Late Glacial Environments and Paleoecology at Blackwater Draw ...

INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY
POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
MAN – MILLENNIA – ENVIRONMENT
STUDIES IN HONOUR
OF ROMUALD SCHILD
EDITED BY
Zofia Sulgostowska and Andrzej Jacek Tomaszewski
WARSAW 2008

Published by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology
Polish Academy of Sciences
00-140 Warszawa, al. Solidarnoœci 105, Poland
© Copyright by
the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology
Polish Academy of Sciences
2008
Cover design
Jerzy Grzegorkiewicz
PL ISBN 978-83-89499-42-4
Typeset, printed and bound by Letter Quality, Warsaw, Poland
Printed in 400 copies

CONTENTS
Boles³aw Ginter and Micha³ Kobusiewicz
OUR DEAR FRIEND ............................................................................................ 13
ROMUALD SCHILD’S BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................... 15
BEHAVIOUR, BURIALS, ART, POPULATION
John R.F. Bower
FINDING MODERNITY: THE PROBLEM OF RECOGNIZING “MODERN” BEHAVIOUR IN THE STONE AGE ....... 27
Erik Brinch Petersen
WARRIORS OF THE NEOLITHIC TRB-CULTURE ................................................................ 33
Bernhard Gramsch
AN EARLY MESOLITHIC ORNAMENTED BONE IMPLEMENT FROM THE FRIESACK-4-SITE
IN NORTHERN GERMANY ..................................................................................... 39
Joel D. Irish
A DENTAL ASSESSMENT OF BIOLOGICAL AFFINITY BETWEEN INHABITANTS OF THE GEBEL RAMLAH
AND R 12 NEOLITHIC SITE .................................................................................... 45
Catriona Pickard, Ben Pickard and Clive Bonsall
REASSESSING THE MITOCHONDRIAL DNA EVIDENCE FOR MIGRATION AT THE MESOLITHIC-NEOLITHIC
TRANSITION .................................................................................................. 53
ENVIRONMENT AND SUBSISTENCE
Bodil Bratlund
BUTCHERING REINDEER IN STELLMOOR ..................................................................... 61
Achilles Gautier
SOME FAUNAL REMAINS FROM THE LATE NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENTS AT GEBEL RAMLAH,
WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT .................................................................................... 75
Christopher L. Hill, Fred Wendorf, Paul B. Sears and Edna Papazian
LATE GLACIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND PALEOECOLOGY AT BLACKWATER DRAW, NEAR CLOVIS,
NEW MEXICO, USA ............................................................................................ 79
Lucyna Kubiak-Martens and Kazimierz Tobolski
PLANTS IN THE HUNTER-GATHERERS’ SUBSISTENCE IN THE MIDDLE VISTULA RIVER VALLEY
AT CA£OWANIE (POLAND) IN THE LATE PLEISTOCENE AND EARLY HOLOCENE .............................. 87
Lars Larsson
HORSE HUNTERS DURING THE DEGLACIATION OF SOUTHERN SCANDINAVIA ............................... 99
Maria Lityñska-Zaj¹c
USABLE WILD PLANTS IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD FROM POLAND: SELECTED EXAMPLES ......... 107
Svetlana V. Oshibkina
HUNTING STRATEGY OF THE POPULATION OF THE NORTH OF EASTERN EUROPE DURING
THE EARLY HOLOCENE ....................................................................................... 113
T. Douglas Price, Klaus Bokelmann and Anne Pike-Tay
LATE PALEOLITHIC REINDEER ON THE NORTH EUROPEAN PLAIN ............................................ 123
C. Garth Sampson
MIDDLE ARCHAIC EARTH MOUNDS IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST AND THE ONSET
OF MID-HOLOCENE EL-NIÑO/ENSO EVENTS: IS THERE A CONNECTION? ..................................... 133

SETTLEMENT
Barbara Barich
LIVING IN THE OASIS. BEGINNINGS OF VILLAGE LIFE AT FARAFRA AND IN THE WESTERN DESERT OF EGYPT 145
Viola Dobosi
ACSA: NEW OPEN-AIR AURIGNACIAN SITE IN HUNGARY ..................................................... 151
Boles³aw Ginter and Marta Po³towicz
TWO HOARDS OF LITHIC OBJECTS FROM THE MAGDALENIAN SITE IN DZIER¯YS£AW IN UPPER SILESIA,
