Utah Statewide Archaeological Society Newsletter, Volume 9, Number 2, June 1963

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9'01. 9, No. 2

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UTAH ARCHAEOLOGY is published quarterly by the UTAH STATEWIDE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SQ~lETY. Subscription is included in membership. Membership in the 'SOciety is available from the secretary-treasul'er at 2.00 per year. Correspondence conceming the activities of the society should be directed to the president. All manuscripts and news items should be sent to: Utah Statewide Archaeology Soc.iety ~ Dept, of Anthropokogy University of Utah,

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UTAH STA 'ffiWIDF. ARCHAEOr.oGIC.'\L SOCIEtt PRES IDEN TI ~Tohn L. Cr' oa~, 860 Sot' til 10th Eas t , OrelU, utah VICE PRESIDENT~ Fl'anci.'3 H=lfiseJ. 906 Ila r.:::hc B:vd.. Ogden., Utah

SECRE'mRI-'lREASl1tElh Veone Gale, 1432 S'um;iew 1)r. !) Ogden, Utah ADVISORI Dr. Jesse D. Jennings, Uil:I.v .. of Utah, Salt Lake City 12, Utah EDITOR, W. D. Pack, 310 South 3rd East, Preston, ~daho

EDITOR'S NOTES

Melvin Aikins is our new L1~on man at the University and curator or the l{useum of Antln"o!,ology. You will note at.ao that he haa a very interesting article in this issue. Our problem is still to get the amateurs in our organization to contribute so I am pl'1n.ting a plea from our Vice President for a etion. We have several new nembers in our organization and hope they will all add to o~ strength.

It has been suggested that if aQY of you find a good cave or burial or interesting archeological sig~ that you contact Dr. Jennings at the university for a dv1ce and proffessional assistance in its evaluation.. I-.~allY' good sights have lost some of their value without a guiding hand. This could easUy be prevented wi th proper procedure.

I received a letter from J.(elvin Aikens at the UniverSity wi th a form and invitation to join the Society tor American Archeology. This is excellent material and our local p?offesionals are well represented in its affairs. Read the articl e appearing in this issue and join if possible.

We have p:':'inted a copy of the application for your eoi'\\I0:uonce. I have aleo printed a r epri nt 01' a paper by Robert Butler. Hope you find it as interesting as I dido We had ar.. ex~el}:ent State wide soeiety -:neeting April 20th, with several good papers d~.J. iv~e.j t hat Vlil l be prin ue d i :1 oar ::1ewsle tte:' in th e future .

We have one fr'om Dr.. Stanley Welch Ylh o !'haJ . bden r;o~"'k1ng on Chapin and Wi theral Mesa in r.esa Verde on Botan:!. cal f~n¡j l.rlgn 'l> A l't'lpJrt ~O~ ;:.~rs" Wallace Winch on Temple hill roc!<: findings ir. Mc:.nt~ 0 1)r ,~ E1.:le:-:- of t he ~Tnive~"si"(;y of Arizona spoke on Southern ute and fol alapai ;':,nd th<':'ir po"':t ery that we would like to print. We are also planning a oupplemen t al is oue tMs year on the Glen Canyon findings.

Hope to see more of you at our annual meeting next year.

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Noms FROM THE EXECUTIVE courtt't"JEE MEtTING F. It.

Haseel

During the nille 7~ars of' its exis tance, the use has QCC\Dllula tad a respectable number ot newsletters, bulletins and what have you, through an exchaDge program with archeological societies in other states. At the executive committee meeting preceding the fourth annual USAS meeting, it was deoided that these publications should be made avaUable to all SOCietY' .embers and that this roapone iblli ty would be delesa ted to the ottice ot the president elect (vice president).

At the present time we haw on hand considerable numbers ot the Bulletin Arkansa~ Archeologist, and Southwestern Lore (the Colorado publication), plus a teJ1 oopies of W;yom1ng, New York and Nevada issues. 1bey have been grouped into aets of ten or twelve consecutivE'? issues, where possible, for loan to i~divldual members or chapters.

USAS mecbers belonging to organized chapters should request their chapter officers to order these publications. A brief letter or post card addressed to me at 906 Rancho Blvd., Ogden, v.1l1 place you or your chapter on the maUing list. When one set is returnod anotherw1l1 be mailed autoJQatically. subject, of course, to the stock on hand o

ot the Alabama Archeological SOciety, T.he

Although you might feel you would be only interested in those publications from our own general area, the eastern bulletins should b.1 no means be discounted. Nany ccntain excellent descriptions and illuotrations ot projectile points, pot"vC3:'Y" burials, etoo l 'nhile such broad subject titles 88, "Stone and Socone W,);d dng l1 J "Aerial Archeology", "Paleo-ballistics", "'Ihe Per Us of PoinoG Ideu'ti!.'ication", and nExca.va~ing an Archeological Site", should whet the appetite of anyone interested in the field of archeolog;y.

