UC Merced The Journal of California Anthropology
Title Man and the Pleistocene Fauna at Potter Creek Cave, California
Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8zs315nk
Journal The Journal of California Anthropology, 3(1)
Authors Payen, Louis A. Taylor, R. E.
Publication Date 1976-07-01
Peer reviewed
eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Man and Pleistocene Fanna at Potter Creek Cave, California
LOUIS A. PAYEN and R. E. TAYLOR
ESPITE more than seventy years of Furlong and Sinclair's extensive digging D discussion and controversy, the valid produced many thousands of Quaternary ity of the evidence for the contemporaneity of faunal specimens representing 52 species of man and extinct Pleistocene fauna at Potter which 21 were extinct. These included such Creek Cave, Shasta County, California, has large mammals as the short-faced bear never been resolved. It is most fitting that on (Arctotherium simum), shrub ox (Eucerather- the centennial of the first published account of ium collinum), Shasta ground sloth (Nothro- the discovery of fossil bones within this therium shastense), horse (Equus), mammoth, cavern—by Livingston Stone's exploring party bison, and camelid (Sinclair 1904:17-18; of 1874 (Stone 1876)—we are now able to pre Merriam and Stock 1925:10). Many of these sent evidence providing a partial solution bones were broken and split, leading Sinclair to this problem. (1904:12-15) to suggest the possibility that man While Stone (1876:464) speculated as to may have broken such bones to extract the whether his specimens "were human bones or marrow. Among these splintered fragments otherwise," the actual question of the period of were several specimens with pointed or man's occupancy of Potter Creek Cave did not bevelled ends and polished surfaces. They begin until just after the turn of the century. appeared, to Sinclair, to be "relics of possible Under the leadership of John C. Merriam, human origin." These implement-like pieces investigators in the newly formed Department were recovered at considerable depth in of Anthropology at the University of Califor undisturbed earth and below teeth of the nia (Berkeley) turned their attention to the extinct ungulate Euceratherium. However, question of the time when man first appeared Sinclair also considered natural means to in western North America. Limestone caves account for the smashed bones. He suggested were selected as possible locations in which that large bone-crushing carnivores could have traces of "early man" and extinct animals produced the fracturing, and exposure to the might be found. Such locations were selected action of dripping water could have produced since this type of site had yielded so much the wear and polish. Nevertheless, he stated "at significant archaeological and human paleon- the present time no explanation of the origin of tological material in Europe. It was in this the fragments has been discovered which context that Potter Creek Cave was relocated accords with all the observed facts, though the and excavations begun by E. L. Furlong in the suggestion that they were made by man summer of 1902. The excavations were appears on the evidence of occurrence to be completed the following season by William open to the fewest objections" (Sinclair Sinclair (Merriam 1906; Sinclair 1904). 1904:15). 52 THE JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA ANTHROPOLOGY
In addition to the bone specimens, Sinclair New World, or at least demanded demon (1904:15) reported: strable evidence. Discoveries of artifact materials in direct, In the clay flooring of the passage leading unambiguous association with extinct Pleisto to the top of the swinging ladder, a sharp- cene fauna, beginning in 1926 with the Folsom, edge stone chip, flaked from a river-worn New Mexico finds, tended to rekindle interest pebble, was found associated with the in the question of early occupancy of North charcoal mentioned as occurring in the clay. A Margariiana shell, several bone America. Archaeologists, such as M. R. fragments, a tooth of the large ungulate, Harrington (1933), Edgar Howard (1936), and Euceratherium and a fragment of a mam E. H. Sellards (1952), stated their acceptance moth tooth were associated with the stone and drew heavily on Potter Creek for chip. comparative evidence for man's association with animals such as ground sloth, camel, and The polished bone items were declared the horse. work of man by F. W. Putnam in 1906. His Potter Creek Cave took on even greater conclusion was based in part on the significance in the 1950s and 1960s in light of examination by a group of eminent compara- the proposed "Pre-Projectile Point" stage of five anatomists, including Ales Hrdlicka, of cultural development in the New World. several of the fragments which contained Proponents of this hypothetical cultural notches and perforations. All agreed that the expression, A. D. Krieger (1951; 1953; 1964) apparent modification, particularly the perfor and A. L. Bryan (1965), argued that this stage ations, were not natural, but attributable only antedated the fluted point-using, megafauna to human handiwork. Along with the stone hunters as typified in the Clovis or Llano specimen, the bone implements certainly Complex. They accepted the bone items from provided strength for the case of man having Potter Creek Cave as artifacts, and listed it as been in the cave at the same time as the extinct one of several sites they believed represented animals. In an accompanying paper, Merriam this early cultural expression. R. F. Heizer (1906) adopted a somewhat more conservative (1964:119-120) took strong exception to this position. To him, the splintered, perforated, view, declaring that the bone specimens were and polished bones had the appearance of certainly not artifacts. Likewise, H. 1
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Table 1 RADIOCARBON AND OBSIDIAN HYDRATION DATA FOR POTTER CREEK CAVE, CALIFORNIA
