Utah Statewide Archaeological Society Newsletter, Volume 15, Number 3, September 1969

Page 1

UTAH STATE (;03 EAST SALt

LAKE A

NEWSLETTER

.. VOL. 15

NO.3

SEPTEMBER

INDIAN ROCK, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

I UTAH ARCHAEOLOGY is published quarterly by the Utah Statewide Archaeological Society. Correspondence concerning activities should be directed to the President. Manuscripts and news items or articles should be sent to the Editor. Hemberships to Secretary-Treasurer.

1969



. . ,-------

UTAH STATEWIDE Al1.CIlEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

.;...;;.=------ ~.--

President:

Grant M. Reeder M,D.

Pres. Elect: Sec. ~ Treas.: Editor: Ed. Staff:

G.CloydKrebs M.D. Mrs. Gloria Barnett John L, Cross Janice L, Cross Jeanne L. Cross Dr, J.D. Jennings

Advisor: '.

1969 South Claremont Drive Bountiful, Utah 8401.0 3353 Cherekee Lane, Provo, Utah 84601 447 North Main, Payson, Utah . 84651 274 West 1400 South, Orem, Utah 84057 274 West 1400 South, Orem, Utah 84057 274 West 1400 South, Orem, Utah 84057

University of Utah, Departm~nt of Anthropology, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

EDITOR'S PAGE THE COVER: The covers of No, 3 and No.4 of Volume 15, Utah Archaeology, represent 4 figures copied by your editor in 1942 from two panels of pictographs done in red paint in caves and depressions in what was known as Indian Rock, located at about 1900 south and Wasatch Blvd. in Salt Lake City, Utah A number of the figures accompanying tqpse. pictured, were too faint- to di"st"inqui¡sh. S's veral pie-ces of pottery and some glass beads were recovered from among the fine rocks of the "slidell from the caves down to the roadside, at the same time as the pictographs were reproduced. Some marine fossils were also found, THE NEWSLETTER : The first article "Testing Matheny Alcove, Southeastern, Utah," by Dee F. Green is a welcome coverage of some important work being conducted in what yo\:.!' editor consider's "Matheny Corner" of Utah, ~1uch time, effort and many fine contributions are coming from the Montezuma Creek and surrounding areas, Dee Green is a man of wide experience in the field of Archaeology and Anthropology an interest which was brought to your editors attention when Mr, Green was some 12 or 13 years old and we were traveling together, along with his father and grandfather, down the Glen Canyon of the Colorado River on a boating venture. Since that time, he has among other positions, held the office of Director of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Missouri from which position he came to head the Department of Anthropology at Weber State College in 1967. He worked at the University of Arkansas on a National Science Foundation Grant doing a computor analysis of Mississippian ceramios. Included in projects while at Brigham Young University were the digs on the Hinckley Farm, Provo, Utah and the New World Archaeological Foundation work at Chiapas. Mexico. The second paper, "Manitou Stones" by your editor, was w:t,.:..tten in an effort to stimulate thinking in directions other than the familiar "dig-report". Your editor joined the Society in its begining in 1955 and has enjoyed his associations since that time. One thing emphasized over and over during the intervening years has been the fact that the Society is amatuer. However, we have many times left it up to the professionals to , provide our articles and material for the Newsletter. It is to be hoped that by such articles as "Manitou Stones", more ideas can be stimulated, more interest generated and articles written by and among the Society members.

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The "Bonus" feature is a continuation of the plan to reprint the early issues of the Newsletter 50 that more recent members may enjoy these works. Volume 1.5 will be completed and man ed out within the next two weeks, giving each of our members and subscribers f our seperate numbers, late, but complete, and acceptable, I hope, Look for new format and layout for 1970. If only part of our plans work out, we will all be pleased, I am sure, but we need help with articles, clippings, ideas, suggestions, etc. Why not purchase a couple of extra copies of the Newsletter and mail them to friends of similar interests. They'll be pleased, and we may sign up some neW members. The memoriam and Presidents Page are self explainitory, Subscription forms are included in this issue of the Newsletter and will be i ncluded in the next. Please take advantage of them and register your membership and subscription early.

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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Although thero have been times when it didn't appear to be so, What life it has. had, has boon the r esult of the hard work and loyal support of one of the members of the Society. Tho problem has been the l a ck of an editor. l~en Fran Hassel, who wa s a very f ino edi tor, r osigned, we couldn't find anyone to r epl ac e him for a while . Somehow, t ho printing equipment and the manuscripts a ccummulat ed at Norma Dalton 's home (she collected them to keep the Newsl ettor going ) in Sunset , north orn Davis County. Finally as 1968 was coming t o its end with no Newsl etter for the year, she volunteered to print it. She combined in one number all of the material that would have appeared a s four separate issues during t he year and Bubscriptions were extended to include t he 1 969 issues. Norma , with the help of her husband, J errold, and the children went to work on t he Newsl etter to get it printed. I t was an imposition on her because she gives a lot of time to tho 4-H Girls Program, but we appreciate her good 'Work and her spirit.

UTAR ARCHAEOLOGY is alive and doing thing.

We found someone who acc epted the position of editor, John L. Cross Sr. of Orem, J ohn had b oon Pr e sidont- el ect, ar.d President of the Statewide Society for 4-year s pan and had been editor previously for the Newsletter. He has been a Utah Archeologist for a long time and knows a lot of people in the fi eld of Archeology- Anthropology, We were pleased when John accept ed the position. Ordinarily, the Newsl etter is print ed as a quarterly. This year, the March i ssue didnlt get finished unt il Nay, The June issue is in your hands, and the September and Dec ember numbers are on their lvay. J ohn needs our help. Being editor is a big, busy-busy position, one that is too much f or one person, One of th e phases of the editorls work tha t sometimes bec omes very discouraging is the absenc e of material t o publish, Members of t he Society should be reporting their adventures and obs er vations dealing with t h o ' Moqui t r uins or t heir r ock-hounding s af aris. Utah ha s a mountain of pre-Caucasi an hi stor y t o bo r eported, Ther e is a l ot of archeology yet t o be disc over ed, studi ed, analyz ed and r eported, For ins t ance , t he undiscover ed IBonnevill e Han l , dating back 25,000 or maybe 100, 000 years, I n our state convention l ast spring , approval was given t o include treat ment of Ut ahls natur al history in t he Newsletter, Tbe sta t e has some unique and inter esting Geology , Zool ogy, Botany and Ecology, Th er e isn' t anything in all the world like the Great Sa l t Lake , the Wasatch Fr ont and th e f ossil l ake bed and shor eline s of old Lru<e Bonnoville- wher e most of us live , (Someday up on t he shor e line of Lake Bonneville , s omeone is going t o discover a campsite of t ho ' Bonneville Man. ') We need you all to study these uni que features around us and write about them, This Newsletter is QÂŁt pUblication and we can make it interesting and enlightening to all.

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Publication of the Newsletter is one of the more important activities of the UTAH ARCHEAOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Apparently people in and out of the state have found it of valuE). A lot of people on the mailing list have been wondering were their :missing issues are (the ones not yet published). Now that we have an editor. you people should start writing and make him work at his job.

Your Presidet1t Grant M. Reeder

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IN .~IEMORIAM .

Deepest sympathy is expressed by members of the U.S.A.S. to the family of Darrell R. Haws in the accidental death of husband and father on September 6, 1969 in a truck rool-over south of Tooele, Utah. Darrell and members of the family were on one of their regular field trips when the accident occurred. . Darrell was born September 26, 1922, in Vernal, Utah, He was the s on of Jos eph Marlow Haws and Theora Williams, June 20, 1946, he married Claric.o Mitcholl in Orem , Utah, He is survived by his wife J an active member of the Utah County Chapter, and the following children; Susan, Sylvia (attending U. S.U.), Jos eph D. (Fort Bragg, North Carolina), and Mitchell D. Darr ell was a charter member of the Utah County Chapter of our Society and served as program chairman, neWs reporter and at the time of his death was president-Elect of that chapter, He sorved in tho U.S.Navy from 1942 to 1946. His community affiliations wor e many , Fast-membor, of tho Nondelson Chorus, past-member Springville Playhouse Board: 8eerotary Utah-Juab Fireman 's Association; Scoutmaster, SpringvilTe 10th Wardi first advisor for the Order of the Arr ovl, Utah National Parks Council (the first Lodge in Utah), and at the time of his death was advisor for Hobble Creek District, B.S.A. A carpenter by trade, Darrell's hobbios included; writing poetry, harmonica, furnitur o building, fly-tying, loather work, antiques, trophy mounting, custom gun stocks, fishing and hunting with both bow and gun . Darrell, whom your editor knew as a friend for some twenty years, was dovoted in s ervice to his family and to his fellowman. I am proud to have called him friend. Again, our sympathies to his family,


Testing Natheny Alcove, Southeastern Utah By Dee F. Green

Several years , ago while Dr. Ray T. Matheny of Brigham Young University .<lnn .<l lnr..<ll nilnt,_ - -- nir.k - - - -- Smit.h_ - --- - - - • .... -- - - .

