Jackson Lake Archeological Project, A Summary

Connor: Jackson Lake Archeological Project, A Summary JACKSON IAKE ARCHEDL03ICAL PROJECT A ffiM.1AR.Y Melissa Connor Midwest Archeological Center National Park Service Lincoln, NB Introduction '!he 1987 field season of the Jackson Lake Archeological Project was part of an ongoing project sponsored by the Bureau of Reclama.tion in conjunction with the repair of the Jackson Lake dam. The field seasons of 1984 and 1985 were spent inventorying the area exposed by the drawdown of the reservoir. This constituted the area around the lake between the elevations of 6772 feet and 6745 feet above sea level (Connor 1985, 1986). '!he field season of 1986 was spent testing sites which appeared promising (Connor 1987). In 1987, major excavations were undertaken at sites 48TE509 and 48TE1067. '!his was a very dry year and the reservoir dropped to the pre-reservoir lake levels. Mdi tiona! inventory in this area recorded 40 new sites. In total, the Jackson Lake Archeological Project has inventoried about 8550 acres and recorded 109 archeological sites that were flooded by the reservoir. During 1987, a co-operative agreement between the Service and the University of Wyoming allowed a team from the Depart:Irent of Anthrop:llogy to corrplete backhoe excavations in conjunction with the Jackson Lake Archeological Project. The Jackson Lake Archeological Project is guided by six broad research themes (NPS 1987, 1988). 'Ihese consist of (1) the effect of inundation on archeological resources, (2) refinement of the paleoenvironmental sequence, (3) culture history and culture Chronology, (4) definition of the aboriginal settlement and/or transhumance pattern, (5) definition of subsistence patterns, and (6) the exterit of trade. 'lbe Effect of Inundation on Archeological Resources '!he dam at Jackson Lake was built in 1906. Wave action at the shoreline and during changes in reservoir levels has damaged archeological sites under the reservoir. In many areas, deflation has occurred. Elsewhere, the soil was stripped, leaving the glacial de!X)sits exposed. In both these areas, we find artifact concentrations. Heavier than the soil, the lithic artifacts remain as a lag de!X)si t. In sorce areas, this resulted in a virtual pavement of artifacts and fired rock. -60- Published by Wyoming Scholars Repository, 1987 1 University of Wyoming National Park Service Research Center Annual Report, Vol. 11 [1987], Art. 11 At many sites, lag deposits of fired rock mark the locations of hearth features. 'Ihis lag deposit nay actually help protect the remainder of the hearth, because below the~, we often find the oottoms of the feature intact. Examination of faunal and floral remains protected by being deep within partially eroded features has provided much information. fure heartening, there are also areas where, either due to the action of the Snake River, or the reservoir, sites are buried. This had been suspected since before the drawdown and, since 1984, NPS has 'V'IOrked with Dr. Ken Pierce of the U.S. Geological Survey, to pinpoint areas nnst likely to have buried material. In 1987, a backhoe team from the University of Wyoming, led by Dr. George Frison, worked with Dr. Pierce to locate areas with buried material. Refinement of the Paleoenvironmental Sequence Pierce (1987) suggests the Jackson Lake basin was deglaciated by 15,000 years ago. Jackson Lake has diminished in size from its inception in late-glacial times to present. 'Ihe main changes are where the Snake River delta and the Pilgrim Creek alluviation have built out into the lake. Thlring deglaciation about 15,000 (?) years ago, the head of Jackson Lake may have been as far north as Flagg Ranch, roughly 12 miles north of the historically known lakeshore (Pierce 1987: 105). This is important information for potential site distribution. Materials from the Paleoindian periods would not occur on the part of the Snake River delta and the Pilgrim Creek delta younger than 8000 years old. In fact, the oldest tenporally diagnostic artifact yet found is a Clovis point found on the 6745 beach ridge at the Lawrence Site. At sites where this material has been dated, it dates about 11,000 years ago. Younger Paleoindian naterial (Cody, Angostora) is also found on the same beach. 