Utah Statewide Archaeological Society Newsletter, Volume 12, Number 1, March 1966

A Newsletter

Vo lume 12, Nunbe r 1

March 1966

UTAH STA1E HISTOi ICAl SOCIETY. 603 EAST SOUTH TEMPLE .-\t®8(£:.D SALT LAKE CI Yl UTA

Pictograph frow White Canyon, Utah

UTAH ARCHAEOLOGY is pubJished quarterly by the UTAH STATEWIDE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Subscription is included in membership. Membership in the society is available from the secretary-treasurer at $2.00 per year. Correspondence concerning the activities of the society should be directed to the president. All manuscripts and news items should be sent to: Utah Statewide Archaeology Society % Dept. of Anthropology, University of Utah.

D'J.~路 ..i~

PRESIDENT: PRES. -ELECT: SEC.TPEAS. : ADVISOR: EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:

.3Ti' l'ZWIDE

AI~C~'30H)GlCAL

SOCUUy

F. K. Hn!,) <;'3l. 9('6 ppn~h() Blvd., Ogden, Utan George W.. 'i'~;'J)p, 98 P,, :-,.t; 2.JOO Souf'h, llou:~tiful. Utah Carol H..'lsscl, 90(. Rol'ch.路) n::'vd., O(,~k71J Utah.

Dr. J~ D. Je~njn.f,s, Ur!iversity of l.:;:C1h Depnrtment of Anthropology, ~Cllt L'3kc City, Uto'lh Publ;'~D.tionJ C. Melvin Aikens, Dniv. of Utah Dept. of AiitiU路opo''l.o1{路y , Salt Lake City, Utah; DistriD'llt:i.on, George W. Tripp, 98 West 2000 South, Bounti:Cur:-Uta~ EDITOR'S NOTES

The f.8ture~ A~ticl~ ~ this issue is a preliminary report by Floyd W. Sruu:rock, Assistant Profe3sor at the University of Utah; on his summer 1965 excavatinI18 at the Nephi Mound site, north of Nephi. Utah. This site fills a gap in the areal sample of excavated Fremont sites in Utah, and provides data of considerable importance to the understanding of the Fremont culture.

Another contribution is by Jean Burson, who describes in "Sherds" an interesting archeological experience at Arches NationAl Monmaent, near Moab, Utah.

The response by tIleClbers of the Society to the call for contributions to the "Sherds" column has been most gratifying. Let's keep it up.

The annual meeting of the Utah Statewide Archeological Society for this year is scheduled for Saturday, April 23, at the Department of Anthropology, University of Utah. In January a circular waS sent out to all chapter presidents, notifying them of the arrangements for the meeting as .decided by the F.xp-~llt'_ive Committee.

This circular is reprinted on page 2.

As a practical matter, it has seemed advisable to report Club News in the Newsletter in only two issues a year . instead of all four. Thus, no Club News section appears in the present issue. This has been done because many chapters feel that they have little of significance to report from only a three-month period, particularly in off seasons. Reporting the news in only the June and January issues should alleviate this ' problem somewhat, and it is being started in this issue as an experiment. If the readers have strong feelings about this policy one way or the other, their comments, addressed to the Editor, are solicited.

As a final note, the members of the USAS should be aware of the Annual Meeting of the Socie.ty for American Archeology, to be hel,d in Reno, Nevada, May 5-7, in conjunction with the Great Basin Anthropological Conference.

Many papers of interest to students of western prehistory, and American prehistory generally will be presented by professional scholars. Any USAS members who are able to attend will certainly find it rewarding. Local arrangements chairman is Wilbur A. Davis, Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, who can assist you w~th hotel reservations if desired.

Annu.al Meeting of the Utah St'lts'o1ide Archeological Society

On January 15, 1966, the executive committee of the USAS, cOl"1;>osed of the officers from each of the local d;grter.s anl the of1>~cers of the statewide crga.nj_:~a­ tion, met in Salt Lake City -::0 ".:ike prelimin9.r~7 pl'l.r\3 for the 1966 Annual Heeting of the Utah Statewide Arche.ologi0.:., l 8'Jdety. ':"c'ilis tneet-:.og is an opportunity for members from allover ths ~ !:f'ctr. ~;o [:'/'t together to E'hare nC'~s [,'J.d idea.s, and to discuss common interef.:!t.& ro:.r.....! obj~ctjves. '.i':-~8 prel h.l~_naT'J7 Olltl ine fur the meeting decided on by tl:i.(.:; u:ccutive ~0'il~ittee is ae fol1cMs: Time: Saturday, April 23, 1956.

