Archeological Investigations at Great Basin National Park: Testing and SiteRecording in Support of the General Management Plan

摘要

Test excavations undertaken to determine the archeological significance of sixsites in Great Basin National Park are reported here. Planned developed outlined in the General Management Plan may impact one or more of these sites. Artifacts diagnostic of the Paleoindian, Archaic, Fremont and Shoshone cultures were recovered Ceramics and projectile points were identified; chipped stone and ground stone artifacts were examined. Other materials recovered include beads, a worked crystal and shaped schist artifacts. Results from specialized analyses indicate that preservation of faunal remains, paleobotanical material and pollen is good. X-ray fluorescence of obsidian artifacts provides interesting data about the sources of the obsidian. Radiocarbon dates, obtained from two hearths and a fire-cracked-rock cluster, and relative dates, from obsidian hydration analysis, support the interpretation of both archaic and Fremont period occupations. Management recommendations and a plan for data recovery based on the testing results are presented.