Ways and neans ot imprO'V'ing your nansletter wre also discussed during the committee meeting referred to above. Several ideas were advanced and tentatively agreed to. However, there remains one fiy in the ointment-the matter of material for publication. Obviously, it will do no good to revise the newsletter i f the editor has nothing to print. I imagine all of you have noticed how slim the newsletter has become ot late. lUll credit tor this must rest squarely on the society members, especially the amateurs.

Amateur membership in the aociet,y tar outnumbers the profoseionallJ trained, yet amateurs have made only minor contrivutions in the way of art10les and repo1"t.'1 f.or publication. This might best be filustrated by' the following bried analy.:lia of the three complete volumes published since the society was "weaned" by the University ot Utah:

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Original articles by prof. and student

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Year 1960 1961 1962

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original articles by amateurs

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As you can sec, without the invaluable asa:lstance of the minority group of professional and student archeologists, the newsletter V10uld have been

a sorry publication, indeedl ']here 1s a def1n1 te place and a need for the ama tour, not only in aroheology but in other scientific fields as qel1. 10 paraphrase the opening paragraph of Herbert '.'Tendts' m-y1y humorous aIld highly pertinent book n In Search of Adam", (Houghton J!Uflin Co., Boston, 1956)- ~,1any momnnents have been erected to professional researchers, however, a statue of the spirit of research would have to represent the indus trious amateur, bis brow wreathed nith error, his head stuffed with heretical theories, but his feet resting firmly on a pedestal of unfailing ~rseverence.

You need not discover the first namloth kUl or atratified Folsom site in the state in order to make a significant contribution to the science. ~ objective report will add to the over~l reservoir of knowledge and mal" provide the key for unlocking a vas t new area of research. So don't be afraid to write and subnit that first report. 'lhe process is really qui to painless although it may cause some 'perspiration. Astonish your friends and impress your in-laws by becoming a published authorl Report that site dovln by the creek or those petroglyphs you found last deer seasonS Help the editor improve your newsletter by giving him something to nork with for a changel

PRELn!INARY REPORT ON EXCAVA TIONS Dl SO~'lR7ES'JERN UTAH, 1962 by' C. Melvin Aikens

TWo and one-ball months or archeol~g1cal excavation and liMited survey werp. op.l'ricd out in southwestern Utah during the 1962 field f.loa.."lon by a Unlvo:rsi ty of Utah crew under tho dirootion of Don Del Fowler 1'he crcw was one or three fielded by the University this season; the others, uorking in the Glen Canyon and Flaming Gorge areas. were supported by the Upper 0

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Colorade Rivor ~8:t.n Archeological SalYllge PI'oject. '!be work heN report.. was made ?oe~ible bf ~ g?an~ t~om th~ N~tional Scip.nce lOundation. }"embers C!f the eJ.."eall8.tion erew ;7erea Don D. Fowlar, university .t utak, C. Melvin Aikr.na: Univers:lty of Chicago; T. J. Barrette, University of M!.nncso":"a; Jar:sa Brr.,d lcy, SKyline Jligh School, Salt Lake City: Robert Jaoka, UlJ.i't1"l..\.. r:; ::' ~. ~ ot W~. c.h:\'-:.a.~ D:\vid Jennir..gs, St.. T'ark's S~h')oJ. fer toys, Salt Lake Cit~"'j t'U.a'<1 KOUB S , TJrUTTUl""d ty of Chicago; Leslie PeD.."lineton, University ot 'l'ex~ J anj Wal tor Shumflky, Fairmont College.

Tae area studied attaddles two p~iocraph1o provinoe8, the o.ea\ B&8lD (st. George) and the Colorado Plateau (Zion National Park and Johnson canyOG~ The mest conspicuous prehistoric remaiM in thi. region are those ot but there alos exist traces of earlier and later pec.~le'3. Late PaIute material was found in the disturbed surface levels of several Pueb1o&l\ Bi te!s. the

Kayerta-~elated Anasa~i,

The t:!.rst month ot tt~e season was spent 1n the DA1ghborhood ot st.QeQr•• wh.ere one large masonry pueblo 1188 sampled rather thoroughly.. and some data. " reooverl~ d trOLl tt/O othor ~tes that had been extensively dug byematepra.