POLAND ....................................................................................................... 161
Jacek Kabaciñski and Micha³ Kobusiewicz
NEW HAMBURGIAN OCCUPATION IN THE CENTRAL-WESTERN POLAND ..................................... 171
Janusz Krzysztof Koz³owski
QUELQUES REMARQUES SUR L’ORIGINE DE L’IBÉROMAURUSIEN ............................................ 185
Jerzy Libera
FIRST FINDS OF SZELETIAN POINTS FROM THE LUBLIN REGION, POLAND ................................... 193
Avraham Ronen, Alexander Neber, Henk K. Mienis, Liora Kolska Horvitz, Amos Frumkin,
Wolfgang Boenigk and Ehud Galili
A MOUSTERIAN OCCUPATION ON AN OIS 5 E SHORE NEAR THE MOUNT CARMEL CAVES, ISRAEL ............. 197
Alan Saville
THE BEGINNING OF THE LATER MESOLITHIC IN SCOTLAND .................................................... 207
Pawe³ Valde-Nowak and Maria £anczont
LATE PALEOLITHIC DWELLINGS FROM SKAWA GORGE IN THE BESKIDY MOUNTAINS (POLISH CARPATHIANS) 215
Karel Valoch
BRNO-BOHUNICE, EPONYMOUS BOHUNICIAN SITE: NEW DATA, NEW IDEAS ................................. 225
Pierre Vermeersch, Bart Vamontford, Shawn Bubel and Philip van Peer
THE RENS SHELTER, SODMEIN WADI, RED SEA, EGYPT. A BEDOUIN SETTLEMENT? .......................... 237
TECHNOLOGY
Bogdan Balcer
HYPOTHETICAL NEOLITHIC HOUSES FROM ÆMIELÓW, LITTLE POLAND ..................................... 247
Gerhard Bosinski and Robert Guicharnaud
THE WORKING OF QUARTZ AT THE MAGDALENIAN SITE OF MIRANDE, COMM. NEGREPELISSE
(TARN-ET-GARONNE, FRANCE) ............................................................................... 253
Jan Micha³ Burdukiewicz
DYNAMIC TECHNOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF LOWER PALEOLITHIC MICROLITHIC CORES ..................... 263
Tomasz Herbich and Aleksander Jagodziñski
GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE DRY MOAT OF THE NETJERYKHET COMPLEX IN SAQQARA ......... 273
Jacek Lech
MINING AND DISTRIBUTION OF FLINT FROM LITTLE POLAND IN THE LENGYEL, POLGÁR
AND RELATED COMMUNITIES IN THE MIDDLE/LATE NEOLITHIC: BRIEF OUTLINE ........................... 281
Andrzej Jacek Tomaszewski, Halina Królik, El¿bieta Ciepielewska, Beata Laprus-Madej and Dagmara Mañka
RYDNO’S OBSIDIANS: ALMOST ALL OF THEM ................................................................ 293
Berit Valentin Eriksen
DYNAMIC TECHNOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF BRONZE AGE LITHICS. A TRIBUTE TO AN UNCONVENTIONAL
ARCHAEOLOGIST ............................................................................................. 301
Gerd Weisgerber
MINE OR QUARRY: THAT IS THE QUESTION ................................................................... 307
Fred Wendorf
PALEOLITHIC STONE INDUSTRIES AND THE NUBIAN CAMPAIGN 1962 TO 1965 ............................... 315
HISTORY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Stefan Karol Koz³owski
W£ODZIMIERZ ANTONIEWICZ – STUDYING ARCHAEOLOGY IN IMPERIAL VIENNA ............................ 331
Sarunas Milisauskas and Janusz Kruk
REFLECTIONS ON THE OLSZANICA AND BRONOCICE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECTS ........................... 335
Zofia Sulgostowska
AFTERWORD .................................................................................................. 345

CHRISTOPHER L. HILL, FRED WENDORF, PAUL B. SEARS
AND EDNA PAPAZIAN
LATE GLACIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND PALEOECOLOGY
AT BLACKWATER DRAW, NEAR CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO, U.S.A.
INTRODUCTION
Interpretations of environmental settings provide
critical information pertaining to the potential linkages
between Pleistocene human populations and episodes
of climate change. Here we present information pertaining
to the Late Glacial paleoecology of a section of
Blackwater Draw, situated on the Southern High
Plains of North America. Information from a stratigraphic
sequence containing fossil pollen is integrated
with other sources of data including stratigraphy, geochronology,
fossil vertebrates, molluscs, and stable
isotopes to infer potential Late Pleistocene landscapes.
