis. Science 167: 1231-1221. lJ]rising. The conventional 1974 Cultur3l Diversity in Early Central Orlins, Robert L (bon date of7580 ± 230 derived California: AView from the North 1971 An Archaeological Survey of the It base ofSHA-475, when calibrated, Coast Ranges. Journal ofCalifornia Indian ValIer Reservoir,Lake 8350 B.P. The close agreement of AnthropololJ 1(1):41-53­ County, California. Report on file at llfrom HUM-573 and SHA-475 is Harrington, Mark R the U.S. , lIP£' because it firmly places the 1945 An Ancient Site at Borax Lake, Western Region, San Francisco. .-ke Pattern in the far north into the California. Southwest Museum Sundahl, Elaine IaIocene. Papers No. 16:1-126. Los Angeles 1988 Cox Bar (CA-TRI-1008): A Borax Lake Pattern Site on the Trinity ~: Hildebrandt, William R and John Hayes ~, it is now app'arent that the 1983 Archaeological Investigations on River, Triniry County, California. _ Pattern in bom the south and Pilot Ridge, Six Rivers National Report on file at the Northeast 'was present some 8,000 years ago. Forest. Report on file at the Six Information Center, California State lie geographical distribution of this Rivers National Forest. Eureka University, Chico. ill circa 8000 B.P. implies that its 1993 Settlement Pattern Change in the Sundahl, Elaine and Winfield Henn apd even dee~r into the Early Mountains of Northwest California: 1993 Borax Lake Pattern Assemblages I)C and potentlally back to the A view from Pilot Ridge. In: There on the Shasta-Trinity National taelHolocene transition. Grows a Green Tree: Papers in honor Forests, North-Central California. ~en!IY, the archaeological record of ofDave Fredrickson. Greg White, Pat Journal o/California and Great Basin !til COast ~es appears to be just as Mikkelesen, William R Hildebrandt, Anthropology. f5:73-89. ~d complex as anywhere in Mark E, Basgall, eds.:107-120 White, Greg, lJa. Center for Archaeological Research at 2000 Dran Final Report of the Davis No. 11. Anderson Flat Project Lower Lake, NOTES Jackson, Thomas L. Lake CounIT, California. Vol.l 1976 Report of the Middle Eel Planning Report on file at California Lrs wish to acknowleci£e the Six Unit Archaeological Survey. Rep'ort Department of Transportation, llational Forest and Ken'Wilson for on file at the Six Rivers Nationil Sacramento. II the funds to attain the Forest. Eureka !lJ(m date discussed in this paper. ~ wish to thank Eric Wohlgemuth 'estern Antheo . Research ~r his careful ar oranical

5 CALIBRATION OF RAI BETA ANALYTIC INC. UNIVERSITY6RANCH 4985 S W. 74 COURT (Vari MIAMI FLORIDA, USA 33155 DR MArAMERS and MR D.G HOOD PH 305'667 5161 FAX 3051663.0964 taoora1ory " EMAIL beta,' radIocarbon com C u"notional rndion.... 2 Sil{ma calibratt!d REPORT OF RADIOCARBON DATING ANALYSES (95·.4p....

IlIh:r~'...pl ofnldiocarl 'if RIChard T FII.,.ald Report Dat.. January 21, 2000 wilh caJibrdtiOi I Sil!1l13 calibrat« (680/. prot!

''c t "C 712Ot50 BP ?JOO .,..--_---_-.-..1

Bela-J 37 ~71 '080 'i- ~l SP -22 7 0100 7120 t!- 50 SP

S~\.lf'lJ:i h CA-Hl.J.J-:,n FI<>t ill .'I(;..40.:all AN!\!, YSIS. STandard-AMS "fATERI.-\I.'PRRTREA TMF.~T(c:harred maleriall MirL'a1Jca1I1acid