A. Radiocarbon Lab No. Sample Material Radiocarbon Age (yrs. B.P.) Calibrated* (yrs. A.D./B.C.)
UCR-148 Atlatl dart shaft wood 1915±150 A.D. 50 UCR-150 Midden charcoal 1910+150 A.D. 50 UCR-151 Atlatl dart shaft wood 2010±150 A.D. 50 UCR-381 Euceratherium bone collagen 8250±330
•After Suess 1970
B. Obsidian Hydration Sample No. Artifact Type Hydration Reading (microns) Tentative Approximage Age (yrs. B.P.)
22-304 Flake NOR** 22-305 Flake NOR 22-340 Scraper 3.2 2050 22-341 Scraper 4.5 3250 22-343 Scraper 3.3 2150 22-348 Projectile point 4.1 2900 22-349 Flake NOR 22-352 Flake NOR
"No observable rim uncertainties surrounding the obsidian hydra In contrast with the ages for the cultural tion method (Ericson 1975; Friedman and horizon, a value of 8250±33O radiocarbon Long 1976), it is not possible at present to years B.P. (UCR-381) was obtained on bone provide precise equivalent "ages" for these collagen from the distal ends of a Eucerather samples. However, the ages almost certainly ium radius and ulna found imbedded in breccia would not exceed a few thousand years. To 170 cm. below the surface in the entrance provide tentative approximate values for chamber. A six millenium hiatus is indicated Table 1, Clark's (1964) published hydration between the use of the cave by man and the rate for central California has been used to presence of shrub oxen in the region. Such an calculate a calendar age for the four samples age for this cow-sized, goat-like animal is having measurable rims. somewhat surprising, but is in line with 56 THE JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA ANTHROPOLOGY terminal dates falling in the 8000 year B.P. than the present-day Kodiak, has been range for many North American Pleistocene described as the "most powerful carnivorous species (Hester 1960). In Burnet Cave, New mammal which has lived on our continent" Mexico, Euceratherium collinum was found (Cope 1891:998) and "to have been more fleet associated with a hearth dated at 7432±300 of foot, as well as more rapacious, than living radiocarbon years (C-823) by the solid carbon types of bear" (Kurten 1969:23-24). It is method. Hester (1967:183) has questioned this difficult to imagine anyone sharing the cave date since a Clovis point was found in with such a creature! association, suggesting an age closer to To reiterate, the controversy surrounding approximately 11,500 years B.P. Shrub ox the question of early man at Potter Creek Cave remains from an archaeological context within has gone on for over seventy years without a cave near Lake Winnemucca, Nevada, have satisfactory resolution. In an effort to provide been assigned a date of 5000 B.C. (Shutler fresh data the cavern has been reinvestigated. 1961:518; 1968:25), but as pointed out by Excavation disclosed two distinct depositions, Heizer and Baumhoff (1970:3), it is not clear if an ossiferous cave fill and a superficial this is based upon Burnet Cave or on dates archaeological stratum. A six millenium hiatus obtained at the site. The Potter Creek can be demonstrated between these two strata determination is, to our knowledge, the first through the application of ''•C and obsidian direct age obtained on this species. hydration dating. While man may well have The bone implement-like pieces found in been in the region 8000 years ago, there is no 1903 belong to the Pleistocene deposit and are convincing evidence that he occupied the cave at least 8000 years old, but the quesfion sfill at this time or hunted animals such as the shrub remains if these are the result of human work. ox or ground sloth. We believe at this point it From our own examination of these speci can be asserted that the earlier indications for mens, we must concur with those who have contemporaneity of man and extinct fauna argued for a natural origin. Until more were most likely fortuitous; the association convincing evidence is available to the was only apparent, not real, thus it is contrary, the most economical explanation is analogous to the situation at Gypsum Cave that these pieces were produced by bone- where application of '''C dating has disclosed a crushing carnivores and smoothed through similar situation (Heizer and Berger 1970). water action. Passage through the digestive This is not to say, however, that further tract of large carnivores may also account for investigations on this or other sites in the area the smoothed appearance and perforations of will not some day unearth such evidence. the bone fragments (cf Heizer 1964). A ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS detailed analysis is beyond