Upper Blackwater Draw is in east-central New
Mexico, close to the border with west Texas. It is situated
in the northwest part of the Llano Estacado, east of
the Pecos River and south of the Canadian River. Localities
within and close to Blackwater Draw have played
an important role in developing an understanding of
past environmental change at the end of the Pleistocene
and especially ecological contexts associated with Late
Pleistocene human groups that used Clovis and Folsom
artifacts and are associated with extinct fauna. The
region contains a set of significant geological, paleontological
and archaeological localities representing the
time interval from prior to the Last Glacial Maximum
to the end of the Younger Dryas chronozone.
THE BARROW PIT AND HIGHWAY SITE
General Information and Stratigraphy. The Barrow
Pit is situated within Blackwater Draw, east of Highway
467 which connects Portales and Clovis, New Mexico.
In this part of the draw, which lies immediately to
Fig. 1. General view in the vicinity of the Highway Site and the Barrow Pit, looking south, towards Portales,
from Blackwater Draw. Note sedimentary remnants. Photo taken in 1998 by C. Hill.

80 CHRISTOPHER L. HILL, FRED WENDORF, PAUL B. SEARS AND EDNA PAPAZIAN
Fig. 2. Image of sedimentary remnant in vicinity of Highway Site and Barrow Pit.
Scale is 10 centimeters = 4 inches. Photo taken in 1998 by C. Hill.
the south of Baseline Road, two localities have been
designated: the Barrow Pit (Locality 7, Haynes 1975)
and the nearby Highway Site (LA 3325, Hester 1972)
(Fig. 1 and 2).
Here, we initially describe the sedimentary sequence
at the Barrow Pit following the stratigraphic terminology
of Haynes (1975; see also Haynes and Agogino
1966:815). Later, we compare the stratigraphic sequence
with other environmental studies that have
used a variety of stratigraphic designations for localities
in and near the draw. The lowest deposit, unit B1,
consists of a speckled sand. It is overlain by unit B2,
a laminated lacustrine mudstone. A sample of carbonate
from the lower part of the mudstone has a radiocarbon
measurement of about 15,770 B.P. (A-669B, Haynes
1975, B.P. = radiocarbon years before present). The
upper part of unit B2 contains a well-developed,
eroded calcic paleosol; Clovis points were recovered
from the deflated surface of this paleosol (Haynes and
Agogino 1966).
The laminated mudstone is overlain by erosional
remnants of sandy silt designated as unit D (Fig. 1
and 2). Unit D contains Anodasta shells with a radiocarbon
age of about 10,600 B.P. (A-493, Haynes 1975).
This is correlated with the “diatomaceous earth” and
“unit D” of Haynes (1995), dated from 10,900–10,200
B.P. and associated with Folsom and Agate Basin artifacts
at the nearby Clovis gravel pit. It could represent
a local manifestation of the Younger Dryas. The uppermost
deposit, designated unit E, is a calcareous silt,
likely equivalent to the “carbonaceous silt” and “unit E”
dated from 10,500/10,000 to 9,000/8,500 B.P. at the
Clovis gravel pit (Haynes 1995).
The stratigraphic sequence at the Barrow Pit was
collected by F. Wendorf in 1965. The samples were collected
from what was then the deepest part of the draw,
in an area of numerous low hummocks (Fig. 1 and 2).
The samples were sent to P. Sears who supervised the
pollen analysis undertaken by E. Papazian. The area of
the Highway Site and the Barrow Pit was visited by Hill
in 1983, 1986, and 1998. A brief visit was conducted in
2006 by Wendorf and Hill with David Batten, Christy
Bednar, and Cheryl Hill. In addition, Hill conducted
a taxonomic study of the paleontological materials from
the Blackwater Draw region stored at the Shuler Museum
at the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man,
Southern Methodist University.
Biostratigraphic Description. Two of the strata at
the Barrow Pit contain biotic materials that can be used
to evaluate Late Pleistocene ecological conditions within
Blackwater Draw. Pollen and molluscs are present in
some of the sediments of unit B2 as well as in unit D.
Twenty-four samples were collected from the unit
B2 and subjected to pollen analysis (Fig. 3). Pollen

LATE GLACIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND PALEOECOLOGY AT BLACKWATER DRAW, NEAR CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO, U.S.A.
81
Fig. 3. Simplified pollen diagram from Barrow Pit, Blackwater Draw, between Portales and Clovis, New Mexico.