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Blanding, they spotted a large alcove with several intact ruins present. Later, in the fall of 1967 the writer accompanied Dr. 1'1[atheny during the the initial ground survey of the site.

Surface finds indicated that despite

the large size of the alcove not much rain had penetrated the interior. tassel, yucca knotting, turkey feather string, etc,

Corn

were present on the

surface along with the usual nonperishable items such as pottery and stone tools.

Although the site had suffered some vandalism, it had not been ex-

tensively pothunted and was obviously worth some testing if not full excavation. As I had just come to Weber State and was anxious to once again become involved in Anasazi archeology, Dr. Matheny generously suggested that Weber State test the site with an eye toward future cooperative excavation if it proved worthwhile.

The following year Weber State obtained a federal permit for work in

the area,

The site was named after its discoverer, and a test pit was begun.

I should like to thank Mr. and Nrs, William A. Penberthy, students at WSC who excavated the pit, and Mrs, Penberthy who conducted the specimen counte and preliminary analysis in our laboratory.

Also Sandra Nontes who was

respcnsible for the art work, Matheny alcove is located in the Cedar Mesa country southwest of Blanding, Utah, on the western slope of a small unnamed side canyon which eventually drains into Comb Wash,

The alcove is about 5200 feet in elevation and some

250-300 feet below the canyon rim.

The mesa top is covered with the typical

plnon-juniper forest of the area.

Water was available at a seep in the alcove

which is now heavily

~vergrown

with reeds,

The alcove itself is about 150-

200 feet long and over 50 feet high at the drip line which extends 40 feet or

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more out from the canyon wall.

A total of 19 structures including two

kivas and a row of seven granaries have beon discovered within tho alcove. Ono of the granaries has a roof preserved in almost perfect shapo.

The

larger kiva is partially exposed and shows somo rebuilding -swell as traces of intorior plaster.

The other kiva has almost been obliterated by a rock

fall from the roof of tho alcove.

Human figure potrographs in red paint and

several ax and awl sharpening grooves are located on the downstream side of tho site. The row of granarios sits near the front of the -alcove just inside the drip line.

They servo to protect

a

small plaza or use area from rain or

snow entering the front of the alcove.

Surface preservatlonjn this area was

very good, and while most of .tho pothunting had gone on hero, we wore able to locate an undisturbed five feet square for our tost pit.

The pit was sunk

five feet behind the granaries and about 25-30 feet from tho cliff wall. went to a depth of five feet where bedrock was encountered. wore Sandy and filled with ¡ a great deal of plant material.

It

The deposits It was very

difficult to maintain any kind of a profile due to the loosness of the sand so the sides of the pit were sloped.

The stratigraphy was also very difficult

to read consisting of sloping and intermixing bands of plant remains.

Arti-

fact production was excellent, however, especially in terms of normally perishable items, here preserved due t9 the extreme dryneww. Most of thEl artifacts were found in the first two levels, including a prayer stick tied with human hair (SElO illustration).

The following list

is a sample of matorials recovored from the test pit.

I have emphasized

perishable items, and the list docs not include all specimens recovered.


These will bo reported in the final field report when analysis of them i6 completed. Class

if of finds

Bean pods Beans Cordage' of various kinds Corn cobs Corn Kernels Curcurbit seeds Feathers Human hair strands Knots of yucca fiber Portions of corn stalks and leaves Portions of Curcurbit rinds Reeds Turkey feather cordage

59 22 56 738 144 34 130 17 59 401 177 59 3

While no dendrochronology dates nor C14 dates are yet available, it appears from the ceramics that the site is Pueblo II with porhaps some Pueblo I occupation.

The pottery is essentially corrugated 'and plain grey

With a fow'Pueblo II Black-on-White types as well as some of the San Juan Red series.

Only a single piece of Mesa Verde Black-on-White and three

polychrome 'sherds were found. 'artifacts.

The test pit yielded 95 'sherds and 38 stone

Total material recovered from the pit was 3235 item~ of which '

close to 3000 could be considered artifacts, mostly peri's hable plant food remains.

This suggests that the area of our test pit had importance as a

food preparation location.

It also suggests, of course, that open sites

wero perishable material decays tond to give us highly skewed notions of the quantity of pottery and stone tools present. in proportion to other classes of artifacts, Outstanding preservation coupled with size and depth of fill at Natheny Alcove offers us an outstanding opportunity to continue the elucidation of Anaxazi culture history and cultural ecology.

In the next few

years you will be hearing more about this important site in southeastern Utah as our resoarches continue. (8)


}~THENEY

ALCOVE TEST PIT

Knot # 1 Yucca fiber

Prayer Stick Braided Human Hair Approximately life size

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Wooden Awl

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~ Twisted cotton (1) c9rdage Approximate life size


"1'1ANITOU STONES" by John L. Cross

Long may we ponder the name "1'1ani tou Stone " given the Iron Creek meteOloit8 'oy th\j Indians amI Womlel" why iL ' was ¡c hosen.

Pel'haps LIley

witnessed its course across the heavens and its descent to earth, This iron was held in deepest reverence by both the Cree and the Blackfoot tribes. Flight ( meterorites 1887 p, 53-4) claimed that neither the Cree or the Blackfoot or any of the surrounding tribes would think of passing up an opportunity of visiting the sacred spot where it lay if they were in the vicinity. When it was carried away by the white man, it was believed that all tribes who had known its where abouts would suffer "dire calamity". Was it so named because it had been seen to fall? Evidence points to the fact that it was known prior to 1869. An iron, the weight of the single piece recovered was 175 kilograms, Another 21 of the known meteorites found by Archaeologists and amature collectors of Indian artifacts, Were revered by or were sacred to the Indians. The prehistoric, Casas Grande Meteorite now in the National Museum in l~Tashington D,C" was found in an ancient Indian ruin in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1867. It was wrapped in cloth bindings as though it were a mummy. We can assume from this that a high degree of veneration for it existed among its original owners. But why was it treated so? Why was it not treated like any other stone unless it had been seen to fall by some prehistoric being who was awed by the spectacle. It is said that the 1rJichita County, Texas, iron known before 1836 and weighing some 145 kilograms was an object of great interest to the Indians and that it was worthy of worship and offerings. It was considered a fetish by the Commanches as having come from some other place to the earth. A gift of the Great Spirit. To it, gifts and offerings of beaded jewelry, arrowheads and even tobacco .were made, Special visits were made to view and revere this object. So it goes, whether prehistoric or historic, much awe and reverence was paid to these visitors from space, the "Manitou Stones" or as we know them, meteorites, The stoney-iron, we know as the Pojoaque, New Mexico Meteorite, was found in a clay bowl where it had been carefully placed, by its prehistoric custodians. The surface showed that it had been carried about in a medicine bag as it had been carried and handled extensively as it was much worn, but not by hard usage, From the Turner Hounds in the Little Little Hiami River Valley of Ohio, comeS several worked fragments of a meteorite. These objects were found upon an "altar" and have, consequently, been considered by some to have been held in sacred awe. Palache, (American Journal of Science Vol. XII Aug. 1926 pp. 148-50) however describes a more utilitarian purpose for which these objects were intended,