Pl ace : Anthropology Depar1'G0~t, Universit.y of Utah campus, Building 411.

AiDap showing how to reaC'h t ~I.e meetin,:; ph·.ce Hill be included in the Mar.ch issue of the Society ne~vsle.t.t.er /In'3ide. h-'\ck c0ver/.

Participants: All members of the rJod_ety are urged to attend. Bes ides 'U-8mb.-;rs, se;eral professior:nl arch'201':'fists will be jnvited to attppJ·l.

Registration: Registc,)l-ion will be frc'm 9':00 to 9::·{) a.m., April 23.

The fee will be $2.00 per person, Hhich Hill be usee. to cover the cost of a noon luncheon in the Univer~ity of Utah Union Building, and incidental expenses of the meeting.

ProSE~: A number of papers discuss ing m.qtters of ip.terest to the Society will be presented by Society met:'.1-:1~rs end [leveral ind.t.~d professional scholars. Members are urged to ;-:-ei1a::e papers to bB presented at the meeting. An appropriate paper sb.:]'..lld re 10 to 2D minutes in length, and may be illustrated either with slBes or actual specilIEns. The presentations need not be actual writt8n papers, though QEny people find ~~ easier to present a written di.<Jcllssion than an ext.emporaneous one. Any matter of -interest to the member should be appropriate material for a paper--a description of a particular field trip, of an interesting collection or an interesting site, perhaps of an interesting pictograph or petroglyph panel, or possibly a discussion of what the role of the USAS is and should be; all would be well-received. The committee urges that each chapter encourage, persuade, or browbeat at least one of its members to prepare a discussion for the meeting. This is absolutely essent ;.al to the success of the meeting, so pleAse try extra hard to make suce that your chapter is represented in the present~tions.

Elections: Eleci:ions will be held at the annual meeting to choose a new Pr8sfdent-elect and ·a new Secretary-Treasurer of the statewide organizatio~.

A nominating committee will present names to be placed on the ballot, and suggestions may be directed to George W. Tripp, Chairman, 98 West 2000 South, Bountiful, Utah.

Plp-ase: Please try to get members of your chapter committee to presentiI~gdIscussions as soon as possible. Send their full names and the titles of. their discussi.ons to Carol Hassel, Sec.-Treasurer, 906 Rancho EJ.vd. I Ogde:l, Utah, in o:::-de:r: that a complete proeram may be prepare-·ct a.~(j distributed to the me~bcrDhip of the Society well in advance of the w~8ti~g.

2

PRELHHNARY REI'ORT ON EXCAVATIONS AT THE NEPHI SITE, NEPHI, UTAH

by Floyd W. Sharrock The Nephi Mound site (42Jb2)--hereafter the Nephi site--is cowposed of nuuerous mounds Which are situated along an abandoned tributary Of Salt Creek.

Sal t Creek drains westward frolit the south terminus of the ~Jasatch Range (Mt. Nebo) through the city of Nephi, thence northward to Utah Lake. Site elevation is sooo-sioo ft. A high water table (probably less than 10 ft. be low surface at the tir.â&#x20AC;˘ e of aboriginal habitation) and the Sal t Creek tributary were probably significant factors in selection of the site area.

The Nephi mounds are reported to have existed frau within the city limits of Nephi, northward 2-3 uiles along the Salt Creek tributary. Many have disappeared however, as has the tributary, under the farmer's plows of the last 100 years. The heaviest concentration of the remaining mounds is approximately 3 fJ.i. north of the city center of Nephi and lli. west of U. S. Highway 90. There, 22 mounds were counted in a 160 acre plot.

There are ~ny others in surrounding fields.