Only major taxa are plotted. Pollen percentages relative to identifiable pollen. Categories of “Unkowns” and
“Total Identifiable Pollen” are frequencies, not percentages. Samples collected by F. Wendorf. Pollen analysis by E. Papazian.
was not found in all parts of the deposit; pollen was
recovered from the lowermost section (directly above
unit B1) and also in the central part of the stratum. No
pollen was recovered from the upper part of unit B2
(Fig. 3). E. Papazian recorded the presence of charcoal
but not enough pollen to count within the upper section
of unit B2. The absence of countable amounts of pollen
from certain sections of the unit B2 lacustrine mudstone
may suggest very rapid deposition, diluting the pollen
rain; equally, it might suggest the reverse, deposition
so slow that it was oxidized (Sears letter to Wendorf,
1970). An additional possibility is that any pollen deposited
within these sediments was destroyed by postdepositional
weathering. The pollen gap at the top of
unit B2 might be expected to be the result of the welldeveloped
soil in the upper section of the mudstone, as
described by Haynes (Haynes and Agogino 1966:815).
In the unit B2 lower pollen zone (Fig. 3), there are
low frequencies of total identifiable pollen, as well
as low frequencies of unknown and indeterminable
pollen. The arboreal (tree) component chiefly consists
of confer pollen. Pinus dominates with low amounts
of Picea and an occurrence of Abies. The deciduous
taxa include Quercus and Betula, and there are small
amounts of Ulmus, Platanus, and Nyssa (not shown on
the pollen diagram). Non-arboreal (herbs and shrubs)
pollen is dominated by Artemisia, followed by Chenopodiacae,
Graminae (= Poaceae), and Compositae.
Also present in very small amounts are Cyperaceae,
Typha, Polygonum, Caryophillaceae, Ilex, Capparidaceae,
Ericaceae, and Sarcobatus.
The radiocarbon sample measured at 15,770 B.P.
was collected within sediments between the lower and
upper pollen zones in unit B2. No pollen was present
in these deposits. The sample consisted of carbonate
within clay and small shells (Haynes 1975).
Most of the samples from the unit B2 upper pollen
zone (Fig. 3) contain higher amounts of identifiable
pollen compared to the lower pollen zone in unit B2 or
unit D. The unit B2 upper pollen zone also contains
substantially more unknown and indeterminate pollen
(Fig. 3). There is generally more arboreal pollen in the
bottom half of the zone and more non-arboreal pollen
in the higher part of the zone. Arboreal pollen is again
dominated by conifers. Pinus comprises around 60%
of the identifiable pollen at the base of the zone. The
percentage of Pinus declines towards the top of the
zone. Other minor arboreal taxa are Picea, Quercus,
and Betula with infrequent amounts of Larix, Cuppressus,
Abies, Ulmus, Celtus Juglans, Platinuanus, Acer,
Carpinus, Ostrya, Carya, Nyssa, Fagus, and Salix.
The non-arboreal component of the unit B2 upper
pollen zone is dominated by five taxa. Ambrosia is relatively
more common in the lower part of the zone,

82 CHRISTOPHER L. HILL, FRED WENDORF, PAUL B. SEARS AND EDNA PAPAZIAN
while there are higher proportions of Artemisia, Graminae,
Compositae and the Cheno-Ams in the younger
section of the zone. Very low amounts of certain taxa
are not shown on the simplified pollen diagram, including:
Cyperaceae, Rosaceae, Typha, Polygonum,
Rhamnaceae, Plantago, Caryophllaceae, Guttiferae,
Haloragidaceae, Umbelliferae, Ranunculaceae, Rhus,
Anacardiaceae, Moraceae, Sparganum, Potamogeton,
Loranthaceae, Corylus, Rumex, and Cuscuta.
The mollusc assemblage from unit B2 at the nearby
Highway Site (LA 3325) contains freshwater bivalves
(Pisidium casertanum and P. casertanum), aquatic
snails (Gyraulus cf. circumstriatus) and a terrestrial
snail (Vallonia cf. cyclophorella) (Drake 1975:211).
Overlying unit B2 at the Barrow Pit is a facies of
unit D with an age of about 10,600 B.P., based on radiocarbon
measurements of shells (Haynes 1975). Seven
samples from this stratum were analyzed for pollen.
Arboreal pollen is dominated by Pinus; it constitutes
from about thirty to nearly sixty percent of the identifiable
pollen. Other arboreal pollen present in small
amounts include Betula, Quercus, and Picea. There
are minor occurrences of Ulmus, Celtis, Juglans, Platanus,
Acer, Ostrya, Carya, Nyssa, Fraxinus, and Castanea
not shown on Fig. 3. Non-arboreal pollen is
dominated by Ambrosia (about 20% of identifiable
pollen) in the lower section of unit D and Artemisia
(around 30% of identifiable pollen) in the top section.