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The Hopewell Mounds of Ross County, Ohio gave up an iron meteorite of .130 kilograms weight in 1902 and earlier than this, the Ok~ibb~ha Mounds of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi yielded up a stoney meteor~te ~n 1954. In excavating the ruins in Mesa Verde National Park, in Colorado, archaeologists found an iron meteorite in 1922. H.H •. Nininger (Out of the Sky. An Introduction to Meteoritics, Dover Publications Inc. New York 1952) describes an unusual meteorite find in a New Hexico r~in, " a weil shaped Indian axe made from a metiorite." In the same pUblication is pictured an iron Barretta or chisel made from the "native Iron" of .t he Xiqu1pilco Het,eorite which fell some 30 miles northwest of Henco City, Mexico, Among the more exciting meteorite finds associated with artifacts of prehistoric man, may be lis t ed t he 1915 find of the Camp Verde, Arizona iron which weighed about 61.5 kilograms and which, was recovered from a child burial cyst. The iron had been carefully wrapped in a feather blanket, the burial cyst was located in the northeast corner of a dwelling site. Considerable pottery was also recovered from this burial . and from this material, the date or time of burial was placed at 1000 to 1100 A.D. Though the Campe Verde iron was found or recovered in 1915, it was not until 1936 that the object was identified as a meteorite. Scarcely a hundred miles from the Camp Verde site another similar meteorite "burial" was uncovered in 1928. It consisted of numerous fragments of a stoney meteorite that apparently exploded near the earth, was witnessed and the pieces gathered up and buried in a stone cyst after the manner of a child burial. This find was made in the ruins near Winona, Arizona. The meteorite weighed 24 kilograms. The Chilcoot, Alaska and ~ avajo, Arizona Meteorites are two more fine, historic examples of the sacredness in which these objects were held by the American Indian. The former waS purchased by the California State :t-lining Bureau from the Chief of the Chilcoot tribe, "Chief Silver Eye". It shoT.<TS evidenc e of a great deal of handling and was reported to have been a witnessed fall by the Indians in the late 1700·5. The avaje Meteorite , found July 10, 1921, at Navajo, Arizona, had been hidden away by the Navajo Indians as a saxred object. It is believed to have been in the ar ea when the Navajoes first arrived, but must have been recognized by them as an extra-terrestrial object to have been shown such veneration. In its hiding, it had been covered with rocks So that it could not be found or stolen . The Nava jo called it "Pish-le-gin-a-gin, :pronounced "Besh-shlay-zhen-a-zhen" or black iron. H.H. Nininger in the work already referr ed to, provides a fitting contribution to this paper by pointing out that the Horse Creek, Springfield, Elkhart, Cot·e sfield, Brisco County, Alamosa, Lost Lake, Newsom, Muroc and Muroc Dry Lake Meteorites were all found in known Indian campsites by persons hunting for Indian artifacts. He makes no effort, in these cases, to prOVe that the Indians involved, knew about the meteorites p though it is conceivable that they might have done and is little likely that the falls would all have been into such sites, It is more likely that the meteorites were carried there from other places or that the camps dev~loped around the spots where falls were witnessed ••

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

-._ -_.

_.. -- ... ---

Though no apparent veneration was shown the Xiquipilco Meteorite of Mexico, it is recorded that Xiquipilco Indians gathered it to be made into tools and imp1iments, It was known before 1776 and consisted of numerous fragments of an Iron that must have shattered just before impact, P~eces were transported to many parts of Mexico and especially to the surrounding villages. Alzate Ramirez , writing as early as 1831 (Gazetas de Literatura de Mexico, Publ. B.D. 2, pp 381) stated, "that from time inunemorial, the haciendas of Xiquipilc o and vicinity had depended entirely on "native Iron" found by the Xiquipilco Indians, for all their tools and impliments."And, when visiting the village , located some 30 miles north of Mexico City, in 1803, he found three bla,cksmiths engaged in the manufacture of objects from this iron. Though not dealing with meteorites directly, the Hopi ' nevertheless attributed sacred values to the Great Barringer Crater near ~inslow, Arizona. It was believed to be the abode of one of their "Three GOdS~' arid the Hopi attribute two l esser craters as tho dwelling place of the other t wo lesser dieties. The where abouts of this craters are at' present unknown but are said to be located north of the great crater. It is theorized that the lesser craters may represent attendant f alls to the larger mass, Pure white "rock-flour", pulverized stone from time of impact. is prized by the Hopi for Use in their religiOUS ceremonies. That the Meteor Crater should have such a special place in the Hopi l engends; might be suggestion of a fairly recent origin for the crater. Geological 'studies suggest not lass than 700 years, but not more than 5,000. A tree ring stud:r from Cedars cut on the rim of the crater show a 700 year dating. Rock weathering indicates the 5,000 year period as the other extreme .


0, 0"

Bibl.i-ogra. hy Flight

Meteorites.

Pub. 1887

pP. 53-4.

Leonard, Frederick C. & Robert De Viohini A Classification Catalo~ of the Meteoritic Falls of the World. Universit y of California Publications on Astronomy, Vol 2, No.1 pP. 1-80 U. of Calif. Press Berkley 1956. Merrill, George Oliver p. !ieteorites. Nininger, H.H. Out of the Sky. An Introduction to Meteoritics, Inc. New York 1952.

Dover Publications

Nlninger, H.H. Earth Science Digest, Meteorites of Xiquipi1co, Hexico, November 1952. Palache,

knerican Journal of Science Vol. XII.

Aug, 1926

VCll 6 No. 3

pp. 148-50.

Ramirez, A1zate Gazetas de Literatura de Mexico. Pueb1. B.D. 2, PP. 381, 1831. Boutwell, WIn. D; National Geographic Magazine, The Mysterious Tomb of a Giant Meteorite . Vol. LIII June 1928 pp. 729-30

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Barretta made from Xiquipilco, Mexican Iron. after-Nininger Photo

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I SEE BY THE PAPERS Explorer Terms Ra Successful, Will See Thant cS.L.;;IIJ, '/<-lIY2-7-G,r Reuters News Agency BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS - Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl will leave here Tuesday for New York to report to United Nations Secretary General U Thant on his abandoned, "but successful" transatlantic expedition on a papy~ rull raft. Heyerdahl and his International six-man crew arrived aboard the escort yacht Shenendoah July 22 after rough seas started beating the raft Ra to bits and sharks prevented repair work. OI.rrled U.N. Flag The explorer was reporting to Thant because the secretary general gave him premission to sail Ra under the U.N. flag. Heyerdahl said "the expedition proved how seven men ot different nationalities, skin colors and backgrounds can work together. And this is the spirit of the U.N.," he added.

Scientists Locate Body of Ancient SANTANDER, SPAIN «AP) - The body of a Stone Age man so well preserved it will give scientists the first clear idea of what ancient cave dwellers looked like has been found near here, an American anthropologist said Saturda y. Dr. Leslie G. Freeman, University of Chicago anthropologist, said the body of the Paleolithic man was found in a grave under seven feet of sediment in Morin Cave, 12 miles from this provincial capital. He estimated the man lived 30,000 years before Christ. "We found two graves," Freeman told reporters. "One appeared to be an adult or an adolescent and the second of a child. The ' preservation of the body of the adult was fantastic. We are not recovering bones but three-dimensional . folds of flesh."

5,t.., (,., h«;1e..

A-vqus r

3 1,/01:>9

Calls It a S1ICCe81

Heyerdahl maintains that the expedi· tion was a success because the 2,7()().mtie trip from North Africa In two months showed that ancient Egyptians could have crossed the Atlantic, taking their culture to Central America long before Christopher Columbus discovered the new world. Critics said the fraU raft was suitable only for lake! and would be swamped in two weeks. The misslop lasted just under two months after setting out from Safl, Morocco, May 25.

Team Finds Ancient Manlike Skull WASHINGTON (AP) - Sci. The finding - made in the entists have reported discov- fossil-rich Olduval Gorge in ery of the most complete sknll Tanzania - was reported to yet found of "homo habU!s" the manlike creature, the SOciety by ::>r. Mary Leak· IImaller than a pYgTC)Y. that ey. She's the wife of Kenyaroamed East Africa two mil- born anthropolglst Dr. Louis lion years ago. ' S. B. Leakey and shares with It's the best relic yet uncov· him a number of discoveries ered of a race of hominids at Olduvai and other African that may have been direct, re- ' sites. . mote ancestors of man, the Actually, tJ e skull was National Geographic Society found by Peter Nzube, an said Saturday in reporting the African member of the Leakdiscovery. eys' staff.



