1 Interpreting Spotten Cave: The Spotten Cave Interpretive Project Savanna Agardy Cultural Heritage Management Master of Arts Program, Johns Hopkins University AS.465.706.81.FA20: Research Methods in Cultural Heritage Dr. Sarah Chicone January 25th, 2021 2 Abstract The public interpretation of archaeological sites is crucial to the understanding, appreciation, stewardship, and ultimate preservation of archaeology by the public. Significant archaeological sites, such as Spotten Cave — a prehistoric rockshelter site in Utah County — should be interpreted to the public even if they have an uncertain future. Archaeological sites with uncertain futures are not protected by federal or state law nor are they publicly accessible, and some face the possibility of destruction in the future. Due to these challenges, public interpretation is generally not developed for archaeological sites with uncertain futures despite their significance. The Spotten Cave Interpretive Project aims to address this gap by researching methods of public interpretation for archaeological sites such as onsite, offsite, digital, and analog methods along with ways the public benefits from the interpretation of archaeology. The project also includes the development of a cohesive archaeological context for Spotten Cave using archaeological data derived from previous archaeological research and supplementary field work, lab work, and informal interviews. These two components ultimately combine key elements needed for interpretation in order to make several recommendations for the public interpretation of the site based on three possible future scenarios. The Spotten Cave Interpretive Project serves as a contribution to the heritage field by exploring ways in which significant archaeological sites with uncertain futures can be interpreted to the public, a topic that is scarcely available in the existing literature. Keywords: Heritage interpretation, Utah archaeology, interpretation methods, archaeology sites ​ with uncertain futures, public archaeology, prehistoric rockshelter, heritage stewardship, Archaic archaeology, Fremont archaeology, Late Prehistoric archaeology 3 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 8 The Spotten Cave Interpretive Project 8 Why Public Interpretation of Archaeology? 11 ​ An Introduction to Spotten Cave 13 ​ Public versus Privately Owned Archaeological Sites 16 ​ A Note About Terminology 18 Chapter 2: Methodology 20 ​ Interpretive Research 21 ​ Archaeological Research 22 ​ Limitations & Future Research 22 Chapter 3: Interpretive Literature Review 23 ​ Importance of Public Interpretation 23 ​ Methods of the Public Interpretation of Archaeology 27 ​ Chapter 4: Interpretive Analysis 46 ​ Chapter 5: Archaeological Review of Spotten Cave 51 ​ Spotten Cave’s Excavation 51 ​ Artifact Assemblage Analysis Subsequent to Excavation 57 ​ Chapter 6: Supplemental Research of Spotten Cave 66 ​ ​ Project Fieldwork 66 ​ Project Lab Work 73 ​ ​ Site Related Informal Interviews 74 ​ Chapter 7: Exploring Interpretation for Spotten Cave 76 ​ Recommended Themes 77 Interpretive Possibilities 80 ​ 4 Future Scenarios for Spotten Cave & Recommended Interpretive Methods 87 ​ Conclusion 93 ​ ​ Acknowledgements 95 ​ Resources 96 ​ Appendix A: Archaeological/Cultural Context of Spotten Cave 104 ​ Site Background and Excavation 104 ​ Site Cultural Chronology 108 ​ ​ A Note About Provenance Integrity 141 ​ 5 List of Tables Table 1: Interpretive Analysis Chart 50 ​ Table 2: Interpretive Recommendations Chart 92 ​ ​ ​ Appendix A: Archaeological/Cultural Context 104 Table 1: Radiocarbon Dates of Spotten Cave 104 ​ ​ ​ Table 2: Zone I Artifacts and Features 112 ​ ​ ​ Table 3: Zone II Artifacts and Feature 115 ​ ​ ​ Table 4: Zone II Projectile Points 117 ​ ​ ​ Table 5: Zone II Coprolite Assemblage 117 ​ ​ ​ Table 6: Zone III Artifacts and Features 120 ​ ​ ​ Table 7: Zone III Projectile Point Assemblage 124 ​ ​ ​ Table 8: Zone III Coprolite Assemblage 125 ​ ​ ​ Table 9: Zone IV Artifacts and Features 132 ​ ​ ​ Table 10: Zone IV Projectile Point Assemblage 133 ​ ​ ​ Table 11: Zone IV Coprolite Assemblage 133 ​ ​ ​ Table 12: Zone V Artifacts and Features 137 ​ ​ ​ Table 13: Zone V Projectile Point Assemblage 138 ​ ​ ​ 6 List of Figures Figure 1: Spotten Cave Rockshelter 9 ​ Figure 2: Spotten Cave Locational Map 14 ​ ​ Figure 3: Spotten Cave’s Stratigraphy 52 ​ ​ Figure 4: Spotten Cave Site Overview 67 ​ ​ ​ Figure 5: Spotten Cave Shelter Entrance 68 ​ ​ Figure 6: Spotten Cave Shelter Interior 68 ​ ​ Figure 7: Spotten Cave Shelter Interior Map 69 ​ ​ Figure 8: Spotten Cave Elevation Map 70 ​ ​ ​ Figure 9: Spotten Cave Site Sketch Map 71 ​ ​ ​ Figure 10: Historic Artifacts 72 ​ ​ ​ Figure 11: Fake Rock Art Panels 72 ​ ​ ​ Figure 12: Panel 1 Digitization 73 ​ ​ ​ Figure 13: Spotten Cave Site Visit 75 ​ ​ ​ Appendix A: Archaeological/Cultural Context of Spotten Cave 104 ​ Figure 1: Depositional Profile Map of Spotten Cave 106 ​ ​ ​ Figure 2: Plan Map of Spotten Cave 107 ​ ​ ​ Figure 3: MPC Catalog# 1988.055.00064.001, Probable Paleoindian Point 109 ​ Figure 4: Pleistocene Shells 110 ​ ​ ​ Figure 5: Zone I Faunal Assemblage 114 ​ ​ ​ Figure 6: Zone II Faunal Assemblage 116 ​ ​ ​ Figure 7: Zone II Artifacts 118 ​ ​ ​ Figure 8: Snake Valley Grayware Fremont Applique Sherd 123 ​ ​ ​ Figure 9: Zone III Faunal Assemblage 124 ​ ​ ​ 7 Figure 10: Panel 1, Fremont Anthropomorphic Pictograph 126 ​ Figure 11: Zone III Lithics 127 ​ ​ ​ Figure 12: Worked Bone from Zone III 128 ​ ​ ​ Figure 13: Perishables from Zone III 129 ​ ​ ​ Figure 14: Fire starter kit from Zone III 130 ​ ​ ​ Figure 15: Zone IV Faunal Assemblage 133 ​ ​ ​ Figure 16: Zone IV Artifacts 135 ​ ​ ​ Figure 17: Zone V Faunal Assemblage 138 ​ ​ ​ Figure 18: Zone V Historic Artifacts 139 ​ ​ ​ Figure 19: Historical Photograph of Mock’s 1960’s Excavation 140 ​ ​ ​ Figure 20: Unprovenanced/“Spoil” Dirt Lithics 143 ​ ​ ​ Figure 21: Unprovenanced/“Spoil” Dirt Groundstone 145 ​ ​ ​ Figure 22: Unprovenanced/“Spoil” Dirt Ceramics 147 ​ 8 Chapter 1: Introduction The Spotten Cave Interpretive Project What are the best methods of interpreting a significant archaeological site to the public, especially when said site has an uncertain future? This is the question that Spotten Cave Interpretive Project aims to answer about Spotten Cave (42UT104), an archaeologically significant prehistoric rockshelter site located in Utah County, Utah. Archaeological sites with uncertain futures do not have guaranteed preservation, are usually privately owned, and generally not accessible to the public. Despite these challenges, the public interpretation of archaeological sites, even with uncertain futures, is important as it educates about the history of human species, helping the public to gain insight and perspectives about our cultural evolution and future (Little, 2012). Everyone has a right to access history, and making accurate and credible information about the past available is of the utmost importance to enrich the knowledge of the general public, and to encourage the stewardship and ultimate preservation of non-renewable archaeological resources for future generations. The Spotten Cave Interpretive Project puts two crucial components of public archaeological interpretation — research on public interpretive methods and an accurate Archaeological Context of the site (Appendix A) — together in order to make several recommendations based on three possible future scenarios regarding the most appropriate and effective methods to interpret Spotten Cave to Utah’s public. Spotten Cave (Figure 1) has a significant archaeological past and is currently the oldest known site in Utah County, dating back approximately 6,700 years (J. Allison, Personal Communication, September 24, 2020; Woods, 2004, p. 19). The site was excavated and radiocarbon dated during a 1960’s excavation by James Mock of the Brigham Young University (BYU) Archaeology Department. The site is also currently privately owned, has little to no 9 public access, and preservation of the site is not a guarantee just like so many other significant archaeological sites in the United States (US). Sites with uncertain futures are generally not interpreted to the public, despite their significance. This project can serve as a case study for the fields of interpretation and archaeology in exploring the best interpretation methods for a significant site with an uncertain future. Although preservation of the site isn’t guaranteed like many sites located in State or National Parks, public interpretation is still important to increasing the knowledge of the general public, specifically their understanding of the past and its connection to our present and future. The research and interpretive recommendations for the significant, privately owned site of Spotten Cave will guide other archaeologists or interpreters in how to capitalize on sites with uncertain futures for public interpretation, both on a national and local level. Figure 1 Spotten Cave Rockshelter 10 The final interpretive recommendations address the main Research Question of the project, which is: “Using Spotten Cave as a case study, how should archaeological sites with uncertain futures be interpreted to the public?”. The other two project components answer the two identified Research Sub-Questions: #1 “What are the interpretative strategies for prehistoric archaeological sites without visible components and how do these benefit the public?” and #2 “How should archaeological data be used to develop a cohesive archaeological context for Spotten