Compositae, Graminea, and the Cheno-Ams are persistent
throughout unit D. Low frequencies of Rosaceae,
Typha, Polygonum, Rhamnaceae, Caryophllacae, Hypericum,
Myriophyllum, Urtica, Araliaceae, and Cruciferae
(= Brassicaceae) also occur.
At the nearby Highway Site (LA 3325) molluscs
probably from unit D (Haynes 1975) include Sphaerium
sulcatum and Helisoma anceps, suggesting permanent
water, although the presence of Promenetus
exacuous, Helisoma trivolvis, Stagnicola cf. exilis, Planorbula
cf. armigera, and Gyraulus cf. circumstriatus
suggest less permanent water (Drake 1975:209). Some
of the molluscs indicate cooler temperatures than
present (Promenetus exacuous, Gyraulus cf. circumstrates,
Armiger cistra, and Pupilla muscorum). Molluscs
typical of woodland conditions include: Vertigo
ovata, Nesovitrea electrina, Euconulus fulvus, and Vallonia
cf. cyclophorella. The overall molluscan assemblage
appears to reflect ecological conditions associated
with grassy or open woodlands (Drake 1975:209).
A lacustrine sediment from LA 3325/Locality 7 contained
Pinus, Picea, Artemisia, Tubuliflorae, Liguliflorae,
Gramineae, and Chenopodiaceae (Schoenwetter
1975). Pine values reach 35%, while Artemisia values
reach 25%. This sample has been considered as representing
the Tahoka Pluvial (the local equivalent of the
Last Glacial Maximum) or an older climate episode
(Oldfield and Schoenwetter 1975).
OTHER PALEOECOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
FROM UPPER BLACKWATER DRAW
Blackwater Draw Locality No. 1 (Clovis gravel pit;
LA 3324, Locality 12, Hester 1975; Haynes 1975). This
locality has been extensively studied because it contains
a stratigraphic sequence with Clovis, Folsom, and other
artifacts as well as Rancholabrean faunal remains
(Hester 1972). It is situated about 2 miles (3.2 km)
north of the Barrow Pit locality.
There are several dates from deposits stratigraphically
below the speckled sands or unit B deposits at
the gravel pit that appear to constrain the age of the
stratigraphic sequence at the Barrow Pit. Lacustrine
carbonates attributed to the Tahoka Pluvial (designated
stratum B in Holliday 1995) are younger than about
21,100 B.P. (SMU-2533), and other ages of 22,930 B.P.
(AA-7093) and 17,220 B.P. (AA-7092) (Haynes 1995)
limit the age of overlying sediments (cf. Haynes 1975,
Unit B1; also termed the “speckled sand” or the “gray
sand” cf. Antevs 1949, Hester 1972). These ages imply
that the unit B1 and B2 deposits from the Barrow
Pit date to the late Last Glacial Maximum or the early
part of the Late Glacial.
Samples collected from the gravel pit in the 1930s
were submitted to P. Sears for analysis. The samples
contained pine pollen that Sears concluded may have
been present due to long distance transport (Hester
1972:24). Where pollen was preserved in unit B1
(“gray sand”) taxa included Pinus, Ulmus, Artemisia,
Graminae, and Chenopodiacea (Schoenwetter 1975).
Fauna from the “gray sand” contains large and small
vertebrates. In terms of ecological interpretations, the
large vertebrates typically provide regional-scale information
while smaller vertebrates provide information
on local conditions. Carnivores include Canis lupus,
C. latrans, C. dirus, Vulpes velox, Smilodon californicus.
Other large vertebrates include Platygonus,
Camelops, Tanupolama macrocephala, Bison antiquus,
three species of Equus (E. conversidens, E. niobrarensis,
E. scotti), and Mammuthus. Stable isotope measurements
of Bison indicate the regional presence of
C4 (warm climate) grasses, but Mammuthus isotopes
displayed two distinct patterns (Connin et al. 1998;
Hoope 2004). Some of the samples appear to reflect
cooler glacial conditions while other measurements
reflect an increase in warmer climate grasses (Connin
et al. 1998; Hoope 2004).
Some fossils are from extinct animals; their value
as direct environmental indicators is not as strong as
remains from animals that are still living and thus have
climate and range tolerances that can be measured.
The presence of Ondatra zibethica indicates the presence
of permanent water and more evenly distributed
annual rainfall, while the extinct Terrapene canaliculata
may imply some wooded areas (Lundelius 1972).