14A

The Salt Lake TrIbune, SODday,

.Dig~ing

in

s. IJtah

An~~t

31, 19f19

'-

.....a. _

HOlnes of Ancients Rest Under Blandi~g By Dirk \Yilson TribunE' CorrE'!'pondE'nt

BL.AKDING Blanding milV hE' Clah's oldE'st city. ~Io!'t ppop]p think this !'outllrast Ut,lh town was spt1led hy piOllpPl'S in the 18RO~. ArC'h;l{'ologi,.:ts digging henNlth the dty's wpstprn limits hAH' dE'termined a siz<1hlp ('ommunity pxisted here more than eight centur iE's <,go. EH'l ' ~ince white settlers pu' up thpir first homes henE'ath thp slopes of the Blue ::\Tolilltilin<; 1iH"Y hilve known of thp pxistpnce of hugE' mounds conlaining Tndian dwellings and Clrtifads. This summer, however, is thp !-ir .. t time that scientific excavation has taken place in the block-long mounds just ,,,est of Blanding, called the Edge Of thp CE'dClrS Ruins, Dirl'l'ts Work In ('h~rge of the work this !"ll!T1nter I1nS hpen Dr. DE'p Grpen. as!'istant professOl' of :1I1thropolog~' at Weher Stal I' Cnlf'gp. Lvman Rpc1c1. Blanding. oVP1H'r;, lhe 1I'000k detail of - modf'rn d;JY l11dirlTIS ,"ho .'rp helpillg uneArth thE' homes of the ancients. Thp proirct was started by intereqpd Blanding citizen!; '.1;'0 fnrmpd lhe San ,Juan Rp,-0l1f·'P. Dpvp10pment Council, Dr. Dee Green measurP<l a kiva used \ culture which Jived In the BlandinJ,! iTle" unof'r the nirector!;hip of for rt"lil1;ious ceremouies by tribal region about eil1;ht ct"nturit"!11 ago. Clpill Bradford. Assisting Dr. Green this Excavates 'Kiva' •. W" a community pffort." Tonrist Atf.radfon RriHlfnr !;aid, ';and the The archaeological team, :;;ummer is .leff Fee. a llPnior \\'h('1 l1"r the ~ririts like \1 nr ant hropology student at not. I ileir pl'Pviolls homes IlI'P :nonp~' fl'lr x(';:!\';ltion is })Ping ~inre it started JunE' 12. hrts prnvided h~a 1 persons who "xcilvated a kiva heside the \Vehpr State. Fee is of Sha\\'- bping f'Xposprl, Thp San JU;'H W<lnt to spp l~ ruins un· (hwlling rooms_ The kiva W'lS nee Indian ancestry, p'p~:;un'c Df'vplopmrnt COllnp<lrlhPd." " - - - - - --II<:e4--.i religiolls ceremonies Local workers helping the cil {'nvjsion~ thp all'" <I" a l!lainl)! hmitecHo-ma lE" p<ll'lil'i- llc:ienfi~J" .{fig- were-/-IHllian--potpRf~+- tmH'l~t-a-lJt'a('-Jj(lI1-~Sf'rh'~ Tunnl'ls ho~,s rpn:'Asenting sevpra land "-iil he tbe ~1arting point So filr lhi" !'llnmler Dr. Grppn iltld his Cl~si~tAnts 11;1\'P "\VI' don't kno\\ holV 111<111'- trihes. Dal!1ly Sanlos is a Colfor thP propo~pd Road of uncow'rrd ilnd mp'1~11l'prl 10l1l' 'il'llC'Till'PS Me here," silid DI'. ville Indirtn frnm Washington. Rnins +J,,,t win link 1111merOll~ room~. BrnPilth Of'P of lhe 1 ;rf'~n. rointin~ to 1I1e [ill' DOll Kal'o!'h is 1'1 Pillre from RichfiplrL Slips togelhpl'. dwellings was found !I. senf'S f'xtrl1~ion~ of the mound. Anothpl' Indian digging in of tunnpl.'1. "It is apP8l'pnt how(,l'er," Tlle Frig" or 11:" Cedi\r thp hon'e~ of the ancipnls i~ !llJin<; ('Olllrl ber 'orilp an intE'f"If our prpliminat'~' gl1pS~ IH' "rlrlpd. "that this is prohan n;i1 O'hl"y, a Xrtvajo. A.~kpr'l plt't:;liU~ ji;ile o~ t)OlJ!'idpI';lil!e d<lte is corrpf't," Dr. GrpPIl hl\- {,t<lh's largest "Prjp~ of of till' ;\:;n'rtjo~' hf'lief ahollt {" 'onor :lIe \'n 1111' said, "thpse ruin" ::Ire p<lrlier rl1in~." ! ,'eli;,!] :·nin<.: O~h!f'~' rppliprl: than thp classic PIlf'hlo lIT cul-' ThE' WphPf State 'wi"nti~1 • i:~lJl ro ~plrit" fire h01~f" . 11lrp chilr;lctpristir' of J\Ipsa !','\, that 111(' P\TiI\,:ltioll h a T:lf'\ 'r p '-pry unhappy for lIS Vprde," SPIPtl or pie-hl-~'Pill' IIl·OII'd.. In hE' dig~ing HIPSI' l'llill~." Thp AJ1il~ilZi dl\-plling" lIt Up,wlllls on }'IIl1flc, Blanrlin,g. ill'cnrrling tn pottpry ,. I'In, I, ill deuPlld Oll fli'i(]< "oecimpns lH"'ilrlhprl this ;1\',,:1:1hle for the KOl'k," hp 'ImmH'r. ilrr"ilr In l'pprp~pnt ~:l' I. ~I,(' ['IIPhl0 I (fif)() to 'WI ,\ .D. I ,11(1 PUf'hln iT I!lOll 10 110n .-\.D.:, f'll}tm'p"

or

4



Early Visits \

Stones Hint

America's rlenty ()Id By David HaskeGI United Press Intern:il!tional NOR T H SALEM,: N.H. (DIll) - An archaeologi~t says new ' pvidence has be 1m un. earthed here strongly support· ing theories that parts of New England were inhabited by a Meaiterranean culture \!iome 1.000 years before the biIith of Christ.

j~mes P. Whittall J~ .• of Loudon, an archaeologi~1t for th e Np.w England Antiqplties Re!'l~arr.h Assn. (NEAlRA), Raid a sample of carbon '.tested by a Cam bridge, Mkss .• firm - indicates the str~ge stone structures at a piace call~ My~tery Hill were iwilt by a ~roup of people who Iillay have been of Mediterralll8an origin.

4B -~ -- --

, I 3,000 Years Old The radiocarbon tests :.on me sample Wbittall unearth4!d determined it was about 3,000 years old. The sample's particular p1a~ment In the ruins herie Indicates the huge stones, CIr.' monoliths, were put in plac\~ by man long before Colu~ bus, or the Vikings befor~ him: ever ventured across the l Atlantic. ':Artifacts found at the large : complex of stone chambers, Incutling tools and pieces of pottery, inclicate the struc- ' turei> were built by a culture similar to those which inhabite'd the Mediterranean from about 3000 B.C. to 500 B.C., attd Whittall's pet theory is the chambers and shaping of the stones are strikingly simlllr .to the Megalithic culture ~oim to have lived on the Therian Peninsula (Spain and P.ortugal).

Early Seafarers ',Some experts even feel they may be of Phoenician origin, or perhaps occupied by Phoenicians after they were built. Many archaeologists have felt Phoenicians and other Bronze Age sea adventures ot that tiine may have crossed the Atlantic Ocean using the prevailing winds and sea current which would sweep them southwesterly and then up the American East Coast. To return to Western Europe, the seafarers would only have to ride, the same circular sea current and winds northeasterlY: and then down to Iberia and the Mediterranean.

"Other evidence has been fouI/d in New England, Pennsylvania, and even Brazil to snggest man crossed t he At. lantic from Europe long hefore modern historians believed. There is enough evidence to Indicate that even the Viking Leif Ericl<son, who made his vpyage about 1000 A.D., was a "late-comer" to the New World.

5. j., ,77-'1 hu .f>ep;

J]

~~

7; Iq~ rr

Tl)or Hyerdahl, the sea adventurer of Kont-Tiki tame, tried to prove this sea route thjs ~ summer aboard the reed C2'aIt Ra, but a design malfunctibn' caused the Ra to faU apcut before the voyage was cimlplete.

DESERET NEWS, Thursday, August 28, 1969

- - - --- --------- ------

Museum In Bidding Stage Pol )lJLDER. Garfield County -- Bid~ \\-eI'e arl\'('rti~!yl Ihb '\'~cJ.;:, anc! a COlltrnf't will be iN :(>))1. ~7 for h11i/fling of II IllJl ~P llll <II Boujrle l' ~ AI1i1~ilzi SI~:I('

1':l l'k, TIi:.· Elfi!) L ; /;IIl SUlle' L pgis\:1,

:Q)lll'flPl'i" I fOil

In1'f'

1he

1I111S('II!l1.

go \.

S:in,or:n

1[\1'

and 1\,(, [rei!'r,l[

will

~Il]lply

tnalch;ng Ii\nd~ . /b 1'0lf1 ,T, Tippet1s.

;J~si~t;1I1t

P!'III1WJ11

sl;IIp parks director. has fol" ,,';mINl \)uilding Rpc<,iIiC'RtioIlS 10 stille Je~islalor RoyrtJ T. 1/~,\\·;1]'(1. R·Lo;l. Hal'Wflnl S:1if/ lill' 11I11~ellm hilS bern

given top priority on a li~t of federal grants for similar purposes in Utah. The museum. which shollid he completed this ye:lr, will stand above excayatiolls of Hucient Indian ruins. Unive!'sity of Utah a r('h;,eologi~ts S8y tile ruins are the 1;1r.9:r~t of lhE' 1,000 site" discovered and studied along the Colorado River. Excavation of the Boulder ruins in 1958-59 was h"aden hv Dr. Jesse D. Jennings and Dr. Robert Lister of the U. of U, anthropology depilrtmcnt.