*

Th'e Nephi site has been known for' at least 75 years. One of the ¡ [Uounds is reported to have been excavated by the Utah World's Fair CO[;1mission in 1890 in order to acquire material for Utah Territory's ~lorld Columbian Exposition of 1893 (HcDanial 1894, 105-10; Sharrock 1963, 11). Small cubicle rooms (cf. "Kanosh" houses, below) were reported to have been found by the Utah Commission (Gillin 1936). The site was next noted by Judd (1926). In 1936, test excavations at four mounds were conducted by Gillin.

The Site Along the Salt Creek tributary water course, natural prominences were selected for use. Occupied prominences were, at first, not markedly differentiated fro[J. the surrounding terrain but because of constructions on them and other natural buildup resulting from occupations, the prominences came to stand 2-5 ft ,. higher than the genera 1 surface and now appear as welldefined mounds. The mounds vary from approximately 20 to 150 ft. across.

The larger t.'1ounds tend to stand highest but this is not a hard and fast rule, All of the larger mounds are accentuated by a depression extending along a section of the periphery--usually to the north, With the nearobliteration through plowing of the Salt Creek tributary, the mounds now appear far removed from any evident ~ater source in the rolling fields.

This is a recent condition, however.

3

Excavation The la.l:g~::;t: Ci.l1u 1.1V::lL ~~llt.Lally¡-l .. cat.ed of several closely spaced l~lounds in the first exarained 160 acre plot was selected for e. XCAVd t"ion with a view toward extension into the nearby uounds if ti,de allowed. The oound selected was ApproxiQately ft. higher than the general surface level. Excavation incll1ded a north-south exploratory trench systeo. extendin~ approximately 300 ft. across the depression on the north periphery of the fJound, across the [.lOund itself and across the 75 ft. low area between it and the next Qound to the south.

Several east-west lateral trenches and excavation units (Fig. 1) were dictated by the data revealed in the major exploratory trench.

si

I

Site Reconstruction Evidence of three stratigraphically distinct occupations (Fig. 2) was discovered in the excavated G:tQund and in the low area between mounds. Breaks between the three occupations are indicated by strata suggesting possibly intentional site destruction and immediate rebuildingl However evidences of burning of specific structures is limited to the pithouse (below) and the dwelling associated with Occupation l(below). PotterYi bone and stone artifacts are sioilar throughout the three occupations (see ~rtif~ct~, beloW).

Occupation 1 At the inception of site usage, the prominence stood at DOst 12-18 in. above the surrounding terrain. The first occupation involved excavation of adobe froD the north edge of the prooinence for use in structures built on the proo.inence. The resultant two borrow pits (as seen in the exploratory trench walls) were each 15 ft. across north-south and extended probably 25-50 ft. east-west.

The borrow pits are parallel to one another and are separated by a 10-15 ft. wide ridge. The pits were 4-5 ft. deep from the occupation surface (5-7 ft. below the present surface). The adobe was used as the major component in storage and dwelling structures built on the prorainence. Structures were created frocl the adobe in the following manner: Shallow trenches 0-2 in. deep, 14-16 in. wide) were excavated. A continuous, 12 in . in dia. adobe coil was fashioned in the trench and slightly flattened, possibly by its own weight (and/or because of the weight of the next hiGher coil laid on it).

Coil was laid upon coil, and the coils sr:toothed together to make a smoothfaced wall (Fig. 3) probably 4-6 ft. in hei g ht. The structures were rectangular. For smaller structuies (granaries), beams apparently spanned the walls and were covered by brush or corn stalk thatch with a clay seal to compose roofing; in larger structures (dwellings) roof beams were supported by interior posts. Apparently, entryways were through the roof since no evidence of doorways was noted in walls.

4

·~~ ~'I!"',,..,I ';.,",'

.

.-.--

.~,

-,-

.-.'

; .;-.:-

...

_-.......... _-

..

_- ....-.........

-----:..-~,)"--~

........ --;..,... ....

Borrow Pits

Wasatch , I

..!....." . \ \

-~ ~

/

_~I~nge

/

Sinele Bion

, t;:))Gr:mr~Y-

1

', ~

Utah : Lake

S i te----=t

Double Bin Granary (Oee 1)

0., '17 N ·

,';:. Sa 1 t Creeic

ee

- a~: .,~~ Dwelling (Dee

~

2)

)0

I

Plateaus

-Dwe lling, Granary Cor.lplex "'..") (occ 3)

'l-'1:1mn<:! 1 )

\

~- Approx.