the scope of the present paper. The difficulties encountered in Funds for reinvestigation of Potter Creek the study of very similar bone objects is Cave were made available through Professor manifestly clear in the divergent interpreta Martin A. Baumhoff from the Department of tions for the so-called osteodontokeratic Anthropology, University of California, Davis. culture reported from cave accumulations in We would like to extend our appreciation to J. South Africa (Dart 1957; Klein 1975). It H. Hutchison, Museum of Vertebrate Paleon should be pointed out that remains of the tology, and A. B. Elsasser, Lowie Museum of short-faced bear, Arctotherium, were both Anthropology, University of Cahfornia, Berke abundant and distributed throughout the bone ley, for access to comparative materials and the deposit at Potter Creek (Merriam and Stock original 1902-1903 collections. Support for the 1925:9). This immensely large bear, even larger radiocarbon determinations was provided by POTTER CREEK CAVE 57 the Intramural Research Fund of the Aca 1927 The Pleistocene of the Western Region demic Senate of the University of California, of North America and its Vertebrated Riverside. We thank W. E. Pritchard for the Animals. Washington: Carnegie Institu obsidian hydration values. Finally, thanks are tion of Washington Publication 322. due to the field crew whose volunteered efforts Heizer, R. F. made the whole project possible, John Beck, 1964 The Western Coast of North America. In Roger Robinson, Darrell Burson, Adrian Prehistoric Man in the New World, J. D. Heidenreich, Don Saul, Lyle Scott, and Jennings and E. Norbeck, eds. pp. 117- Thomas Rohrer. 148. University of Chicago Press. Heizer, R. F., and R. Berger University of California, Riverside 1970 Radiocarbon Age of the Gypsum Cave Culture. Berkeley: Contributions of the University of California, Riverside University of California Archaeological Research Facility 7:13-18. REFERENCES Heizer, R. F., and M. A. Baumhoff Bryan, A. L. 1970 Big Game Hunters in the Great Basin: 1965 Paleo-American Prehistory. Pocatello: A Critical Review of the Evidence. Berke Occasional Papers of the Idaho State ley: Contributions of the University of University Museum 16. 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1953 New World Cuhure History: Anglo- Shutler, R., Jr. America. In Anthropology Today, A. L. 1961 Correlation of Beach Terraces with Ch- Kroeber, ed. pp. 238-264. University of matic Cycles of Pluvial Lake Lahontan, Chicago Press. Nevada. Annals of the New York Acad 1964 Early Man in the New World. In Pre emy of Sciences 95:513-520. historic Man in the New World, J. D. 1968 The Great Basin Archaic. Portales: East Jennings and E. Norbeck, eds. pp. 23-81. ern New Mexico University Contribu University of Chicago Press. tions in Anthropology 1:24-26. Kurten, B. Sinclair, W. J. 1969 Cave Bears. Studies in Speleology 2(1): 1904 The Exploration of the Potter Creek 13-24. Cave. University of California Publica Merriam, J. C. tions in American Archaeology and Eth nology 2:1-27. 1906 Recent Cave Exploration in California. American Anthropologist 8:221-228. Stone, L. Merriam, J. C, and C. Stock 1876 Report of Operations During 1874 at the 1925 Relationships and Structure of the Short- United States Salmon-Hatching Estab faced Bear, Arctotherium, from the lishment on the M'Cloud River, Califor Pleistocene of California. Carnegie Insti nia. United States Commission of Fish tution of Washington Publication 347: and Fisheries, Report of the Commis 1-35. sioner for 1873-74 and 1874-75, pp. 437-478. Osborn, H. F. 1910 The Age of Mammals in Europe, Asia Suess, H. E. and North America. New York: The 1970 Bristlecone-pine Calibration of the Ra MacMillan Co. diocarbon Time-Scale 5200 B.C. to the Present. In Radiocarbon Variations and Payen, L. A. Absolute Chronology, I. U. Olsson, ed. 1970 A Spearthrower (Atlatl) from Potter pp. 303-311. New York: Wiley Intersci- Creek Cave, Shasta County, California. ence Division. Davis: University of California, Center for Archaeological Research at Davis Taylor, R. E. Publication 2:157-170. 1975 UCR Radiocarbon Dates II. Radiocar bon 17:396-406. Putnam, F. W. 1906 Evidence of the Work of Man on Objects Wormington, H. M. from Quaternary Caves in California. 1966 When Did Man Come to North America? A Summary of What We Know Today. American Anthropologist 8:229-235. In Ancient Hunters of the Far West, Sellards, E. H. R. F. Pourade, ed. pp. 111-126. San 1952 Early Man in America: A Study in Pre Diego: The Union-Tribune Publish history. Austin: University of Texas ing Co. Press.