Sfett.."ll:.'l IiJ ~ -l1'V,);y' '!i'J oD a1.S9 carried out 1U0'l! F.JEiveJ.~a'~ miles ot' the sarita C1D:;\ a~ " 'JX' i R J ev; a1 te~ shown. to us by r.;lJ.:J.9 an ti ',' ayno Cartel' lilnd Cl~e ~"!VYi., vI t ap. at." Gc~.rrg'~ 'c.laptp-r of th~ t'·'~~, h S'h te .Archeolo~J.c:ll Society, weJ'e 1)1;::- (oI"! ' ~ il'~ i"8c')r'ued, 'lhc aiQ flnr.i ill1;p'~·PS ii ~lnt tl".o manb rs ot the St. Ooorc;e ~h; ·~ii(') ~.:·, Uld ?\:."M.cJ Ul..r-.rl~· t hoBe three 'Clcn, shewed in ot.',l' work, 1s Fatufully ~~~.Do\'!le dee rlo lh mid-July the crew moved east to Zion Park v/hezoe lSr.'.u l ce.ve~ "' e!"e t~eted cm1 a ~oI:lplex of 14 circular structures excavate. during a tm\9 e-::;Jee~ pa~!'':)d" The f iD:'l1 month oi the season was spent 1ft JoJ-Ulson Cany'On 15..·2,) :J11lae ~orth€3St of Kanab, V/here limited 8Ul"YAy was carried out an~ t;wo 51 tea '_'erfl f&1lpled.

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It ia ant,ic!.pated that tJ Ith the Illata oltta1.ned tr~ the aeason's wark we able to addtesel o\1l"selv6s to such questions 88 (1) what 1n fact does thA term Vb-tin ~e':lch Ilenotg'/--an ad~qva 'iic definition 10 still lack1nc, though the (..Jn~ on ~ tE over 20 years ol~J e.nd, (2) c.r what kind and how extenaI~e :l. r e the ~(:;1~tl')r..ship6 at th.s ~ebloan cultl:.l'e8 at scu-Ghirestem Utah to t~se of SO!.\thern li'e'18da., to the Kayenta of northeastern Arizona, and to the Fr3mont nnd Sevier-Fretlont at no!'thern and eastern Utah? '!here is alao the ql1el9 '~10i:l of the speciflc means by uh1ch thece people were able to wring a 11'O"el:Lhood out ot a desert anu nea.:t"-dei;;ett'tl ellvi4"onJ1lent (1nwlviDa perhaJiB suoh a teohniques as lrr',gation, planting ~n na'~u't"al ;Jeep are&e, relative reliance on gathel'ing, (; ,t~o) and th~ ploblam of .."by they were unable to sustain it.

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.Anal.pis of ·lih'". f ': eld d-:.ta is unde:l!" wa::-, l:-ut as yet I can offer little al~d ~d.l.: p:.:esont here only a very brief synopsis of the sUIllr.ler's vlo:i:'k .. in tile way of imjeI'}Jre'l,atlonlj

THREE lm.E RUIN (42\7s50) At 'lhree l.~le Ruin, a bou t :3 miles west of santa Clara, we excavated ~;;f.' ~!.<; ··"'~~3j appears to ba ve been a conplex of tlaSonry rooms arranged 3".'f'v,:,!d ~ '~')ltt·t.ya"!'d in an interrupted Circle. In the excavated half of this I.\u:.· · .,..; t.\ ..c1 i;iii~d site, 15 structures were found, of which 13 were of rectan-

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cO·..xl'sed so.ndstone masonry. '»'te other mo structures (pit houses) are 'lW'elve ot the surface rooms had dinensions of about 7 by one room measured 19 by 15 teet. These rooms wert} strung t:>gether end to end a nd formed two separate gt"oups of contiguous structures, one group containing three rooms and the other containing 10. The two complcxes nera separated b,y a gap of some 15 feet.. d 'j.~j -.!'lS3ed below.

L-~ feet each, and

All but one of the 13 rooms had nagstone noors, and all but three of them lacked fireplaces. The one larger masonry room mentioned above was one of those that possessed a hearth. In addition to this and two smaller masonry rooms that contained fireplaces there were two small (4 ft. 11 in. and 5 ft. 10 in. vdde, 3 ft. and 3 ft. 6 in. deep) circular cla y-lined pit houses south of the circular cOJ!lplex which also contained hearths. '!\vo long trenches cut across the open "courtyard" of the site failed to turn up an.y structures, and revealed that the cultural f'ill of' the site was

only 12-18 in. dee~ The constellation of' associated pottery types dates the Bite as late Pueblo II-early Pueblo III, and a few sherds of noapa Gra;, and Black-on- gray indicate that 1ts inhabitants had some contaot with the people of the lower Virgin drainage in southern Nevada.

A brief survey for 3 miles along the santa Clara River above and

below

the site revealed 12 sites of a similar pattern, one site that was blown out and had no definable architecture, but that was associated m th only Jlain gray and black-on-gray pottery, and one site where slab-lined pit houses with ventilators were asSOCiated f/ith a circular or semicircular complex of surface rooms.

GOOSENECKS OVERLOOK (08172) On a bluff a bove the Goosenecks of the Virgin River, 3 miles southwest of St. George, an unst:-a"tJ{,:!.~ 'J l3:J.te.~ extensively dug by unknown persons, was examined.