Mound Out.1 in~

/

f-'-

7

/'

.--'

Approx. Mound

/

I N

,,'~i"

' Fig. L

/

Outli~e

~-

'

\----

Test ' Trenches /- . )

0 10 20 30 Ft. 1- - 1

«

Site l'o'ca-tion and skefch" -6f excavatiori lir.:Jits and major site features. ~ephi sit~.

5

IIll

4 LiLl ~ 3

0,".

2

[J

,

,,

l~

Occupation 3; I contiguous adobe wall structure, I dwell ing and 2 granaries. extend into plow zone.

StratuQ containing, as ~IOst significant component, collapsed wall and roof adobe from Occupation 2 structures.

Occupation 2; I dwdling noted and r:artially excavat2d. account for paucity of materials fro m this occupation .

Occupation 1; I adobe wall dwelling, 1 single and 1 double bin granary, pithcuse(7) , tunnel.

lOW -~ --~onG ~ ~ -.~ -:.:~ . ~?: - \. ;~ :.-- -:- -, . :-,- : ,-. - -:=:::.~~- -~~ --:: ''; . - -" .

-~~

~

Limited excavations probably

Stratum containing, as its lclOst significant component, collapsed walls and roof adobe from Occupation 1 structures.

0'1

PithousEc ____.Occ I (7)

Hatcrials

~

_

~...:r.:i·· ·'~C':

I~

~

-

'

_

;-7 • _

.;: R" .. '" : :.

_

\\:\\~~>\1Y DW:2 lling

.

__

(~tr= \,

.........

t

-.:...:-::- : - - : - - . '.

' , t ."

,'.

"~f~\:~~~~-t;J-·~~~~-~·l_""<"W ---'-""-I"""--C ~

....~\\)l,}.,\~S:ssjJ

"\~ ~" -' /

Tunn~

(

,:::-'0;.

' ~- ..: .- --'-~-~~ -'f ./ ~~.~ "-. .---- ~:'::I

G~anary

.

B0drock clay

-

-

=_ ~ ~\\1\ I~~\f>''''' ,'\ Borrow Pits

Occupation I structures include dwellings and granaries. One square dwelling of adobe-walled construction is lsi ft. x 18! ft. Internal features include a clay-rimDed firepit, 2 postholes on one side of the firepit (presumed to have been matched on the opposite side of the firepit to compose a 4-post central roof support), and a bell-shaped storage cist.

The floor(s) consisted of intergrading use-packed levels. Occupation 1 granaries were single and double bin. The granaries duplicate the larger construction with the exception that granaries lacked floor f e atures but had elaborately prepared floors (sand platforms surfaced by water treated and packed ash). In size, single bin granaries are approximately 6 x 12 ft.; daub Ie bin granaries are approximately 12 x 12 ft., baing divided into two 6 x 12 ft. bins by a wall built lengthwise across the structure, abutti~lg the olltlining walls. A sec0nd gt.anary type is a single bin built against dwepings and sharing one wall of the dwelling. This type approxiUlBtes size of the isola ted single bin granaries.

Occupatiqn I was terminated by a general site conflagration which, because ¡it extends over the mound and mound peripher iea, may have been intentional; t~e materials froD the conflagration seem to have been intentionally leveled as footing for Occupation 2.

Occupation 2 Structures of Occupation 2 are identical in most respects to those of Occupation 1. they include a single dwelling; no granries were noted although excavations of Occupation 2 were quite limited. Other artifact types remain constant.

Occupation 3 Eyiqences of Occupation 3 extend into the plow zone over the site and have been destroyed except in the area of the apex of the mound. Artifacts and s.tructures are iden.t ical to those of occupations 1 and 2.

Structures include a dwelling and single bin' granary abutting the dwelling.

Two unique site structures are an aboriginal trench and an unusually large pithouse.

