The Blaine Site - South Dakota State Historical Society

1.2. HISTORY OF INVESTIGATIONS AT 39CU1144 3
investigation involved test excavation by crews from the Black Hills National
Forest (Williams 1992) and the State Archaeological Research Center (Hanenberger
and Donohue 1992). Four of the sites were found to be eligible for inclusion
to the National Register of Historic Places; however, only non-contributing
portions of two of the sites would be affected by the highway project. It was
determined that highway construction would have no adverse effect on the latter
two sites. The South Dakota Historic Preservation Officer concurred with
this determination. It was recommended that mitigation of adverse effect on
the other two sites, 39CU1142 and 39CU1144, could be achieved through either
avoidance or archaeological excavation. SDDOT personnel chose excavation as
the best means of mitigating damage to both sites. This report presents the results
of this Phase III mitigative excavation of 39CU1144. Results of mitigative
excavation at 39CU1142 will be presented in a separate report.
Preliminary evaluation of the Blaine site was based on the results of both
surface survey and subsurface testing (Williams 1993a; Hanenberger and Donohue
1992). These revealed the presence of a large (ca. 1.5 hectare) subsurface
site on a low terrace between a stream channel and present US Highway 16. Site
deposits extended approximately 240 m east-to-west and 60 m north-to-south
(Figure 1.2). Artifact concentrations were low in much of this area, with the
main concentration of cultural material limited to a single small area of the site.
Eight 1 x 1-meter test units were placed near the surface features. Fifteen shovel
tests were dug at regular intervals across the site. Most of the artifacts found
during the test excavation phase were from a 1 x 3-meter trench dug across
Feature 1, a rock cairn. Five features were exposed on the surface of the site.
These were three stone circles (tipi rings) and two rock cairns. Site deposits
extended from surface to approximately 60 cm below surface.
The Phase II investigations at the Blaine site indicated the presence of three
cultural components. A surface component (Component A) comprised the three
partial stone circles, two cairns, and five artifacts. A few artifacts found within
10 cm of surface were assigned to this component. No diagnostic artifacts or
other datable materials were found in this component. The second cultural
horizon (Component B) appeared as a concentration of artifacts 10–30 cm below
surface. This was the main component at the site, both in areal extent and
artifact density. Flakes, a few tools, and bone fragments were found in the
second component. No datable material was found in this component. The
third and lowest component (Component C) appears to have been restricted
to a small area of the site in the vicinity of Feature 1. Materials found 30–
60 cm below surface were assigned to this third component. A hearth was
uncovered at 45 cm below surface. This yielded a radiocarbon date of 5580±90
BP (Beta-55604) placing the component in the terminal Early Archaic period
as it is currently defined for the Black Hills (Sundstrom 1989; Cassells 1986).
Flakes and a few bone fragments were found in this component in the vicinity of
Feature 1. The results of test excavations at the site are summarized in Tables
1.1 and 1.2.
Although the test excavations revealed intact and separable components at
the Blaine site, the stratigraphy of the site appeared to be somewhat complex.