'Jhe re:ii~ 1l1Ul'\;e:l.~r.) ha.d cleaned out three large (6 to 8 ft. di:'.", 3 to :3 1/2 ftc ae-:-!) ) ,>,:>;.11'.&" &t;.'U~ ·::ur~s that had been built by lining a f.);.t vrith vertically s "'t ~ all!:;'Lne Gl.·,1..s :"'n·, . ·then adding a cylindrical cO'\lrsed ma sonry nali ai.:love tJ.is T!'!:)::.,se< itl-6n ~~\. 0

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In addition to recordine these strUl:'l,\.C....es:. we ezeavated one rectangular (9 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft. 6 in. dee;p) sle.b-l ined pit house 'With a clay fioor and no fireplace, and onp. rectangular coursed masonry structure that had a ~lay fioor , a central clay-rimned firepit, and a small rectangular claylined pit in the floor near tho north wall. Only gray a nd black-on-gray pottery (Lino?) was found at the site, suggesting that it dates from Basketmaker nr...Puoblo I t:lmes.

REUSCH Sr'JE (42Ws173)

Ten miles east ot St. George we tested a disturbed s1 te at which 7 feet of stratitied midden was associated with az'chitectural remaiDs. Analysis ot stratigraphic correlations between artitacts and architectural teatures bas Ilot been begun yet, but on the basis ot observations made during excavation it can be said that there is a change through tine in the pottery, with plain and black-on-gray sherds being earliest, and corrugated and red pottery coming in after the site had been occupied for some time. Further, the presence of some P-.foa pa V.iare shards indicates cultural. con'tacts with tlie Puebloan peoples ot southern Nevada.

VIRGIN VIS'Dl (42Ws200)

At the mouth ot Parunuweap canyon near Zion National Park, just above the contluence of the north and south forks of the Virgin River, a complex of 14 circular storage structures was excavated. The structures varied between 6 and 8 ft. in in dla. and between 2 and 3 ft. in dep th, and were 81 tuated very close together, though only in one case did two structures sMre a common wall. As at Qoosenecks OVerlook, the c1sts Vlere fomed by l1ning a. Circular pit with large sandstone slabs set on edge and buUd1ng walls of cOUJ'sed sandstone masonry to extend the structUJ'es upward another foot or so trom the tope of the "baseboards." In only one structure was there a prepared fire area, though there was also at the site one small (2ft. by 2 ft.) square structure of vertically set alabs that was full ot ash. All ot the structures contained charcoal and ash either directlyoverl ying the f"loor or in the lower till, but this prpbably represents destruotion by fire or the use ot abandoned structures as dumps rather than intentional fire making.

A aeries of seven long narrow exploratory tl'enches were cut in the vioinityof this storage complex, but 1~here 'Was no trace of other architecture. Tbe pottery types found here suggest that the complex belongs in the Baske tmaker nr time range.

LAMBS KNOLL CAVES (42Vls202 and 203)

Two small caves located close together in the base of a sandstone formation known as Lambs Knoll~ whioh lies about i Illile west ot the Zion Park

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boundary, jus t north of the ~/j ':'gin P.t\) e:::o y 'tVtlr"l t es mel and fOWld to contain only 12-18 in. of cultural depoaiJj., Or..e cf the caves, 42!f/s202, revealed only Pueb10an pottery, but the other contained Pueblo pottery only in the bottom level and a mixture of Pueblo and Paiute pottery in the dieturbed upper level. The disturbod rE1l!'ains of small ma sonry structures, probably storage cists, were found in both sites.

SANDBOX SI'lE (42K81061)

Excavation of a small area of a very large site in Johnson Canyon revealed arcbi tccture somewhat simUar to that ot Three Mile Ruin in the santa Clara Valley. Here was found a curving row ot rectangular masonry rooms, l'1h ich did not, however, appear to be part ot a fully circular or even semicircul.ar complex. One of the rooms had a stone slab floor such as was common a t Thi~e e VL'.e Ruin, but the res t had only clay-paved noors.

They further d1fl'l?red from the root!lB at Three -1¡:i1e Ruin in that they had been constructed by digging a shallow pit and lining the edges ot it with vertical. slab "baseboards ll betore constructing the upper masonry walls. 'l1l1s technique was absent at Ttmee Une Ruin. None of the rooms contained fireplaces.

'lhe pottery associated with 1be site dates it to late Pueblo II-early Pueblo III times.

BONANZA 1XJNE (421& 1076)

Also in Jobnson Canyon we encountered a site where a circular subterranee. n masonry structure could be seon eroding out of the cutbank of the deep arroyo of Johnson Creek. Work hore consisted primarU,. ot cutting steps davn the face of the cutbank and ol<."aning a protUe that showed 22 ft. o! cul ture-b ear ing deposito Superpos1 tion ot clay house-noors and pits indicate a sequence of seven occupations within the bottom 5 ft. of the Site, and seven more uithin the top 10 ft. The 1ntervening ? ft. of tUl contains charcoal ant' c.rtifacu8, but no superposed archi teotural remains or other definite i:ll"'ications of s eq'lentlal occupations ,.ere d1scovered here. 'I1le seq'lenf~e cont.a ined in the 8i to baa not yet been worked out in detaU, but a fe\? Paiute sherds were found in the disturbed upper levels ot the site in a ssoi:lation with Puehlo waree, and no pottery at aU appeared on the bottom-most levels. Further work should be done a t this sf. tee