The trench, excavated into bedrock clay from Occupation 1 level, ia associated with Occupation I but its functional capacity is ~nknown. It is approximately 26' in. deep, 24 in. wide and 25 ft. long; ends terminated distinctly in vertical walls. One e.nd is slightly bulbous, the opposite see~s to have been inte.ntionally filled with quarried clay lumps.

The tre.nch had filled and was leveled over to form a (intentional7) footing for Occupation 2 structures.

7

The pithouse was situated in the low area between the two mounds and could not definitely be related to a specific mound occupat ion; however, it was associated with either occupation 1 or 2, probably 1. The structure was circular, 28-29 ft. in dia.

Pit depth varied from 6 to 12 ih.; Coil pit walls were vertical to slightly sloped outward from bottom to top. The floor was basin-like.

A central firehearth was an oblong (36 x Packed Floor of 54 in.), unl ined ~. scooped depression.

The floor probably was prepared by puddling the clay into Sand Platform which it was excavated. The ventilator opening at floor Fig. 3. Cross section of granary wall, floor level was roofed by and subfloor sand. Sketch, no scale. beams; an elaborate construction suggested that it may have been a remodeled crawlway. The pithouse superstructure consisted of leaner poles footing 6-8 in. outside the pit wall (but not set into holes) and sloped inward to rest against a rectangular, framework of beams supported by 4 interior vertical support posts spaced around the firehearth; the overall effect was that of a truncated pyramid.

Conspicuous because of absence, are well defined use surfaces noted frequently at Sevier Fremont sites on the leeward sides of structures. A poorly defined possibly use surface occurred to the east of the Occupation I dwelling, however. ."

Site Interpretation The Nephi site is affiliated with the Sevier Fremont--horticulturists composing the western division of the Fremont Culture which occupied nearly all of Utah north of the Pueblo area from approximately A.D. 900- to A.D. 1250.

Based on field impressions of ceramics, the site probably dates from A.D. 1100=1200 (below).

Each of by one, unit to storage

the three site occupations is interpreted as representing occupancy or at most, a few families. An extended family would be a feasible account for each of the occupation levels. Agricultural produce accounts for most structures. The granaries, without exception,

8

.q1.('

!'liL' 1f~ t-0(1

("\11

thG I'1.'omjnc-nC'e (mt"lIlTlij)

~nni"'!1tins

a

C " UC("1.11

w~1'11

hi,gh pt: pl c-

vation for storage. A large rectangular dwelling is associated with each occupational level but that associated with Occupation I is low on the south slope of the prominence. Thus. higher elevations were apparently reserved for storage structures; lower areas were for dwellings. So~e concern with directional orientation is evident: all rectangular structures are oriented generally with the four directions (walls run parallel or perpendicular to trenches laid out in relation to ~agnetic north, here 17 0 from true north).

Each occupation seems to have ~een .short-lived and ·to have been deliberately terminated, i.·e., cultural remains are largely 1 imited to "trash" rather than including' items unintentionally abandoned •

."

.-.

.Artifaata

Al·t.ifacts with the exception of 'c harred corn, were 1 imited to non-perishables, pottery, chipped stone, ground stone and bone.

Pottery Pottery composed the bulk of the site artifact collection. The predominant type is a wei I-smoothed gray ware, frequently with fugitive red wash. Decorated wares were predominantly Black-on-gray but a few sherds are Blackon-white. Design elements on Black~on-gray and Black-on-white apparently relate to middle-to-late Pueblo II de~igns. Coffee-bean applique designs occur with relative frequency; corrugation is rare. Identified wares include Sevier Gray; Snake Valley Gray, Snake Valley Black-on-gray (all Sevier Fremont types) and lvie Creek Black-on-white (Fremont type).

Other ceramic items recovered were two clay pipes (cloudblowers).

Chinped Sto.n e Chipped stone artifacts include hammerstones, crudely chipped "choppers," scrap flakes and small stemmed projectile points.

Ground Stone Ground stone . iteins include manos .(most broken bwt . apparently for reciprocalmotion use in metates), fragments of metates, stone "ba.lls" approximately golf ball size, or slightly larger, which are characteristic of Sevier Fremont sites.

Bone Worked bone artifacts include awls and gaming pieces. Gaming pieces are rectangular and flat (approximately I! x ! in.). All were decorated on one side with geometric designs; fugitive red wash was characteristic.