Artifacts such as human <;1,eleton5. ancient pottery. tools. haskets and fine turquoi"e j/'welry were taken 'to the 1]. qf V .. but will be re, ~tored 10 the site and dis· plnyed in tilP m',,· museum. The AIl8SilZi ruins arc of thp Pueblo-Kayenta culture and are i()~ to qOO yel,rs old. anthropologists say. Still preserved are living rooms. storrtge compartments. a large ('ounei! room ilnd several hurial grounds. A huge mmmd from whieh the Pueblo made smoke Rig-

nals llilS yielder! pottery. grinding stones and arrowhead,,;, Scientisls froJll Harvard University havr stud· ien artifacts from the mound. The Anasazi State Park lies within Boulder 10wn limits just east of Utah Highwny 54. The park was eslnbji~:lCc\ ill 1~60 aHer Garfield County hought three acreR from E. II. Coombs, after the slate pUJ'chased five adjoining aCfP>' from Jim Haws ;ll1d after Boulder contributed a driveway between the two pieces of limd.

5



1956 BONUS:

Reprints of "Utah .Archeology"

Vol, 2, No. 2

UTAH ARCHEOLOGY A Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 2

June 1956

June 1956

CONTENTS

Editor's Notes Radiocarbon Dates From Danger Cave, Utah, J.D. Jennings Role of Museums & Educational Institutions in the Functioning of Local Anthropological Societies, S.F, Borhegyi Petrographs, J.H. Gunnerson Antiquities Act

Page 1 Page 3 Page 5 Page 11 Page 15

EDITOR'S NOTES Summer Activities Plans for excavations in Utah are taking form. The University of California , Los Angleles, summer field school in archeology will again be housed in the College of Southern Utah dormitories at Cedar City, Utah. Excavation will be at the north edge of Paragonah, Utah from June IS to July 27. Your editorwili be in the field from July 1 to August 15 with a small' field school for the University of Utah. This party will be' mobile, and will dig for a week or ten days. at each of several sites within about 25 miles of Emery, Utah. Visitors will be welcome at both digs. It would be well to check with the Department of Anthrbpoiogy at the University just before visiting our dig to find out where the group is. The Utah Statewide Archeol.o gical Society The rapid growth in membership of the USAS has been most gratifying. In the course of a year we have achieved a membership of about 150. Thus, the interest in Utah archeology seems great enough to lvarrant making our organization more formal and increasing its activities. I have just r eturned f rom the annual meeting of the Society for American Archeology, held this year at Lincoln, Nebraska. At this meeting one long session was devotEJd to the organization and problems of local archeological societie s and I crum away with many ideas for the development of the USAS, I am r eprinting in part an article distributed by Mr. Borhegyi at this meeting in which hEl described the Oklahoma A.rcheological Society, I f eel sure that we can adopt many of the ideas he presents and I would like to hear from all members of the USAS as to (1) whether or not you favor an organi~ation of this type, (2) how you would like ours to differ, and (3) any othor comments l-lhich you might have concerning our organization. I sincerely hope that enough of you will attend tho Great Basin Archeological Confer ence in Salt Lako City on tho University of Utah Campus, August 19-21, to take action on formalizing our organization. If there are enough members present, we can arrange for a special meeting, so please make yourselves known lvhen you register. If any of you did not receive Vol. 2, No.1 of Utah Archeology, which included a room and banquet reservation form and a program, please l ot me know and I will send you a copy.


-

,.

.. -

,~

. .... _...

... ... -

Since the USAS newsletter, after a trial period of one year,. appears to be a success, our organization should assume the cost of preparing and distributing it~The Department of Anthropology and the University of Utah, which has subsidized the newsletter during the trial period, is willing to continue to sponso:r our ul"ganlzaLion and to furnish equipment and labor to prepare and distribute our publication. The USAS, however, will be asked to provide the necessary materials and postage starting with Volume 3, in 1957. Membership dues of $1.00 per year will provide the materials and postage required to produce and distribute slightly enlarged quarterly newsletters. Toward the end of this year, I ,ldll distribute notices that membership fees are due and the receipt of Volume 3 of Utah Archeology will be contingent upon your paying $1.00. This Issue The first article this time is on the dating of Danger Cave, probably the most Significant site thus far excavated in Utah. The article is by Dr. Jesse D. Jennings, Head of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Utah, who directed most of the excavation at this site. A final report of work at Danger Cave is now in preparation. The article on the Oklahoma Archeological Society is by Stephen F. Borhegyi, director of the University of Oklahoma Museum. The article in essentially its present form, was originally prepared for the symposium on local archeological societies which constituted one session of the recent annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The article on Petrographs by your editor is in response to several inquiries for such information. It is hoped that this rather general article will be followed from time to time by more specific articles on the same subject. . The final item in this issue, a copy of the Antiquities Act, is included in response to inquiries as to how one gets permission to excavate archeological sites on government land.

(16)


RADIOCARBON DATES FROl'1 DANGER CAVE, UTAH Jesse D. Jennings This summary is in response to inquiries caused by a short newspaper item recently released about the evidence of man's antiquity-- a matter of 10,000 to 11,000 years-~in western Utah. The information comes primarily from Danger Cave and was recovered during the routine operation of the smnmer Archeological Field School of the Department of Anthropology of the University of Utah during 1950, 1951, and 1953. While a detailed statement is not yet finished, the evidence for the age of man in Utah can be quickly reviewed. Danger Cave is a deep cavern--120 feet long by 60 or more wide--in the Desert Range. Its first value lies in the extensive evidence of human use-debris from occupation was 11 feet deep at the deepest point--and the wide range of organic material suitable for radiocarbon (C14) dating. There are five major structural and cultural layers. The floor of the cave, bef~re man began to use it, is of beach gravel of uniform size. Level I upon the gravel consists of two sand layers. Sand I is a thin waterlaid layer upon which six little fireplaces were built. These yielded a radiocarbon date of 8320Âą 650 B.C. Man was in the cave, then as soon as lake waters r eceded to an el evation of about 4310 feet. Soon thereafter the second, thicker layer of sand was deposited by wind action and the cave was used briefly by mountain sheep alone . The radiocarbon dates from the sheep droppings found in Sand 2 average around 9500 Âą 600 B.C. Nato that the higher, hence more recent, material yielded an older date than the charcoal underlying it. The plus-minus figures, however, overlap and this is regarded as indicating that the two samples are essentially contemporary. The remainder of the deposit --levels II, III, IV, and V are all the "natural" accumulation of debris and waste products r esulting from almost 10,000 years of continuous USe of the cave by man. The relationships of the levels are clear in Fig. l~ During the whole period of USe the aborigines SUbsisted about half on game of all sizes--from mountain sheep and bison down to rabbits and even smaller rodents--and half on vegetable foods. The vegetable foods include the small seeds of burro weed, which were harvested by the ton and ground on flat slabs (over 1000 grinding stone fragments were found) as well as bulbs, pine nuts, and berries. From beginning to end, these people made string, excellent baskets, and varied classes of flint implements. The way of life was unchanged until pioneer times. The life-way observed in Danger Cave is called the Desert culture, and is found historically and archeologically over most of the West, between the Wasatch and the Sierra Nevadas. The age of the different levels of the cave can be seen both in Table I and Figur e I . As Table I shows there are two separate series of radiocarbon dates. One set was derived by the Chicago Laboratory by the solid carbon technique, from specimens collected in 1950. The other set was derived thro'l1gh the methane gas technique by the Michigan Laboratory from specimens collected a year later from different locations in the cave but from the same levels,


¡" , The two series agree well; this agreement seems to satisfy the s'ciEmti:fl,c ; requirement of independent observation and is an argument for accepting the accuracy of radiocarbon dates, In addition to cv1.dcncz of man's antiquitjt-.

