University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2016 Knife River Flint Distribution and Identification in Montana Laura Evilsizer University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Evilsizer, Laura, "Knife River Flint Distribution and Identification in Montana" (2016). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 10670. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/10670 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. KNIFE RIVER FLINT DISTRIBUTION AND IDENTIFICATION IN MONTANA By Laura Jean Evilsizer B.A. Anthropology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, 2011 Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology, Cultural Heritage University of Montana Missoula, MT May, 2016 Approved By: Scott Wittenburg, Dean of The Graduate School Graduate School Dr. Douglas H. MacDonald, Chair Department of Anthropology Dr. John Douglas Department of Anthropology Dr. Julie A. Baldwin Department of Geosciences Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ iv List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. v List of Photographs ........................................................................................................................ vi ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1 – INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 Knife River flint .............................................................................................................................. 2 Geologic Context ......................................................................................................................... 4 Cultural Context .......................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2 - THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................... 15 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 15 Human Behavioral Ecology ...................................................................................................... 15 Nonmarket Exchange ................................................................................................................ 18 Socially Valued Goods .............................................................................................................. 19 Applications to Knife River Flint .............................................................................................. 21 Chapter 3 - KNIFE RIVER FLINT IN MONTANA .................................................................... 27 Methods ..................................................................................................................................... 28 Results ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Space ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Time ....................................................................................................................................... 38 Paleoindian Period (11,000+ to 8,000 years ago) .............................................................. 40 Early Plains Archaic (8,000 to 5,000 years ago) ............................................................... 42 Middle Plains Archaic (5,000-3,000 years ago) ................................................................ 43 Late Plains Archaic (3,000-1,500 years ago) ..................................................................... 43 Late Prehistoric (1,500 to 300 years ago) .......................................................................... 45 Historic (300 years ago to present) .................................................................................... 45 Summary of Temporal Distribution ................................................................................... 46 Frequency .............................................................................................................................. 46 Function ................................................................................................................................. 52 Chapter 4 - IDENTIFICATION/MISIDENTIFICATION OF KRF ............................................ 58 What is UV Identification ......................................................................................................... 62 ii Materials and Methods .............................................................................................................. 64 Hagen Village Site ................................................................................................................. 68 Hagen Village Site – Historical and Archaeological Background ..................................... 68 Hagen Village Site - Results .............................................................................................. 69 Hagen Village Site – Summary and Conclusions .............................................................. 72 Point-of-Rocks Cave Site ...................................................................................................... 74 Point-of-Rocks Cave – Historical and Archaeological Background ................................. 75 Point-of-Rocks Cave – Results .......................................................................................... 76 Point-of-Rocks Cave – Summary and Conclusions ........................................................... 76 24VL938 ................................................................................................................................ 78 24VL938 – Historical and Archaeological Background .................................................... 78 24VL938 – Results ............................................................................................................ 80 24VL938 – Summary and Conclusions ............................................................................. 80 MacHaffie Site ....................................................................................................................... 81 MacHaffie site – Historical and Archaeological Background ........................................... 82 MacHaffie Site – Results ................................................................................................... 83 MacHaffie Site – Summary and Conclusions .................................................................... 84 Assorted Additional Sites ...................................................................................................... 84 24RV586 ............................................................................................................................ 85 24MC241 ........................................................................................................................... 86 24MC242 ........................................................................................................................... 87 24MC250 ........................................................................................................................... 88 24BH1037 .......................................................................................................................... 89 24MC1 ............................................................................................................................... 90 Assorted Additional Sites – Summary and Conclusions ................................................... 91 BCC Sites .............................................................................................................................. 92 Helmick Collection ............................................................................................................ 93 Assorted BCC Sites............................................................................................................ 94 Mill Iron Site ...................................................................................................................... 95 Identification Results Summary ................................................................................................ 96 Chapter 5 – SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................................................................. 101 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ 111 APPENDICES