9

!lh't-J()1.ir.e n bOll I? , lJrobflbly rerrl? senting food scrap, was not numerous. Field ide.lltifiC'lldon includes dee r and/or r.lountain shee p, bison aurl bear. llulll:m bone was liUlite d t.o a single cranium. within the rlil'lturbed plow zone level.

Perishables Several corn cobs, preserved because of charrin~, were recovered. Charred corn(?) stalks were used to fill the interstices between leaner p0le.s in the pithouse.

Areal Relationships and Dating Although charred wood saoples are available, none has yet been C-14 dated.

In the absence of a C-14 date, pottery offers the best dating evid ence and places the site temporally-and very roughly- at approximately A.D. 1100-1200.

Ceramics, with few exceptions (e.g., Ivie Creek Black-on-white; Sevier gray which is not easily distinguished from Turner gray: Variety II) are Sevier Fremont types (Rudy . 1952); architecture styles and ceramics both indicate that cultural affiliation is alUlost exclusively with the Sevier Frer,lOnt although the site lies on the border between the Frehlont proper and Sevier Fre mont.

In the Ulore general site confort:lations, and geographic proximity, the Nephi site is most closely related with Paragonah (Judd 1919; Meighan et al. 1956), Garrison (Taylor 1957), and Kanosh (Steward 1933). The adobe-coil ;aIled granaries (originally defined by Judd and Steward as dwellings and called "Kanosh" houses) of the Nephi site have counterparts at all the above mentioned sites.

Distribution extends from Willard in northern Utah (Steward 1933,g) to Paragonah in southern Utah to Garrison on the Utah-Nevada border, but is most prevalent in west central Utah. In all cases the lack of entryway, small size, lack of floor features (i.e., firepits) paucity of floor artifacts argue for a use as granaries. The type site is Kanosh which lies centrally between Paragonah and Nephi. Dwellings of the adobe "Kanosh construction" type (the large rectangular structures with firepits and other floor features, above) are not as widely distributed but are characteristic of Sev~r Fremont (but not of the Fremont cast of the ~lasatch front) being found at the Old Homan site, Paragonah, Garrison and Kanosh.

The Nephi pithouse (above) is unique in n~ny respects but is identical in construction method to the Grantsville house (Steward 1933). The type Grantsville house differs in that it is rectnngular and much smaller than the circular Nephi pithouse. Neither is the Nephi pithouse a count e rpart of the pastula ted, circular Willard house type. t"lhich is a very poorly unde r-

stood, and possibly nonexistent type (Steward 1933). Whether th~ Ne phi pithouse is cer emonial or not is speculative at this time. It is not like Judd's (1917) Beaver City or Paragonah "kiva" or the rectangular Kanosh "kivas" (Steward 1933). An equally. e;.ood case, as that for Beaver City and Paragonah "kivas , ." could be made for the Nephi pithouse being a ceremonial structure but the data are far from conclusive in all cases.

10

In sum, the following are distinctive and common to the Nephi site and the Sevier Fremont cultural inventory and indicate relatively close relationships: Grantsville and Kanosh house types ~ construction types, Sevier and Snake Valley ceramic wares, and numerous gaming pieces; stone balls (bolas stones?). A nu~ber of other artifacts can be mustered to support Sevier Fremont relationships of the Nephi site but are less distinctive and serve poorly as cultural diagnostics considered separately. A "field" impression is that the Nephi site relationships are predominantly to the ~Ollt"h :1wl WPFlt · ·.fl['Pcific.ally Kanosh, Garrison and Paragonah.

BIBLlOGRAPHY GillpTI,

1936

,Tohn Ex.C?~v.?t~on.s . Clt:.~e..t:'~.!, Ms. on file, Department University of Utah, SnIt" Lake City.

of Anthropology,

Juc'td, Neil M. 1917 Evidence of Circular Kivas in \>lestern Utah Ruins. American polog i s t; (n.s.) Vol. 19, No : 1, pp . 34-40. Menasha.

A~~!tn ~ ­

1919

Archeological Investigations at Paragonah, Utah. Smithsonian Misce llane ous Collections, Vol. 70, No.3. Washington.