LATE GLACIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND PALEOECOLOGY AT BLACKWATER DRAW, NEAR CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO, U.S.A.
83
A depositional unit designated as the “brown sand
wedge” lies stratigraphically above white sands (lacustrine
beds, unit B1) and below the diatomite (unit D)
of Haynes (1975). It may date to about 11,300 B.P
(Haynes 1995:358, 370) and therefore is contemporary
with the presence of Clovis artifacts. Some of the
faunal elements found within this deposit can be used
as paleoecological indicators, assuming that presentday
ecological restrictions can be applied as analogs for
past conditions. For instance, the habitat for Didelphis
marasupilias (opossum) is typically around streamways
where there is some woody vegetation. The presence
of Sciurus arizonensis/carolinensis (gray squirrel) indicates
at least some trees were present (Slaughter
1975:182). Microtus pennsylvanicus (Pennsylvanian
meadow vole) can inhabit dry meadows, but prefers
moist conditions near streams and forests. Microtus
mexicanus (Mexican vole) is typically associated with
ponderosa pine zones at present (Harris 1990); it lives
in open areas within pine forests (Slaughter 1975:187).
Neotoma cinererea and Microtus flaviventris are linked
to greater effective moisture. Sorex cinerereus (masked
shrew) is linked to cooler temperatures. The presence
of tall grass conditions is indicated by Microtus ochrogaster
(Prairie vole).
Larger mammals present in the “brown sand wedge”
also suggest at least some wooded settings or cover,
including Ursus americanus (black bear), Procyon lotor
(raccoon), Vulpus (fox, cf. red fox), and Odocoileus
hemionus (mule deer). Extinct fauna associated with
this sedimentary unit include Breameryx (pronghorn),
Bison (bison), and Equus (horse); the habitat requirements
for these genra can only be inferred. Isotope
values from Mammuthus and Bison teeth mostly imply
regionally abundant C4 (warm climate) vegetation,
although some specimens imply cool contexts (Connin
et al. 1998; Koch et al. 2004; Hoppe 2004). The isotope
values from Blackwater Draw appear to reflect
either taphonomic mixing or spatial and/or temporal
variability in environments. Faunal materials studied
by Hill at the Schuler Museum including Camelidae
hemiauchenia and Bison that are likely from the brown
sand wedge. This fauna includes several mammals that
may have migrated from the east using riparian corridors
including Didelphic virginianus (opossum), Sciurus
arizonensis/carolinensis (gray squirrel), and Procyon
lotor (raccoon) (Harris 1990).
Pollen recovered from the “brown sand wedge” includes
very low amounts of Pinus and high values
form Compositae and Graminae (Schoenewetter 1975).
Molluscs collected from the “diatomite” include
several species linked to riparian woodlands (Gastropda
procera, Hawaiia minusculus, and Vallonia gracilicosta)
(Clarke 1938; Hester 1972:25). The top of the
diatomite (unit D of Haynes 1975) at the gravel pit
includes two woodland species: Vallonia cf. cyclophorella
and Euconulus fulvus (Drake 1975:205–206).
Also found within the diatomite was Zonitoides arboreus,
a species that favors shady woodland (Drake
1975:206). In the zone of the diatomite that contains
Folsom artifacts, terrestrial gastropods (Gastrocopta
cf. holzingeri and G. cristata) associated with dry to
damp woods and grassland habitats are present. In
1958, Wendorf and F. Green collected a jaw of Canis
dirus from the diatomite. The diatomite was below the
“carbonaceous silt” and above a deposit containing
a Folsom point and fossils of Bison. Within this same
sequence, a fragment of Equus was found below the
Folsom point along the upper boundary of the “gray
sand” (Hester 1972:53). The unit D (“diatomaceous
earth”) and unit E (“carbonaceous silt”) (Haynes 1975)
sediments were assigned to various facies of Stratum 2
in Holliday (1995); these were linked to the presence
of lakes and ponds and fluctuating water levels during
the Folsom interval (Holliday 2000).
There are variable amounts of Pinus, Compositae,
Gramineae, and Chenopodiaceae in the diatomite
(Schoenwetter 1975). For example, the lower part of
the diatomite contains high amounts of Pinus (>60%),
with small amounts of Picea, Salix, Quercus and
Ulmus (Oldfield 1975). Tubilfoflorae and Graminae
also usually have high frequencies. The upper section
of the diatomite contains much less Pinus and variable
amounts of Artemisia and Gramineae. A pollen profile
collected by Wendorf, K. Clisby and J. Iverson in 1955
of the diatomite was described by Oldfield (1975). It
contained very low amounts of Pinus with occasional
Ulmus, Picea, and Quercus; the sequence was dominated
by Tubilflorae, Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae
(Oldfield 1975:140). Pollen samples collected in
association with Folsom points have high Pinus (ca.