Dai1g.al~

Ca-v-tj also pI"uviuut)

information about the fauna and flora of the past 10,000 years in that all the plant and animal species are modern species, and are today (or were historically) to be found in the immediate vicinity of tho cave, Equally important is the location of the cave, As Figure 2 shows, the cave lies hundreds of feet below the .Stansbury terrace. Geologists are not exactly agreed as to the time when the Bonneville lake waters receded from the Provo and Stansbury terraces but ~hatever the final solution to the problem may be , Danger Cave radiocarbon dates provide a minimum date for the lowering of the lake water to t he 4310 foot level (110 feet above present Great Salt Lake ) of 8320 B,C., when the six fireplaces attest to the presence of man in the cave at a time when the wa t ers had just relea s ed it. On Figure 2, 'the elevations, of other important Utah caVe sites and of the terraces are also shown. Department of Anthropology University of Utah

(18)


LADDER OF TWELVE RADIOCARBON DATES FROM DANGER CAVE ______ Mic hi~an Level V (topmost)

Se~ r1 ~ ·e ~s~_____________________ C_ h_ i_ ca _g~o___S_e_r_i_e_s_________

M-203, uncharred twigs and leaves from middle of level V -- 4000 ± 3000

c-635, charred bat guano and twigs -- 1930 ± 240

M-205, uncharred twigs and leaves from base of Level V -- 4900 ± 500

Level IV

none

c-636, charred bat guano and twigs -- 3819 ± 160

Level III

none

none

Level II

none

c-611, charcoal in pit originating at lower middle zone of level II -~ 9787 + 630

c-640, charred rat dung from base of Level II -- 8960 ± 340

Level I Sand 2

M-116, uncharred sheep dung -- 11,000 ± 700

c-609, uncharred sheep dung -- 11453 + 600

M-119, uncharred woody

c-610, uncharred wood (stem of large shrub) 11151 ± 570

material (twigs, leaves)

10400

± 700

Occupation area between Sand 1 and Sand 2

M-202, charcoal from one of 6 fireplaces on surface of Sand I -- 10270 + 650

Level I Sand 2

M-204. slightly charred sheep dung -- 10700 ± 650

(19)

M_

none

none


;;.

i

"\~ ...\

I

("

~ Twigs (e637) AD 20

v

1SJ Twigs (M203) BC 2050 Iil Twi~636) BC 1900

~;'

----

-----

c

~r ~..;.

~,I

~(

13 feet Depth

Twigs (not tested)

,.-."

o

N

'--'

ffiiJ ,.... Charcoal (e611) BC 7839 ~ r Charred Rat

.. .

-"""

"---

~ ~

~:e6~~)~~g9500~ "h

-~- - Twigs (Ml19) Be 8450

--

~

I

\:llIillJ!V

~' \ ~\'\\\'~~~\ \~ Char~oal¡f~om\d.re~l~;'e~ \\ (M202) BC 8320 .

\\\\\\\\\\~ \ \ \ '. \

:.....~tJ",;

F:Lg.

I,

\\\ .

\

~

Sand 2 (wind deposited) '.., Sand 1

~.~ \\ \\\\\\ Gravel

(water deposited)

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\~, \ \ '.

\

Much simplified cross section of Danger Cave from front to back, showing the 5 major cultural lcrvois and the radiocarbon dates from each level, The M series are Michigan Laboratory dates; the e sories are Chicago dates,

,

I


Bonneville Terrace

5200 5100

' "'l~ ~~ Rn~

,,~

5000

~

4900

4800

Provo Terrace

~ti~

4700

,~

4600

Blackrock I (Garfield)

Stansbury Torrace

4500 4400

4300

Promontory I Juke Box (Wendover) South (Wendover)

~

~

""-

Danger (Wendover) Doadman (Magna) Promontory II

4200

Fig. 2.

Elovation of Utah cavos, and the throe major torraces.

(21)

.


ROLE OF MUSEUNS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTUIONS llJ THE FUNCTIONING OF LOCAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETIES Stephen F. Borhegyi T ~n

-"-

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eologists who, if unorganized, may fall into the unprepared laymen in the field of anthropology, may be of considerable value to the field when their interests and activities are properly channeled and directed. They may bo equally devastating if permitted to scavenge helter-skelter across the country side Therefore, it is a most important function of museums and educational institutions to see that these amateur collectors .are organized into local archeological sbcieties and to make sure that their work is such that it will increase the knowledge of the historical past of their state. It is also the role of the museums and educational institutions to serve as clearing houses from which can be disseminated information as to the proper means of collecting, cataloging, and preserving specimens, and news of current developments in the field of anthropology within tho state and in a general way throughout the world. Thus an unorganized "hobbyh can be made into a most profitable and worthwhile avocation. From tho above it is evident that much good can come of a close cooperation between the amateur and professional archeologists. The next matter is to ascertain the ways and means by which such cooperation can best be accomplished. The following program has been carried out with considerable success by the Oklahoma Anthr opologi cal Society (O.A.S.), the Anthropology Department of tho Universit y of Oklahoma , and the University Museum. The local society was created in 1952 through the untiring efforts of Dr. Robert E. Dell , chairman of the Anthropology ' Department, The five major objectives of the Societ y are listed a s : 1).

To unite individuals who are interested in the Indian history and prehistory of the state of Oklahoma.

2).

Preservation and display of Indian remains within the State.

3).

The scientific study, investigation, and interpretation of archeologic~l remains and ethnological materials.

4).

The pUblication and distribution of information concerning Oklahoma archeology and ethnology.

5). The development and promotion of a greater public interest and appreciation for the cultural heritage of the state. In the four years of its existence the society has grown from 60 members to more than 200 members. Let us s ee then how this was acconlplished. 1. One of the most i mportant ties between the Anthropological Society and the University is the annual meeting held in the University Museum in Norman. This s erves to reinforce ,tho r elationship between the Univer~ity, the Museum and the membershi p . At the same time it provides an opportunity for the members to meet and talk personally with the professional members of th e Society and to hear lectures by follow members and invited guests.

(22)


The first matter of importance at the annual meeting is the election of officers. In this regard it should be mentioned that the leadership of the Society is always in the hands of the non-professional members with the exception of the Editor of the N O!l~l etter. In the evening following the meetings a reception is held by the wlves of the professionals,for the members and their families. This gives everyone a chance to meet ~nformally and cement friendships. This year the introduction of the luncheon meeting with a gues t speaker proved to be a highly successful additon, giving the meetings the feeling of a "convention" and furthering the cause of professional interest and goodwill. 2. Members are encouraged to bring their recent collections to the Annual Meetings. This gives them an opportunity to show the results of their work to fellow members while at the same time the professional members are able to check these recent acquisitions from the field.

3, Special exhibits are planned by the Museum for the Annual Heeting to acquAint the membership with current anthropological developments. At the same time s everal exhibit cases are put at the disposal of the members. They are encouraged to put their better specimens on display thereby becoming acquainted with museum display techniques and affording the general public the opportunity of seeing the. yearly work of the Society~ Such e)thibits by the membership often result in donations and loans to the Mu seum. 4, At the meetings members are encouraged to give talks and show slides of their field work. In Oklahoma we try to emphasize the larger scope of anthropology and besides archeology several members have presented reports on ethnological or historical subjects.

5. At the Annual Meeting this year it was decided that some of the chapters of the Society in the iarger cities should have meetings to which the entire membership would be invited but which would be concerned specifically with local matters . 6. Organized field trips are always arranged for the day following th0 Annual Meeting. The local chapters also arrange weekly or monthly field trips in their areas, fr equently under the supervision of a member from the University of the jyjus eum.

7. A monthly Newsletter consisting of from eight to ten mimeographed pages is another important tie between the membership, the educational insititution, and tho Museum . The Editor is the only officer of the Society with professional status and in our case the position is held every year by Dr. Bell, the chairman of the Anthropology Department. In his absence this year during sabbatical leave I carried on the job of interim editor. At the end of the fiscal year of tho Society a Bulletin is prepared by the editor and distributed at the Annual Meeti.n g. It is made up of articles by members of the Society, University students, and professionals, Both the Newslett er and the Bulletin contain articles and news items of archeological, ethnological and historical interest, in accordance with the broader scope of the Society. The printing and distribution of the Newsletter and the Bulletin is paid for out of the dues. This is a nominal fe e (a ctive membership- $3.00) low enough to permit anyone to join upon recommendation by a member in good standing. The Newlotter contains information on current anthropological literature and research. This includes (23)


bibliographies, reports on field activities of members, area surveys and site reports, and reprints of articles of local interest by professionals in anthropological journals.not genera::ly available to the membership. 8. In addition to tho Annu.al H8fJtiEg (1.nU the Ne\. . sletter , contact between the professional and -the amateur members is maintained through correspondance and personal visits. Advice and assistance is frequently solicited by members and is given freely by the staff of the Anthropology D partment and the Hus eum. Survey sheets are prepared at the University and distributed to the members. When these have been filled out they are returned to the Museum so that a file is kept of all new archeological sites in Oklahoma. A site number is assigned and the member informed so that all material collected at the site will be correctly labeled. In this way a uniform cataloguing system has been established throughout the state coordinatihg the Museum collections with those of amateur collectors.

9. The more active membersbf 'the Society are encouraged to take out membership in National Archeological and Anthropological Societies, thereby integrating them into the. profession. 10. This summer the Univer si~y }ius eum is introducing a Hus eum Workshop for tHO weeks in June . It l\~ll be designed primarily for High School and Elementary tea chers but -w il.l be open to member s of the Society. If desired , - University credit can be obtained for this course. These points apply lnost specifically to the situation in Oklahoma where the Department of Anthropology and the University Museum work hand in glove toward the encouragement and help of anthropological field work by amateur collectors . In other areas either the educational institution may haye to carry the entire burden or there may be several different institutions competing for dominance . Understandably the problems will be 'somewhat different in each area but in general the points outlined above should s erve as suggestions for the achievement of professional and nonprofes sional cooperation, In conclusion it should be re-emphasized that the role of the educational institution or museum in the functioning of local societies should be that of guidance rather than dominance.