CONCLUSIONS.

on the basis of pottery differenoes in sites, a t least two periods of occupat1on can be infe~ed for the area stud1ed e Some sites contained no other pottery than pLain gray and hlack-on-gr-'ay; others yielded the corrugated and painted nares ~us tOr.larlly a soig~led to late Pueblo II- early Pueblo III t1r.les. The gray wares were associated l111h slab-lined storage 6

c~.s ·t:'l and with blcmouts Ylhere no architecture rEmlailledl the cortugated and pi' :in.ted wares occurred in association wi th large contiguous cui-ving or r ounc masonry dwelling-storage complexes. In only one case, a t Qo08enecka Overlook, was a definite habitation struc1nre found associated with slab-

lined eiate and a non-oorrucated, non-redware pottery aaaenblage.

The Reusch site and Bonanza Dune, both deep sites, apparently span the

nI range, Bonanza Dune even con'ta1n1ns evidence at a nonceramic occupation at the bottom, and a Paiute occupation at the top, ot ita 22 tt. of depoai t. entire Baeketmaker nI-Pueb10

UEMBERSHIP IN 'l'HE SOCIE'1Y FOR AMFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGY As a member of a regional archaeological society, ~u are well aware tha~ the prehistoric Indian cultures did not respect present state boundaries.

In tact, increasingly broader connections are being demtJnstrated between

distant areas ot the Hew World and be~veen the continents as research proeresses. To keep abreaa t ot the broadening horizons ot New World archaeology we suegest that you join the SOCiety tor American Archaeology_

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The Society tor American Archaeology is not simply a profeasional organization. It was specifically intended, as is stated in its oonstitution, n • • • to serve as a bond among those interested 1n American Archaeology, both professionals, and non.protessionals." Ita major act1Yity 1s the pUblication of the resu1. ts ot archaeological investigations and membeJ"S receive wi thout further charge the tollowingl

(1) a quarterly journal, American Antiquity, oonta1n1ng aver 600 pa gee ot abundantly Ulustrated artiCles and reViews on all phases of New World preb1stor,yJ (2) Abstracts of New World Archaeology, an annual publication listing and abstractnig artioies aDd bOoks 1D an media pertaining to Hew World archaeologYJ and, (3) occasional Uemoirs issued Sntemdttantly (but our Editor, Dr. T. N. Campbell, bas promISed several for the coming year).

All or these are prOV'ided to our me~bers for their annual duos ot $8.00 per year. To be pertectl7 tair, our dues will be raised to $10.00 per year ~ter the present y'ear. ~t this is the year to join the Society and give ita trial at the present 101'l rate. This i8 also the time to join since the firs t n\Ul\ber of the new volume of American Antiqui t~ appears in July. For your convenience, a cOPT of our aPPlication biaDkor memberShip is reproduced below. PUl out the blank and send it with your check or money order tor $8.00 to our Secretary, Dr. -toe Ben. Wheat, tJn1versi ty ot Colorado

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Museum, Boulder, Colorado. AIJ a preTlew of some of the con'ten ts of forthcOtdng numbers in the new volume of American AntiClui our edt tor bas protl. vided us with some of the authors ana tHles of art1ces which are listed belows FORTHCOMING ARTICLES - A.v.BRICAN ANTIQUITY

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Waldo R. Wedel: '1be High Plains and 'Jheir UtUization by the Indian.

Robert W. Neuman: Check-etarnped Pottery on the Northern and Central Plains.

Donald W. Lathrap and Lawrence Royes 'Ihe Archeology of the Cave of the OWls in the Upper r~n tana of Peru.

Meredi th Black and Charles E. E,man; 1be Union Lake Skull, a Possible Early Indian Find in t,a.chigan.

Elizabeth C. "'.!eaverl Technological Ana lysis of Prehistoric Lower AfLss1sSippi Ceramic Ha1arialss A Preliminary Report.

William J. l'!ayer-()akesl Complex Society Archa eology.

Paul. H. Ezell. Is There a Hohokam.-Pima Cul ture Continuum?

Paul S. Ha.rtin: Early Uan in Arizona, the Pollen Evidence.

Calvin J. Heusser. Fostgla cial Palynology and Archaeology in the Naknek 1tiver Drainage Arca, Alaska. ¡ E. Creutz and J. Horiarty: Inferences on Use Position of San Dieguito Percussion-flaked Artifacts.

Florence Hawley Ellis and .J. J. Brody: Ceramic Stratigraphy at TaosPueblo.

Stephen C. Jette Pueblo Dtqian rofigrat1cns: An Evaluation of the Possible Ph;ysioal and Cultural Determinants.