25–80%) and occasional Picea.
Gastropods associated with woodland conditions
recovered from the “carbonaceous silt” (unit E,
Haynes 1975) include Vertigo ovata and Vallonia cf.
cyclophorella (Drake 1975:208). Based on the molluscs,
the region around the gravel pit may have consisted
of an open woodland. The pollen assemblage
is dominated by nonarboreal pollen (by Gramineae,
grass pollen), with high amounts of Compositae, and
very low frequencies of Pinus (Schoenwetter 1975).
Model T Site (Car Body, Locality 8, Haynes 1975;
LA 6197, Drake 1975). This sequence is situated
1–2 miles (1.6–3.2 km) east and within sight of the
Barrow Pit. Terrestrial snails recovered from the
equivalent of the diatomite (unit D, Haynes 1975) include
Discus cronkhitei, Vallonia cf. cyclophorella and
Gastrocopta procera; these are associated with woodland
contexts (Drake 1975:212).
McCullom Ranch Site (LA 6196, Hester 1975; Locality
9, Haynes 1975). Situated about 3 miles (5 km)
northwest of the Barrow Pit, the McCullom Ranch Site

84 CHRISTOPHER L. HILL, FRED WENDORF, PAUL B. SEARS AND EDNA PAPAZIAN
contains both vertebrate and invertebrate materials as
well as a radiocarbon dated stratigraphic sequence
(Haynes 1975). Vertebrate fossils including ground
sloth, horse, camel, bison, and mammoth were recovered
from a carboniferous (organic) sand deposit with
a radiocarbon age of about 15,750 B.P. (Haynes and
Agogino 1966:815; Haynes 1975). This may correlate
with unit B2 at the Barrow Pit. Molluscs from
a duricrust (a calcareous crust) from this stratum generally
reflect the presence of ponds in open areas
(Drake 1975:212). This fossil-bearing, radiocarbon
dated deposit is overlain by a sand that contains the
remains of mammoth and horse and appears to correlate
with the “gray sand” at the gravel pit.
Anderson Basin No. 1 (LA 6195 or 6211, Locality
31, Hester 1975; Locality 10, Haynes 1975; Bw-71,
Holliday 1995, 1997). Anderson Basin is about
6–7 miles (10–11 km) east of the Barrow Pit within
Blackwater Draw. Sediments apparently equivalent to
the diatomite (“light blue-gray clay”) as well as the
underlying sands include species commonly found
with floodplains, small streams, marshes, and wooded
pond settings (Clarke 1938). Taxa include Lymnae
palustris, L. modicella, and Sphaerium striatinum.
At Anderson Basin No. 1 there is a radiocarbon age
of 10,650 B.P. from a muddy facies of a diatomite
overlying an alluvial sand (stratum 2 above a facies of
stratum 1, Holliday 1995). Terrestrial gastropods from
the diatomite represent woodland forms (Drake 1975;
Neck 1995). The species are all associated with temporary
ponds and arid to semiarid woodlands (Neck
1995:62). A silty clay that can be correlated with unit
B2 at the Barrow Pit contains molluscs typical of temporary
ponds and open areas.
Anderson Basin No. 2 (LA 6212, Locality 17, Hester
1975; Locality 11, Haynes 1975; Bw-58, Holliday
1995, 1997). The stratigraphic sequence consists of
a basal yellow sand containing remains of mammoth,
a diatomite with Folsom artifacts, and carbonaceous silt
(Hester 1975; Haynes 1975). The speckled gray sand
(unit B1, Haynes 1975) contained fossils of horse, bison,
and mammoth. A “blue sand” at Anderson Basin
also includes camel (Stock and Bode 1936). A yellowish
green silty clay (unit B2, Haynes 1975) contained
only aquatic or amphibious molluscs indicative of
temporary ponds (Drake 1975). The terrestrial species
recovered from units D and E (Haynes 1975) are from
woodland contexts (Drake 1975). The diatomite contained
Pinus (

LATE GLACIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND PALEOECOLOGY AT BLACKWATER DRAW, NEAR CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO, U.S.A.
85
which coincides with the A horizon of the Firstview
Soil (Holliday et al. 1985). The pollen grains are corroded
and degraded, and may have accumulated over
a 2,000 year interval.