University Huseum Norman, Oklahoma

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PETROGRAPHS James H. Gunnerson Perhaps none of the archeological sites attract more attention than the Indian pictographs and petroglyphs. These examples of aboriginal art abound in all parts of the state and prompt many questions, most of which can be given only partial answers. Very few intensive studies have been made of these drawings since it is seldom possible to determine their exact age or cultural affiliation. Furthermore, in spite of many claims . ~s . not poss~. bl e t 0 "rea d" or "t rans Iat e" th e d raw~ngs. . to the contraryp ~t There is no evidence that any form of heiroglyphic writing is represented. To be sure, many of the elements, such as men and animals, are well enough depicted that they are recognizable but any symbolism or abstract meaning could be learned only from the artist himself. There are two principal techniques used to produc e the pictures or drawings on rocks. The most common technique represented is the pecking, cutting, or grinding of the figures into the surface of the rock. Panels prepar ed in t his way ar e calleq petr oglyphs. The s econd ma j or technique is t he painting of t he des i gns u pon t he r ocks. These pa i ntings are called ~ pi c to gr aphs ! al though thi s ter m is s ometimes applied to designs made by both technique s. A third term, petrographs , is used to include both pictographs and petroglyphs. The pigment used in pictographs is most commonly red oxide of iron, Less common colors arc black and white , although still other colors are occasionally found, Where more than one color is found on a pictograph, the figur e s were usually painted in one color and outlined in another, Seldom has any attempt been made at realism in color. Occasionally pecking or grinding is combined with painting. . Design el ements i n the petrogr a phs can f or the most part be grouped into t hree categories: geometric figures, human forms (complete or partial) and nat ur alistic forms i ncluding such thing s ~ s plants, animals, birds , and ins ects or parts of any of t hese . Sometimes manufa ctured obj ects such as bask ets, pot t ery vessels, and bows are depicted and an occasional design is suggestive of a map. The exact dat e of a petrogr aph is seldom determinable. There are, howovar, sever al ways t o establish r el ative dates for them. In some ins t ances, one drawing is placed OVer another in such a way that it is impos s i bl e to determine which was f irst . It is still impossible to tell whether t he first pr eceded t he s econd by a brief time or by a very long one. I n other instanc es , petr ogr a phs can be dated by their content. Panels showing r ailr oad trains, wagons , hors es, men with guns, etc. must post date the time when t he ar t i s t could have come in contact with such things, that is, they wer e made after conta ct wit h lvhite people. The presence of a bow and arr ow similarly, would s et another Uk~mum age f or the picture, for in th e Southwest and presuma bly in most of Utah t he bow and arrow were not used until about 600 A,D., al t h ough they may have been known earlier.


Sometimes petrographs c~n be correlated with geological or cultural phenomena which can be dated. Where pctrograph panels are buried by a . geologic or cultural deposit, the pet~ o graphs have to predate the depos~t. Similarly , petro~lyphs can sometimes be given an approximate date on h¡ the h 0 basis of their relationship to the desert varnish on the rocks upon W 1C they are carved. Hunt (1954) points out that desert varnish, which is the blackish or bownish stains on the surface of rocks, has been formed in the Southwest at two principal times when the climate waS much moister than at present. The most recent varnish, which is the thinnest, was formed early in the Christian era, The older and heavier varnish is probably several thousand years older. Thus a petroglyph (on a dry surface) which is covered by the heavier desert varnish predates this very early wet period. Petroglyphs which have been cut through the heavier stain, but which are covered by the lighter, would date from somewhere between these two wet periods. And petroglyphs cut through desert varnish and presenting a fresh, unvarnished appearnace would be no older than about 1800 years. It is sometimes possible to correlate petroglyphs wit h archeological complexes of known ages. In an area wher e only one ar cheological complex is known, there is a good chance that the pet rogr aphs in t he area bol ong to that complex. Another clue to relationship would be the pres ence on petrographs and als o ot her art work such a s pottery of the same des i gn motifs or even el ements . Such stylistic correl at ions , however, are not often t oo r eli abl e . The direct associ ati on of petrographs with structures , cr 1v.ith caves showing onl y one occupation , is oft en good evidence for cultural relati onship and contemporanei ty , There are ', however, examples where pieces of rock wi t h older petroglyphs have been re-used in structures. In such cas@s , t he petr ogl yphs obviously predate the structures. In spi te of the dif fic ulties in dealing with petrographs, there i s a great deal of descripti vo' information i n t he liter ature conc erning t hem. Only a f ew of the r i cher sources per t inent t o Utah will be i ncluded her e . The bibliographi es of most of thes e r ef er ences, however , will be us eful to anyone inter ested in further r eading . An outstanding di s t ributi on study of pi ctographs and petroglyphs was prepar ed by Stewar d (1929 ), This well-illustrated paper deals pr~narily with Cal i f or ni a , Nevada , Arizona , and Utah, In it he has plot t ed on maps the distribution of 45 el ements which ar e represent ed at sevâ‚Źral sites each . Steward ha s been able to establish several petrographic areas distingui shabl e by di fferen cos in t echnique and design elements. Many element s at'e f ound to be common to all or nearly of his areas.

It is interesting to note that most of Utah and Arizona form a single area ; called .;tr ail B by Ste\o1ard (1 929, PP. 221-22). Area B shares the four universal el ements: conc entr i c circl es , wavy or zigzag lines , human representations, and circles with radiati ng l ines. cal led "sun di sks", It further shar es with mos t of the regi ons studi ed : naturalistic and realistic el ements (el ement s 5-11 )-- quadr upeds, mountain sheep , hand pri nts , human or beB;r tracks, snakes and spirals, and t o a l es s degree , dots and "concent ric circles ", With t he excepti on of t he l ast two , all of t hese el ements are much more abundant in Area B. The elements which are more disti ncti ve of Ar ea B are : "Bi rds , hor ned t oads or frogs , lizards of a speci al rect i llinear styl e , and ka china-like humans ", (26)


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In addition to this outstanding general work, there are many publications describing and illustrat.ing petrographs from various sections of Utah. Wormington (1955, pp. 79-85, 165-170) has concerned horself primarily with the Fromont culture including its petroglyphs. Most of those described by Reagan (1933, 1934, 1935) from northeastern Utah are probably attributable to the Fremont people. Hunt (1953, pp. 179-201) conducted an archeological survey of the LaSal Mountain area near Moab, Utah and illustrated petrographs of that area. Steward (1941) describes and illustrates many petrographs from southern Utah; Judd (1926) does the same for the western half of the state. Kidder and Guernsey (1919, pp. 192-199, plates 89-97) have an excellent section on petroglyphs found just over the boundary in Arizona, Even though the full significance of the petrographs will never be kn01N.n, we can safely interpret some aspects of them. It is, first of all, most unlikely that these artistic endeavors are all the idle doodling of the artists. Too much care, work, and consistency havo gone into them for them to have had no significanc"e. The evidence further suggests that many if not most of, the petrographs were of ceremonial or religious function. Among the most common elements are animals, often sheep or goats. Such animals would have been of prime importance to the Indians since they represent the source of their meat, and hence, of much of their food. It seems probable that animal and perhaps many of the other petrographs were made in ceremonies to insure an abundance of game and good hunting. Often actual hunting scenes are depicted. Still other petrographs show people in costumes or with other paraphernalia suggestive of the accouterments of many of the present-day Indian ceremonies. Another interesting feature is the occurrence in restricted areas, sometimes on a single rock wall, of many figures superimposed. Such concentration~ are certainly suggestive of ceremonial centers, especially when other nearby rocks are not used and when there is little evidence of occupation in the Vicinity. In short, where there is basis for interpretation of petrographs, they frequently appear to have been associated with ceremonial activities connected with fertility and abundance. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hunt, Alice

1953

"Archeological Survey of the LaSal Hountain Area, Utah, University of Utah Anthropological Papers , No. 14.

Hunt, Charles B. 1953 "Desert Varnish", Science, Vol. 120, No. 3109, pp, 183-4. Judd, Neil i'l.

1926

"Archeological Observations North of the Rio Colorado." Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin, No. 82.

Kidder, Alfred V. and Samuel J. Guernsey 1919 "Archeological Explorations in Northeastern Arizona," Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin, Ho, 65 Reagan, Albert B. 1931 "The Pictographs of Ashley and Dry Fork Valleys in Northeastern Utah." Transactions J Kansas Academy of Science, Vol. 34 pp.