>'i!J;;; :\lrrE Jt IS Imp'lrtlll11 to road the calo!1ldar cahllnuwn mforrnaflOO ftI1d 10 ,.'Ie The cal~odar Q, cahloml.,1 ,,,,, .. its Ir"l'ortoo Ilt'J>RI1lleJ),1 ...'hen ITlierprelt.1(I, these remtllll .. AJ)IA(" lerms II? §. 7'00 ~ ~ ~ 'oso

1000

';'lCC +-_--.1::=:;:=::: -6080

lklcn:nccs: 0"'1 .,. ,epotted •• RCYBP (r.dtoc.rbotI yeera before pr.sent. Mel_ Ct3lC12 rolio$ ..,. e.lcuilled ...IIIJ.. to III. 1'()6.1 D1Ji,,"'-1IJ«I ·p...... n!" ~ 19500\.0) 8y Intern.IIoMI con•••bon. Ihe modem _ ..... tionel .t.tndard and the RCY8P age...... """""",zed 10 t.'·H'AL98 l\!Ie,."ee sfa""'" was 95~ 01 lhe C 14 content 01 the NltIOnat ·25 per ""I. H1M ratIO _ age ... _nledI7Y an n men 1l'1li Calilwl/tno ~ Bur.... 0' Standanb' o..lIe Acid & ..rcuIaIed UlIIIQ !!'Ie I.l)by CU CT3JC12 valUe WIll __"'It _ on VII_ lyIlicll10lthe EtIiI"".C_ SlfIiwr. M. ,,_ tIttr/, ~11f 'Ife (55M yea....). a.oIed ."011 represent 1 .tancslrtf d.... lion "",Ierill tWIt Tile quO!ed mulls .'" NOT .,.rlblaltld to calendar SllflSbCS (68% ",_lilly) & I •• based on combinecl ...... men ... ye.r. CIlibfIl... n to catendar yel.. IIIouId be calCUlIoIId ""fig /.\7C.4/.'" N~i. Slim", .il. ,/ aI., of tl'lll urnple blc:kground.•nd rrKldorn l'llentnce olandlnl•. the Co.,.."..",., C 1<4 ago. II .'III""~ _. .4 SIIrIfIIIJlf!fl..".,...." r"IMa . .4. S. l'o,wL, Beta Analytic: FigUl\! ~a. Radi(ICarh

6 - CALIBRATION OF RADIOCARBON AGE TO CALENDAR YEARS JNIVERSITY BRAN::H 4985 S W 74 COUR I (Variables: C I3!C I 2"--21. 7:lab. mull"\) 'w1iAW FLORIDA USA J31 55 PH 30S16~7 5167 FA)( 3051663·0964 Laboratory number: Dtfa-1J7571 EMAil b~ta·rad,ocJrbon com CnnH:ntiunal r.tdiocarbon agt': 7120±50 BP

2 Si~ma calibrated result: Cal BC 6055 to 5885 (Cal BP 8005 to 7835) DATING ANALYSES (95"/.. probability) "t. Imercerl data Inll:n:ep! or nu.lilK;arbnn age :~Dote: January Z1, 2000 with~;lliomtioncune: Cal Be 5995 (Cal BI> 79451 I Siplla c,llibralcd result: ('<.II BC 6020 to 5975 .Cal BI' 7970 to 7(25) !~r l'l. 1'199 .a-wed (611% probability)

.;Il:...--~--. -,.,-- . 7120.:50 BP I': "C Coovcntiooal 7JOO~~__~____~____~ ____~ ____~ ____~ ____~ ____~ ____en.mod~____ m_~ ,. Radoocarbon :w \.)

_.___• ~. ___ ~_'"T ~" __ .... _~~_~.. __ . _____ iGloo 7120 tl- SO BP

I,' "'f)C cai«ldar ll. ,.the 'X! IBCtem\I §­ " i "00 ~ }i :x: 1050

1000

Helcrcncc:;: !lela I1Itiot .... *uI.1e,I· F-",,,,I ...... ,JJ\1!J#,·,,'/>,w,".., Figure 2h. RadK,carbon dale from CA-HUM-S73_

7