A difficulty with the interpretation of an extensive
forest on the Southern High Plains during the Late
Pleistocene would be the expectation of soil properties
linked to “boreal” forest conditions (Hafsten 1961:84;
Wendorf 1961:126). None of these are known to exist
It has been proposed that an extensive boreal forest
would be expected to produce podzolized profiles:
soils with an E horizon overlying a spodic B horizon
(Holliday 1986). This could be tested by trying to determine
if there are any present-day vegetative Pinus-
Picea landscapes that are not characterized by podzolized
profiles. For example, Hafsten (1961) suggested
that the absence of forest soil profiles could be explained
by the presence of an open pine forest with very
low field vegetation. To the west of Blackwater Draw,
in the mountains of northwest New Mexico, a landscape
containing an open woodland-coniferous forest
is not associated with Podsols. Instead, the soils are
mostly Entisols, with some Alfisols and Inceptisols.
Another explanation for the absence of the traits that
characterize some present-day boreal forests could be
that Pleistocene landscapes formed under conditions
that are not directly analogous with present-day soils.
Since soils are a product of a variety factors, the presence
of non-anolog climates and biotic communities
(extinct fauna and non-modern vegetational patterns,
FAUNMAP 1996) may have resulted in soils that were
also unique to the Late Pleistocene.
The relatively high proportions of arboreal pollen
(chiefly Pinus) would suggest the presence of at least
some woodland in the area, although the tree pollen
may reflect long-distance transport. Several alternatives
may be proposed if the pollen represents the local
presence of trees. The trees could have been present in
patchy, protected setting. Another alternative might be
that the trees could have been part of an upland forest
or they could have been part of a closed forest woodland
or an open parkland woodland. The presence of
Artemisia indicated the presence of sagebrush as part
of the local vegetation.
Because of the likelihood that at least some of the
Pinus present in the Barrow Pit sequence is the result
of long-range wind transport, perhaps the most interesting
feature of the biostratigraphic sequence is the
presence of low frequencies of Picea. If the pollen
diagram is a reliable indicator of its presence in the
Blackwater Draw landscape, it has seemingly clear
implications for cooler climate conditions. However,
small amounts of Picea have been suggested to be the
result of long distance transport by wind in Alaska
(Livingston 1957). In contrast, some species of Picea
appear to produce relatively low amounts of pollen
and are likely to be underrepresented in fossil pollen
assemblages (Hansen 1947).
During the last part of the Pleistocene parts of the
Southern High Plains within the vicinity of Blackwater
Draw may have contained gallery forests, as well as
riparian pine-woodland settings in some of the draws.
The peak wet intervals, lasting perhaps as briefly as
200 years, could have connected these draw biomes
with upland basin lakes and ponds, potentially creating
short-lived spruce-parkland situations. This might have
been a patchwork mosaic landscape that would have
provided habitats for large now extinct herbivores that
were presumably mostly grazers (horses, mammoths),
as well as other mammals and molluscs that may have
been restricted to more wooded situations. One scenario
(Sears letter to Wendorf, 1970), would suggest
that the unit B2 lower pollen zone (cf. sample 31,
Fig. 3) reflects a “cool pine-sagebrush”, while the basal
sediments (cf. sample 2) from the unit B2 upper pollen
zone could be a transition to subhumid grassland, as
indicated by the high amounts of non-arboreal pollen.
The calcic paleosol developed within the top part of
unit B2 at the Barrow Pit is interpreted as indicating
a period of landscape stability (in contrast to sediment
deposition or aggradation). Its upper boundary indicates
a later interval of erosion. The paleosol provides
an explanation for the absence of countable pollen; the
pollen was destroyed during the soil forming episode
between the deposition of units B2 and D. The calcic
paleosol and its eroded surface could reflect drier conditions
during an interval designated as the “Clovis
drought” by Haynes (1991). The pollen assemblage in
unit D may reflect a return to a pine-sagebrush landscape;
this landscape is interpreted as a return to wetter
ecological conditions at upper Blackwater Draw
during the Folsom interval. The integration of pollen
data from the Barrow Pit sequence with other paleoecological
data from the Blackwater Draw demonstrates
the value of applying an interdisciplinary approach
to understanding the environmental context
linked to late Pleistocene human populations.
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Christopher L. Hill
Department of Anthropology
Environmental Studies Program
Boise State University
1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 837225-1950
USA
chill2@boisestate.edu
Fred Wendorf
12242 Montego Plaza
Dallas, TX 75230
USA
fwendorf@smu.edu