Kenneth P. Cannon

“They Went as High as They Choose:” What an Isolated Skull Can Tell Us about the Biogeography of High-altitude Bison

ABSTRACT In 2003 a partial bison skull was recovered by Ashley National Forest archaeologists from an elevation of 3840 m (12,600 ft) above mean sea level on Gilbert Peak in the Uinta Mountains of Utah. The skull consists of a portion of the frontal, occipital region, and horn cores including horn sheaths. Through the analysis of the individual cones of the horn sheath, a record of the animals dietary and migration patterns were obtained. While high-altitude bison remains have been discussed in the scientific literature periodically, they have not gone beyond the descriptive. In addition to descriptive and metric analysis of the skull, radiometric assay and stable isotope analyses were applied. The radiocarbon age of the specimen is 150 ± 40 yr BP (cal. a.d. 1725–1778). Metric analysis of the skull indicates it was an older adult male, which compares well with Bison bison athabascae (wood bison) in size and is larger than either Bison bison bison (plains bison) specimens or other high-altitude bison. However, it is probable this individual represents a member of the species Bison bison bison, but phenotypic characteristics (e.g., large horn size) may be the result of gene flow. More definitive taxonomic placement of the Gilbert Peak bison may not be resolved without genetic analysis.

The Mountains Burnt: Forest Fires and Site Formation Processes:

The purpose of this article is to explore the effect of forest fires on the archaeological context in a mountainous environment. As Schiffer (1987) has pointed out, understanding environmental formation processes is integral to understanding site formation. Regional-scale processes, such as forest fires, have important site-level effects. By examining these effects in areas burned during the 1988 Yellowstone fires and by concurrently excavating nearby sites, site formation processes related to forest fires were examined. Important effects of fire which may be noted at the site-level include: 1) the mosaic burn pattern, where sharp boundaries are present between burned and unburned areas, 2) morphological changes to stone or bone should be limited to the charred layer representing the burn or within several centimeters below it, 3) specific oxidized soil features, and 4) ash pockets.

Ceramics and Clay Nodules From Jackson Lake, Wyoming: Description and Mineralogical Analysis

This study focuses on the mineralogical analysis of clay artifacts from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Included are 18 ceramic sherds, four clay nodules, and a control sample of natural clay. The purpose of the mineralogical analysis was to determine if the clay artifacts could have been made on site from local clays. The mineralogical analysis on the ceramic sherds and the local clay indicates the pot tery was not made in the immediate area, but possibly nearby, suggesting people in or near Jackson Lake knew how to make pottery and did not need to trade for it. Two clay nodules, one from each of two sites, were also submitted for mineralogical analysis. The two sites are separated geographically by about two miles and temporally by several hundred years. The two nodules, however, are made from the same clay source, which does not match the local clay. The temporal continuity of the clay source for the nodules and the importation of the clay suggest a cultural importance for the nodules not otherwise perceived.