Edwin N. WUmsen: Flake Tools in 'the American Arctio: Some Speculations.

Donald W. La thrapl An Alternative Seriation or the Habaruca Phase, Northwestern British Guiana.

Alan Lyle Bryan and Ruth GruhD: PrQltlems Relating to the Neothennal Climatic Sequence.

David Gebhard, George Agog1no, and Vance Haynes: Horne~ ()11 Cave, Wyoming.

Lewis R. Binford: A Consideration of Archaeological Research Design. 'aene Millon. 'the ~eotihuacan Mapp1n~ Projec~.

John H. Chilcott and Japlea J. Deetzc ' The Construction and USes ot a La boratory Archaeological. 8i te.

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APPLICA'l'ION FOR lEMBEftSHIP THE SOCIE'lY FOR AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY

I, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, hereby applY' for manbership in the Society for American Archaeology and enclose ship dues tor

the~-1scal

~~8.00

Y'ear _ _ _ _ beginning Apr.

a

S

my annual member-

lst~

1,$7.00

ot which

is for a subscription to the journal, American AntIquity, for one Y'ear. occupation _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~~--..,.....-'-,_._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Archaeological interest

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"'Jhe objects ot the Society sball be t6 promote and to st1mulate interest and research in the a rchaeology of tle American continents; to encourage a more rational public appreciatioD of the a1mB and limitations of ar~haeo~ogic~l research; to serve as a bond among those interested in Ameri9sn archaeology, both professionals and non-protessionals, and to aid in directing their efforts into more sceintAlic channels} to publish and to enco~~e the publication of their resulta; to foster the formation and welfare ot local archaeological sooieties) to advocate and to aid in the ~~nBervation of archaeological data) and 1. discourage co~ercial1sm in the arc~eological field and to work for its .11mination." ~. n, ~. 1, ~lUIti tution. .

I aa in sympathy with and herebY' of the SOCiety.

8u~oribe

Signature~,~,

Addrees

to the ideals and objects

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Dues must accompany application(,S.OO .a nntallYi Benefactor, ~SOO.OO) Make checks or money orders ~dble to The Societ? for American Archaeology and mall to the Secretary. Remittances must be in United states currency or equivalent.

Mail completed \tlank, together with $8.0<), to Dr. Joe Ben Wheat University of Colorado MUseum !oulder, Colorado

ADDITIOnAL NO'lES AND

cm~rns

ON A'fLA'l'L WEIGH'l'S D1 'tHE NOR'lHNEST

by B. Robert Butler

The notes and comments presented in this article are intended to serve as addenda to the Butler and OSborne (1959) paper on 'the occurrence and distribution ot ground stone atlatl weights in the Northwest published in AHERICAN ANTIQUI1t a few years ago. In that paper, the weights were grouped into three Main types largely on the basis of the number and location of the lashing grooves, notches, holes, or scars (Ibid. 215). Among the specimens which were studied at the tlme, th~ correlation betvleen forn and method of lashing was quite high.

The type la weight was a narrow, more or less na Hided hemisphere ili th a single transverse perforation through the center of the sides. The base ot this type was nearly always fiat. The Typ..e II weight was usually a rather long, boatsha ped object with a single transverse notch over either ot 'the narrow, tapered ends. The base was either fiat or slightly concave and turned up slightly a t the ends, presumably so that tightening wedges could be driven under the ends atter the piece had been lashed to the underside ot the thl'owing boa rd. This feature was also conrnon on the Type ilIa specimens, mich were short~r, almost loat-ehaped objects with a threequarter groove around the midsection, i.&. , with a groove up the sides and over the top ot the midsection. The better !!lade 'lYPe IlIa specimens usually had a concave ba se; hOlVever, fiat-based specimens were not uncommon. This type was the most comm.on of the three, particularly in the Lower Columbia Valley, and also tended to be the heavies t. ~1eight alone was not cons idered a very satistaetory criterion for classification of tbe three t,ypes because there was considerable overlap in their weight ranges. However, there was a ratiwJ" high correlation bet~ieen the average weights ot the specimens and the types to which they were assigned. Type;ra weights had an average weight of 105 grams; Type II, an average of 5$ grams; and TJpe ilIa, an average of 174 grams (Butler and OSborne 1959: Table I).

m the Butler and Osborne ps,per, reference was made to reporte ot galena atlatl weights tound along the banks of the Pend OreUle and Coeur drAlene rivers in northern Idaho; but the reports were not contirmed at the time, nor did we have any idea as to the type or types involved (lbidc 216).