1 Information an the progradation of the Snake River delta and the age of delta landforms is also being conpiled under the direction of Pierce. Further infornation on paleoenvironments is being corrpiled by Linda Scott CUmmings of PaleoResearch Laboratories through analyses of pollen and macrofloral remains associated with hearth features which will help determine local floral assemblages. Culture History People have utilized Jackson Lake for at least 11, 000 years. From 11,000 to about 7,000 years B.P. the prehistoric rern.ains consist of tenporally diagnostic projectile points. NJ living flCX)rs or hearths have been found, so our knowledge of these people is extremely limited. A cluster of radiocaroon dates from hearths around Jackson Lake range from 3000-4800 yr. BP. '!his coincides with \\hat Frison (1978) calls the -61- 2 Connor: Jackson Lake Archeological Project, A Summary Middle Plains Archaic, Which also brackets the period when the MCKean complex appears most strongly in the Northwestern Plains. Middle f\rchaic projectile point styles {ca. 5000-3000 BP in the northwestern Plains chronology) are found further south and west on the Snake River delta than earlier style projectile points. The MCKean presence ~ars strongly around Jackson Lake and there are number of points resembling Hanna, Duncan, and MCKean lanceolate projectiles. Another cluster in the Grand Teton radiocarl:x:>n dates between 2200 and 2400 yr. BP. This could mark a Late Archaic or Late Plains Archaic occupation. Late Archaic style projectile points found around Jackson Lake include Pelican Lake and Elko Eared styles. The next cluster of radiocarl:x:>n dates appears to be between about 800 and 2000 yr BP. This would oorrespond to the Late Prehistoric period. The majority of the small, Late Prehistoric style projectile points have been found in the Snake River delta. Geomorphological studies suggest that rruch of the southern delta would only have been habitable during Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric times {Pierce and Good 1986, Pierce 1987). By the Late Prehistoric, almost all the landforms we see today had been deposited. Only the beach ridge closest to the lake appears to have been deposited more recently, as no artifacts occur on it. Late Prehistoric points are the most oommon styles found on the delta. Settlerent and Transhumance Present data suggest an occupation from the spring to the fall, based on the seasonal availability of the resources that the prehistoric peoples utilized. There is oo data to preclude a winter occupation, but neither is there data to sUbstantiate one. Prehistoric SUbsistence Previous work around Jackson Lake was corrpleted by Dr. Gary Wright of the State University of New York. Wright presented a high altitude adaptation model Which rests on the hypothesis that plants, particularly cams, were of paramount irrportance in the diet of the Jackson Hole prehistoric populations {Wright 1984; Reeve 1986). They suggested that the abundant fired rock features at the oorth end of the lake are roasting pits and roasting platforms where camas was roasted {Wright 1984; Reeve et al 1979). Analysis of macrobotanical sanples from 9 of these features have been conpleted {Scott 1987) and 18 further sanples have been submitted for analysis. Tne oonpleted analyses show that vegetal remains included in these features on a regular basis are: Chenopodium, Cyperaceae, Gramineae, Polygonum, and Rurex {Scott 1987). Thus, Scott's findings suggest plant collecting focused on seeds, rather than root crops. Several grains of camas pollen have been identified, but no remains of -62- Published by Wyoming Scholars Repository, 1987 3 University of Wyoming National Park Service Research Center Annual Report, Vol. 11 [1987], Art. 11 canas roots have been found. Fish also played a role in the diet, probably on a seasonal basis (Wright and Marceau 1977). Fish bones were found at one site tested during 1987, and binotched cobbles, similar to those used ethnographically as net weights for fishing, were found on the delta. Meat was also a sUbstantial portion of the prehistoric diet through all tine periods, as suggested by the hundreds of projectile points found around the lakeshore. Implements associated at other sites with