168-216 .

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¡ '..

1933

"Anciently Inhabitod Caves of the Vernal (Utah) District With Some Additional :1 -10tes on Nine Mile Canyon, Northeast Utah." Transactions, Kansas Aca.demy of Science, Vol. 36, pp. 41-70.

1935

"Archeological Report of Field Work Done in Utah in 1934-35." . Utah Academ,.v of Sciences: Arts; Itnd Lette!'s, Vol. Y.II, pp. 50 ~88.

Steward, Julian H. 1929 "Petroglyphs of California and Adjoining Uni versity of Calif ornia Publicat i ons . and Archeology, Vol. 24, part 2. 1941

Ethnology

"Archeological Reconnaissance of Southern Utah." Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin, No. 128. pp. 277-356.

Wormington, H.M. 1955 "A Reappraisal of the Fremont Culture", of Natural Hi stor y Proo eedings, No.1.

Denver Mus eum

THE ANTIQUITIES ACT James H. Gunnerson Most people are ei t her unaware of or poor ly inf ormed concerning the l aw which protect s archeological and similar material on fed eral property. I nqui rie s t o us her e at the University of Utah ar e fr equent enough that i t seems advisabl e t o i ncl ude in t his newsletter a copy of the law and also of the r ules and regul ations und er which the provisions of the law are carried out. It is hoped that with this information at hand, members of the USAS will ¡be able to inform other interested people of the law; The answers to the two most common questions are: (1). It is nearly , impossible for an individual not associated with a recogniz ed s cient ific inst itut ion or museum to receive a permit to collect archeological material on public l and. (2). Miner al right s, graz ing permits, etc. do not authorize their holders to col l ect or destr oy archeologic.al material on the land covered. If you have any further questions concerning the Antiquities Act, I answer them if I can and forward them to proper authorities if I cannot.

~Qll

(Public -- No. 209) An Act For the Preservation of American Antiquities Be i t enac ted by t he Senat e and Hous e of Repr esentatives of th e United Stat e s of America in Congr ess ass embled, That any person who shall appropriate, excavate. injure, or destroy any historic or prehistoric ruin or monument, or any object of antiquity, situated on lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States, without the permission of the Secretary of the Department of the Government having jurisdiction over the lands on which said antiquities are situated. shall upon conviction, (28)


be fined in a sum of not more than :fi ve hundred dollars or be imprisoned for a period of not more than ninety days, or shall suffer both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. Sec. 2 That the President of the United States is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamantion historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments, and may reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected I Provided, That when such objects are situated upon a tract covered by a bona fide unperfected claim or held in private ownership, the tract, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the proper care and management of the object, may be r elinquished to the Government, and the Secretary of the Interior is hereby auth orized to ac cept the relinquishment of such traets in behalf of the Govor~ment of the United States . Sec. 3 That permits for the examination of ruins, the excavation of archae ological sites, and the gathoring of objects of antiquity upon the lands under their rospective jurisdictions may be granted by the Secretaries of the Interior, AgricQlture, and War to institutions which they may deem properly qualified to conduct such examination , excavation, or gathering, subj ect to such rules and regulations as they may prescribe: Provided, That the examinations , excavations, and gatherings ar e undertaken for the benefit of reputable museums, universities , colleges, or other recognized scientific or educational institutions, l~th a View to increasing the knowledge of such objects , and that the gath~rings shall be made for permanent preservation in public mus eums • . Sec. 4 That the Secretaries of the Departments aforesaid shall make and publish from time to time uniform rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act. Approved, June 8, 1906 UNIFORM RULES AND

(34 Stat. L. 225) P~GULATIONS

PRESCRIBED BY THE SECRETARIES OF THE INTERIOR, AGRICULTURE AND WAR TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THE "ACT FOR THE PRESERVATIONS OF AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES," APPROVED JUNE 8, 1906 1. Jurisdiction over ruins, archeoiogical sites, historic and prehistoric monuments and structures, objects of antiquity, historic landmarks, and other objects of historic or scientific interest, shall be exercised under the act by the respective ,Departments as follows:

!ly the Socretary of Agriculture over lands within the exterior limits of forest r eserves, by tho Secretary of War over l ands within the exterior limits of mi1itary ¡reservations, by the Secrotary of the Interior over all other l ands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States , provided the Secretaries of War and Agriculture may by agreement cooperate wi~h the Secretary of the Interior on the supervision of such monuments and objects covered by the act of June 8, 1906, as may be locatod on lands near or adjacent to forest res erves and military reservations, respectively. 2. No permit for the removal of any ancient monument or structure which can be permanently preservod under the control of tho United States in situ, and remain an object of interest, shall be granted.


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3. Permits for the examination of ruins, the excavation of archooJogical sites, and the gathclring of objects of antiquity will be granted, by the respective secretaries having jurisdiction, to reputable museums, universities colleges, or other recognized scientific or educational institutions, or to their duly authorized agents. 4. No exclusive permits shall be granted for a larger area than the applicant can reasonably be expected to explore fully and systematically within the time limit named in the permit,

5. Each application for a permit should be filed with the Secretary having jurisdiction, and must be accomp~nied by a definite outline of the proposed llTork, indicating the name of the institution making the request, the date proposed for beginning the field work, the length of time proposed to be devoted to it, and the person who will be in immediate charge of the work. The application must also contain an exact statement of the character of the work, whether examination, excavation, or gathering, and the public museum in vlhich the collections made under the permit are to be permanently preserved. The application must be accompanied by a sketch plan or description of the particular site or area to be examined, excavated, or searched, so definite that it can be located on the map with reasonable accuracy. 6, No permit will be granted for a period of more than three years but if the wor~ has been diligently prosecuted under the permit, the time may be extended for proper caUSe upon application.

7. Failure to begin work under a permit within six months after it is granted, or failure to diligiently prosecute such work after it has been begun, shall make the permit void without any order or proceeding by the Secretary having jurisdiction . 8. Applications for permits shall be rerred to the Smithsonian Institution for recomrr!endation.

9. Every permit shall be in writing and copies shall be transmitted to the Smithsonian Institution and the .field officer in charge of tho land involved. The permittee l~ll be furnished with a copy of these rules and regulations. 10. At the close of each season's field work the permittee shall report in duplicato to the Smithsonian Institution, in such form as its secretary may prescribe, and shall prepare in duplicate a catalogue of the collections and of the photographs mado during tho season, indicating thorGin such material, if any, as'may be available for exchange. 11. Institutions and persons receiving permits for excavation shall, after the ¡comp1etion of the work, restore the lands upon whioh they have worked to their customary condition, to the satisfaction of the field officer in charge. 12. All permits shall be terminable at the discretion of the Secretary having jurisdiction. (30)


13. The field officer in charge of land ownod or controlled by the Govornment of the United States shall, from time to time, inquire and r eport as to the existence, on or near such lands; of ruins and archeological sites historic or prehistoric ruins or monuments, objects of antiguity, historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest. 14, Tho field officer in charge may at all times examine the permit of any person or institution claiming privileges granted in accordance with the act and these rules and regulations, and may fully examine all work done under such permit. 15. All persons duly authorized by the Secretaries of Agriculture and War, and Interior may apprehend or cause to be arrested, as provided in the act of February 6, 1905 (33 Stat. L., 700), any person or persons who appropriate, excavate, injure, or dostroy any historic or prehistoric ruin or monument, or any object of antiquity on lands under the supervision of the Secretaries of Agriculture, War, and Interior, respectively. 16. Any object of antiquity taken, or collection made, on lands owned or controlled by the Unitod States, without a permit, as prescribed by the act and these rules and regulations, or there taken or made, contrary to the terms of the permit , or contrary to the act and these rules and regulations , may be seized wherevor found and at any time, by the propor field officer or by any person duly authoriz ed by the Secretary having jurisdiction, and disposed of as the Secretary shall determineR by deposit in the proper national depository or otherwise. 17. Every collection made under the authority of the act and of those rules and regulations shall be preserved in the public mus eum designated in the permit and shall be a ccessible to the public. No such collection shall be r emoved from such public museum without the written authority of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and then only to another public museum, where it shall be a cc essible to the publiCI and when ony public museum, which is a depository of any collection made under the provisions of the act and these rules and regulations, shall cease to exist, every such collection in such public museum shall thereupon revert to the national collections and be placed in the proper national depository.

Washington, D.C.

December 28, 1906

The foregOing r ules and r egulations are hereby approved in triplicate and , under authority conferred by law on the Secretaries of the Interior Agriculture, and War, are hereby made and established to take effect ' ' immediately. E.A. Hitchcock Secrotary of the Interior James Wilson Secretary of Agriculture ~Tm.

H. Taft Secretary of War

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