Since then I have learned tran Hr. Tom o. Miller, Jr., who has worked 1.n northern Idaho, that these weights are identical to the Type Ia weights described and illustrated in the Butler and Osborne paper (lbidl 215-216 and Fig. I, a-d), cost of m ich were also made of galena. The latter were mainly concentrated in The Dalles Region at the Lower Columbia Valley, as were also the Type II and Type IlIa weights. 'lbe nearest source of galena to '!he Da Ues was along the western slopes of the Cascades in Oregon and _'WaBh1ng.ton. . In tbe Pend CreUle country ot northern Idaho, large deposits

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of plena are CoamoDJ and this taot, coupled 111 ttl the ine et atlat.l welcht tound there, euggesta an al ~rnatlve sou.rce for the material. fro.. The DIllâ&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ and perhaps far the finizhed g,~e!la Tleights found there as well. Mr Mlller observed neither Type II nor Type IlIa neiGhts in the colleetlolUl trom aorthsrn Idaho.

Information on the occurrence ot atlatl welchts elsewhere tn Idaho la extremely mea g:re. During the past yea.r two ex8l!lples have been brought to 'IffY attenM.on. One of these (not l1lustr.ated) 1s an eloDlated, sbarPJ.7 blpointed, boat-shap9d torm wi tb sl~,gh:Uy upt.urned ends and a flat bue. It measures B.6 x 2 .. 2 It l.5 C!DB and is ~dc or a ao!'t, black, micaceous atone. boept tor the fact that it lacks tel'tJlina.1 notches or other indications ot the method of lashing 1 t to a 'bbrowiug board, its sUse and shape 18 cempa rable to tbat of the Type n weights described by Butler and 08borne (lbidl 217-218). '1h18 specimen was colleoted in 1959 by PRr. o. D. Crippen ot Salmon, Idaho, from a site at Hood Guloh in the salmon National Porest, just south bt the Continental Divide in east-central. Idaho. A second, better made Type II weight (Fig. 1) was collected in 1942 by' Mr. and Mrs. R. U. caner ot Po<*te110, Idaho, trom a blow-out site a few mUee north ot the hake River 1a eoutheastern Idaho, at a locality that baa l1elded a number ot clua1e "Early Mann points (Folsom, Seotteblutt, etc.) as well as more recent types of pointe. 1his specimen is made ot a black banded, poeen arg1llite, me-.ures 11.0 z 3.0 x 2.5 aIDS, and welchl1l7 crams. There i.e a DarI'OV croWl' or notch over either ot the ~OII' ends, and the bese 18 det1n1te17 coltc,ve. Thue tar, tllere have been no reports ot Type III weigh. ocCUl'l'!DI llJ Xdaho.

In aou~heaatel'n Oreaon, only 'I)pe II weichte were reported ,re'l1oW!J17 (Butler anti OSborne 1959, 218). Since tben a _all, loa t..ehaped 'l.'ype IlIa weight trom the "eat shore of Sumner take has been illustrated in a recent lseU9 ot tits oregon ArchaeoloCical Soc 1e ty publication, SC1lEENlNOS (Vol. 9, No. U, November 19601 Fig. 4). Unfortunately, there are no data liven on ita aulWral a8socatlons. 'Ibis 18 also true of an excellent specimen from AlasJea., which Creasman has illustrated in his neul tural Seq,uencea at 1he Dalles, Oregon" (Oreaa1DSJl 196(>1 11.... lower lett band artifact).

'Ib1e apecfm,n appears to be Identical in every reapect to tiro 'l)pe II.Ia weich- fltoqJ Wakemap Mound, (v. Butler and Osborne, 19591 ftc. 2, 1...), a 1& rae, m~~iple habitation site at 'the Dalles. The latter are trom an earq v:1llage 1,n,el which has been radiocarbon dated as 9th to 14th Century A.D. in age (l.b1da 220). The material culture trom this village may have ties with the Nor1thnest Coast. It would be interest:1Dg to know what the aSSOCiations, provenience, and locality of the Alaska n specimen are and whethor OS'" not tb1s information would shed light on the atlatl. weight problem in the Rartbweet a a a Whole.

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Apparefttl7 there 18 atUl aoms miaUDderetand1Dl 8Ild 18neral lack ot

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e of the hypoth(;sis that the objects described by Butler and

Otic './. ..... ar e :l ndccd a 'blat:'. weightso ft..rg:'IIilents against this hypothesis tend to .:i:''''':' .. i.:!to i:.iw¡) l)J.'oa~l c1ases: (1) there is no real basis for calling these vrj,x'~

atJ.nG1 1i:eighw, "'hich implies ei thor (a) that none have ever been in i r.disputable association with throuing boards ar (b) that, even if 'li hey had been found in association with thrOwing boards, they may not

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have functioned as weights or balancing devices) and (2) that although these objects may have served as atlatl weights in certain areas or at oertain time levels, the specimens whioh have been found in the Northwest may represent some kind of vestigial, decorative, or oeremonial artif'acts and therefore would not, in fact, have served as weights not indicate the presence of the throwing board, ae was implied in the Butler' and OSborne paper.