butchering, such as the Cody knife, have also been found at lakeshore sites (i.e. 48TE509). Several hearths have been found which contain animal bone. The mjori ty of these (at 48TE509, 48TE1067, and 48TE109l) contain very smll fragnents of charred b::>ne from nedium- or large-sized ma.rmnals. These are consistent with the etlmographically known process of bone grease manufacture. At 48TE1114, large pieces of charred ma.rmnal bone \-~er found, nore consistent with the roasting of large rnamma.l remins. At 48TE1111, bison oone with cut mrks was collected in association with prehistoric cultural material. Finally, at 48TE1099 and 48TElll4 charred rodent oone was included in the features excavated. 'lb date, the data suggest an extrenely varied diet, at least for the later periods for which we have the nost data. Seeds, fish, large mammals, and rodents all played a role in the prehistoric economy. Trade The inhabitants of Jackson Lake were participants in extensive prehistoric trade networks. Obsidian from Obsidian Cliffs in Yellowstone is found in archeological sites throughout eastern North Amarica. We've done obsidian hydration dating and analysis of both diagnostic and non-diagnostic artifacts. 'lb date, we have found five obsidian sources used around the lakeshore: Teton Pass to the south, Canas/Dry Creek in Idaho, Obsidian Cliffs in Yellowstone, Bitch Creek, and one unknown source. During the 1986 field season, a gorget of marine shell was found, also suggesting participation in a long-distance trade network. Unfortunately, nost of the material utilized in such a network were probably perishable. Sununa.ry There are presently plans for one additional year of fieldwork at Jackson Lake and several years of analysis before the project is conplete and as much informtion as possible has been wrung from the smll pieces of stone and oone collected. A minimum of 2 years of -63- 4 Connor: Jackson Lake Archeological Project, A Summary analysis after the final field season will be necessary before all six research Objectives can be thoroughly discussed. Literature Cited Connor, Melissa A. 1985. An Archeological Reconnaissance of Jackson Lake: A Preliminary Report. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. Connor, Melissa A. 1986. Jackson Lake Archeological Project, 1985: An Interim Report. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. Connor, Melissa A. 1987. Site Testing at Jackson Lake: A Jackson Lake Archeol03ical Project Interim Report. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. Frison, George C. 1978. Prehistoric Hunters of the High Plains. Academic Press, New York. National Park Service. 1987. Jackson Lake Archeological Project, Research Design and Data Recovery Plan. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. National Park Service. 1988. .Addendum to Jackson Lake Archeol03ical Project Research Design and Data Recovery Plan. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. Pierce, Kenneth L. 1987. Geologic Setting of the Eight Archeological Sites Investigated in 1986, Jackson Lake, Wyoming. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. Pierce, Kenneth L. and John Good. 1986. Quaternary Geologic Setting of Archeological Sites, Jackson Lake, Wyoming: An Interim Administrative Report Concerned ~stly with the Lawrence Site. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. Reeve, Stuart A. 1986. Root Crops and Prehistoric Social Process in the Snake River Headwaters. Unpublished PhD dissertation. State Univ. of NY, Albany. Reeve, Stuart, Gary Wright, and Priscella ~ham. 1979. Archeological Investigations of the Lawrence Site (48TE509): Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln. Scott, Linda J. 1987. Pollen and Macrofloral Analyses of Four Sites Aronnd Jackson Lake. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. -64- Published by Wyoming Scholars Repository, 1987 5 University of Wyoming National Park Service Research Center Annual Report, Vol. 11 [1987], Art. 11 Wright, Gary A. 1984. People of the High Country: Jackson Hole Before the Settlers. Aller. Univ. Studies, Series 11, VolUIOO 7. Peter Lang; New York. Wright, Gary A. and 'lbomas Marceau. 1977. Archeological Reconnaissance in western Jackson Hole. MS on file, Midwest Arch. Center, Lincoln, NE. -65- 6