1926

Archaeological Explorations North of the Rio Colorado, Bureau of Ame rican Ethnology Bul l e tin, No. 82, pp. 4-10. Washington.

McDanial, E. A. 1894 Utah at the Worlds Columbian Exposition. Press nf the Salt Lake Lithographing Co., Salt Lake -City-. -- Meighan, Clement W. et al.

1956 Archeological Excavations in Iron County, Utah. Universi t y of Uta h Anthro pol og ical Pap~, No. 25. Salt Lake City.

Rudy, Jack R 1953 Archeological Survey of \-leste rn Utah. University of Utah Anthropolog ical Pape rs, No. 12. Salt Lake City.

Steward, Julian H. 1933 Early Inhabitants of Hestern Utah. Bulletin of the University of Uta~, Vol. 23, No.7.

Salt Lake City.

Taylor, Dee Calderwood 1954 The Garrison Site, University of Utah Anthropol og ical Pa ers, No. 16. Salt Lake City.

1957

Two Fre Qont Sites and Their Position in Southweste rn Prehistory.

University _~f.. ~! a~_ ~.~ ~h ~£ Po !~g ical Papers, No. 29. Salt l.A"'" (;it.y.

Sharrock, Floyd ~l.

1963 The Hazzard Collection, Archives of versity of Wisconsin Pres-s-.--

Ar ~ha~ol ~x.

No. 23.

Uni-

SHERDS bits of this In that ...

Like all explorers, we like to feel w~ were the first white people to discove1' thi A Indi.'ln dwell ing place.

We were camped in the Arch('>s National Monlll:lcnt Ilear l"loab, Utah, in the area of the Devil 's Gard('>.n which, according to the map, is at the nOI""thern end of the Nonuraent area.

On an extensive hike one day, we wandered south and east toward the Colorado

Rivet"". Climbjng down a lower level of one of the numerous ledges in the area, we wanile>red into a box canyon and followed naI""roW areas of red sand along the floor of the east wall of the canyon. The area was damp, though no stream s0.('med in evidenc~. \'l~ followed newly made wild cat tracks and the hoof pI""ints of deer. Quiet prevailed, with only the occasional start of a bird or the crashing of brush when a deer found its privacy invaded. Around every turn we felt eyes following us, but we saw no cats. We walked as far as we could until forced to climb onto the center area of the canyon, into the brush that coveI""ed it. Climbing toward the west side of th~ canyon, we came to quite a sharp semi-circular overhanging cliff above us.

There was a mountain of grey and dirty brown sand leading up to what we thought would be a cave to explore under this shelf-like projection. It was a process of climb one step and lose footing in the sand, but up we went.

The area under the cliff might have housed one or possibly two families.

The roof of the overhang was smokey, black, and dingy, indicating that fires had been built in the shelter. The floor was of the same filthy grey and brown sand we had made our ascent on, very loose and dusty.

WE: prowled around the area with no room to stand upright and disCQvered surface objects: a hand tool made of Navajo sandstone in the form of a grinding stone about three inches in diameter and an inch and a half thick and worn quite smooth on both surfaces and also a few small sized corn cobs.

Scientific excavations in this area might unearth other artifacts.

We have no idea of the distance we covered that day, but we had traveled beyond the confines of the Monument area itself and were gone th~ entire day before lole reached our tra Her aga in.

An interesting fact about our grindston.... discovery is that it is a perfect match with a red sandstone grinding bowl we have which cam"" fror.l a creek bank area in Arkansas.

Jean Burson Ogden Cha pter I USAS

12

Douglas 1-_ _ _ _-_ _

/ Annex

~

,

I

/

I~

Anthropolog~;

Museum Utah National Guard Shops

I,

I - --

/ /

1- North

/

/

/

/

I

/~ Veteran's Hospital

/

I

-

Guardsman Way

Univ. of Utah Stadium

D

D

13th East Guide to place of USAS Annual Meeting

13

Cemetery

.-"

T1tah Archeology Depat: LUl(~ nt of Anthropology University of Utah SAlt I..qke City. Utah EVH12

Utah Sate HisL . Soc. 6 3 e . ::l . Temple Salt Lake City, Utah