Plains Indian Studies - Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Plains Indian Studies - Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Plains Indian Studies - Smithsonian Institution Libraries
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208 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY<br />
that natural events, such as boulder fracturing in<br />
streams or trampling by animals, as well as carnivore<br />
alteration, can break bones in a manner<br />
suggestive of human butchering. At Dutton and<br />
Selby, however, there are no boulders in the<br />
loessial soils, and the deposition of these soils<br />
reflects a low energy water system. It is further<br />
possible that the bones were trampled by animals<br />
coming to water, but it seems unbelievable that<br />
animals could break the bones in such consistent<br />
patterns.<br />
The location of the center of gravity near the<br />
distal end of the fractured specimens may have<br />
caused them to sink into wet sediments with only<br />
the proximal or pointed end exposed. These exposed<br />
ends may then have subsequently been<br />
polished by abrasion from water or windborne<br />
particles, giving the impression that the bones<br />
were used as tools.<br />
Carnivore alteration can also spirally fracture<br />
bone (Sutcliffe, 1970; G. Haynes, 1978, 1980;<br />
Hill, 1975; Buckland, 1822). Several studies, including<br />
the work of Gary Haynes, currently of<br />
the <strong>Smithsonian</strong>, promise to clarify this matter.<br />
To date these studies have not shown that carnivores<br />
can produce large impact depressions, or<br />
flake bones like those recovered at Dutton, Selby,<br />
or Old Crow. However, these data remain questionable<br />
until additional research in bone modification<br />
is complete.<br />
Lamb Spring, located near the South Platte<br />
River in Douglas County, Colorado, also may be<br />
pre-Clovis. Wedel (1965) excavated the site in<br />
1961 and in a layer below a Cody bison kill,<br />
found Pleistocene faunal remains, including<br />
mammoth, bison, and camel, which dated to<br />
around 13,000 years old. Because no stone artifacts<br />
were found in the lowest level, excavation<br />
was terminated.<br />
Recently, I noted that many of the bones from<br />
the lowest level were broken in a manner similar<br />
to those from Dutton and Selby. Consequently,<br />
the site warranted further investigation. In 1979,<br />
a 33-pound boulder associated with flaked mammoth<br />
bone was found in one of the trenches.<br />
Since there are no boulders elsewhere at the site,<br />
I believe that it was probably brought there for<br />
bone processing. Further excavations at this site<br />
in 1980 yielded additional data (Stanford, 1981).<br />
Friesenhahn Cave, near Austin, Texas, yielded<br />
several chert flakes and a human molar, as well<br />
as Pleistocene fauna (Evans, 1961:21). This site<br />
has often been mentioned as possibly pre-Clovis<br />
(MacNeish, 1978, 1979a). However, subsequent<br />
analysis of the deposits by Russell Graham (1976)<br />
has demonstrated that the cave was occupied by<br />
Scimitar cats rather than by man. All of the<br />
faunal remains from this deposit show evidence<br />
of having been chewed by these large, lionlike<br />
cats. Further, all of the chert flakes were found in<br />
a talus cone directly below the cave opening and<br />
are presumed to have washed into the cave from<br />
an extensive occupation found on the ground<br />
surface around the opening. It is Graham's conclusion<br />
that the cave was not occupied by man.<br />
Another Texas site that should be discussed is<br />
the Levi Rock Shelter (Alexander, 1963). This<br />
site has several occupation levels, with two presumed<br />
pre-Clovis levels underlying an occupation<br />
that has been identified as Clovis (Alexander,<br />
personal communication). The earliest pre-Clovis<br />
level is cemented into the back of the cave by a<br />
travertine deposit and was partially eroded. The<br />
subsequent pre-Clovis occupation occurs in unconsolidated<br />
cave fall and detritus. Stone tools in<br />
the form of utilized flakes were recovered from<br />
these older units. The stratigraphy of this site is<br />
extremely complex and is complicated by a tremendous<br />
mass of unconsolidated roof-fall, which<br />
makes interpretations of occupation horizons<br />
nearly impossible. The cave travertine is currently<br />
being deposited along the walls of the rock shelter,<br />
and its interface with recent unconsolidated fill<br />
cannot be considered a time horizon marker.<br />
Future work should explore more of these early<br />
occupation levels and clarify the relationship between<br />
these geologic phenomena and the various<br />
occupations of the cave.<br />
The Lewisville site in Denton County, Texas,<br />
was first excavated by R. King Harris and Wilson<br />
Crook between 1951 and 1957 (Crook and Harris,<br />
1957). Twenty-one burned areas were identified