Part of the first argument is eas:ily resolved, for tbe evidence is already at hand and has been for a good many ,ears. For example, Kidder and Guernsey (1919: Pl. 83) Ulustrate several weights and throwing boards v/hich 'Were found in indubitable association in Basketrnak~r n sites in northeastern Arizona. At least one of these weights closely resembles the earlier TYPe IlIa weights found in the NorthNest (e.g., Butler and OSborne 19 9: Fig. 2, f). An atlatl, complete exoept for the finger loops, with a gypsum weight lashed to the back of it "fli th sinew, was recovered from the Baylor Rock Shel tar, Culberson County, 'll3xas, in 1938 by an arna teur and later described and illustrated in AMERICAN ANTIQUITY by Fenenga and Wheat (1940: 221 - 223 and Fig. 9). Recently, Peets (1960) bas experimented vdth a replica of this atlatl and has concluded that "balanCe on the hand is the real purpose of atlatJ. ,"[eights, and no valid judgment 01 the importance of the quality (of the balance on the hand -B.R.B.). is possible unless certain contingenoies of actual use are emulated" (lbid: 110). Experiments of the t~ that Peets has oarried out are, in my estimation, one of the most convinCing methods of resolving the latter part of the first argument.

The seoond type of argument is more difticul t to deal with. It should be pointed out, however, that the alternative hypotheses (i.e., that these arc' merely decorative, ceremonial, or vestigial objects) are far more diffioul t 10 support with ooncrete evidence than the Butlet--Qsborne Hypothesis.

Ideally, with referenoe to the Butler-OSborne hypothesis, we need only find a oonsistent association of the various types of weights with throwing boards at various time levels in the Northwest. Since the Vlooden throwing boards are perishable, and found only under exceptional circumstances, we r.light consider other Material. culture traits which could be expected to reflect the presence or absence of the throvnng board, such as the overall size and weight of projectile points in a given sequence (v., Fenenga 1953). For example, Caldwell~s analysis of the projectile points from 'Wakernap mound (Caldwell 1956), made at a time when he knew nothing about the presence ot atlatl weights at the site, indicated that there was a break in the size and weight ra nge of the projectile points at a certain level in the mound.

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The points above this level tend to be much smaller and lighter than those found belovi this level. Atlutl weights were subsequently discovered in the lower level (Butler and Osbol~e 1959: 220), but not in the higher levels, which dated later than the 14th Century A.D. Inherent in these various arguyr.ents against the atlatJ. Vleight hypothesis is a rather strong tendency to overlook the possible Significance ~hich these o~jects my have ui th reference to the culture history of northern North Alfie!'i~a.. The spa tto-tffilpura 1 dl!3tribution of the types of atlatl weiCht;') o8sc_"::.bad ~y I3ut~~r an.d Osborne appears to indica.te that there were 1rnp ,)~t.:'.nt oul¡l;l:l?al ti J8 i:letween the Nor~m' est and other areas, such as the Et'. '(:;n::-1I ~." oo \.l .....ands , Cal i.iorr:ia, and the Southwest. If this is true, then thes ~ ot her ';I,:;."e83 r.'\B.y have made eigr.if'icant contributions to the development of Nr;r"(jhwe~t t~ ultllres, p~tic\:J.C\I'ly after the period of 1000-500 B.C., when a tla tJ. weight6 ay;e believed to have appeared in the Nortbwes t (Butler and Osborne 1959: 220).

IDAHO STATE COLLF.GE UUSEUU

BIBLIOGRAPHY Butler, B. Robert and Douglas OSborne 1959 Archaeological Evidence for the Use of AtlatJ. Weights in the Northwest. American Antiquity, Vol. 25, No. 2 pp. 215-224.

Caldwell; Wasren VI. 1956 '!he Archaeology of v;akemap, a Stratified Site near the Dalles of the Columbia. ~!5, doctoral dissertation, university of Washington, Seattle.

Cressman, L.S.. 1960 Cultural sequences at 1he Da:Ues, Oregon. Transactions or the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 50, Pt. 10.

Fenenga, Franklin 1953 '!be ~eightB of Chipped stone Points: a Clue to their Functions. Southwestern Journal of Ant:hropology, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 309 - 323.

Fenenga, Franklin and Joe Ben Wheat 1940 An Atlatl from Baylor Rock Shelter, Culberson County, ~xas. ~eriean Antiquity, Vol. 5, No.3, pp. 221 - 222.

Kidder, A. V. and S. J. Guernsey 1919 Archaeological Explorations :in Northeastern Arizona. Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 62.

Peets, orvUle 1960 Experwents in the US f~ of AtJ.atl r,:eights.

American Antiquity, Vol. 26, No.1, pp. 10S-llO. This last article is a reprint from the 'lEBIWA, The Journal of the Idaho State College HuseUl'!l, Pocatello, Idaho 1961. Vol 4 no. 1 pp. 29.

Fig •. 1. A!'g11.11te Atlatl Weight from Sontheastern Idaho (R.M. Carter eo:nect:ion). Upper, side view} lower~ ·'.,-iew of top.

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