Human Occupation of the Bighorn Mountains

人类对大角山的占领

• 批准号: 0710868
• 负责人: Robert Kelly
• 金额: $ 6.02万
• 依托单位: University of Wyoming
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-07-15 至 2010-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0710868&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Human; Occupation; Bighorn; Mountains

With National Science Foundation funding, Dr. Robert Kelly will investigate late Pleistocene deposits in caves and rockshelters in northwestern Wyoming. The earliest definitive evidence of human colonization of the North America dates to about 13,200 years ago, the terminal Pleistocene. Unlike later peoples of North America, however, the earliest inhabitants of the continent seem to have rarely used caves and rockshelters. In their colonization model, Robert Kelly and Lawrence Todd (1988) argued that this indicated that the colonizers did not use "rare" landscape elements because they were part of a rapid colonization of North America. However, infrequent occurrence of occupations in caves and rockshelters prior to 12,000 years ago could be a sampling problem (e.g, failure to excavate deep enough), or a result of shelter taphonomy (e.g, shelters that are currently observable were uninhabitable in the late Pleistocene). Understanding how rare the early occupations are is essential to understanding why they are rare. Analysis of data from across the U.S. suggests that early occupations in caves and rockshelters are indeed rare, = 11% of sites with appropriately-aged deposits. Using field data gathered primarily in Wyoming's Bighorn Mts, this projects will adequately sample 12,000-13,500 BP deposits in caves and rockshelters, determine the role of taphonomy in conditioning whether shelters were used, and determine whether the 11% occupancy rate holds true for this region or not. This project investigates a series of shelters from a database of 150 in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains; currently, only 10-11 of these demonstrate penetration into pre-12,000 year old sediments, and only 2-3 bear evidence of human use in that time range. A sample of 30 shelters with 12,000 - 13,500 year old deposits and that were habitable at the end of Pleistocene will be excavated. The project is primarily re-investigating previously excavated shelters, redating their stratigraphic profiles through AMS radiocarbon and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating to avoid unnecessary excavation of later deposits. With the assistance of two geoarchaeologists the project will collect data relevant to evaluating each shelter's taphonomic and paleoenvironmental history. Test excavations will be conducted in new shelters to ensure acquisition of an adequate sample, as well as an adequate sample of shelters in different bedrock types and settings (e.g. limestone vs. sandstone; high vs. low elevation). Intellectual MeritsOnce completed, this project will (a) establish for the first time, the frequency of terminal Pleistocene occupations in shelters in a specific region; (b) evaluate the probability that sample bias and shelter taphonomy are responsible for the sparse evidence of terminal Pleistocene habitation of caves and rockshelters; and (c) provide data to evaluate one piece of evidence used to support the Kelly/Todd late Pleistocene colonization model. Broader ImpactsThis project (1) enhances training in the University of Wyoming's doctoral program in paleoindian archaeology and enhances international cooperative agreements (a Russian student was sponsored in 2005); in addition, a high school student participated in the project in 2006 (2) compiles information on the archaeological record of Bighorn shelters for other research projects; (3) provides data to help evaluate the utility of OSL dating; (3) is leading to reports/analyses on previously-excavated sites that have not been reported; (4) demonstrates that re-examining previously-excavated sites/collections can have large payoffs; and (5) has helped with public education; for one site, a small museum case was constructed depicting the results of the research; this is now on display at a camp for Los Angeles youth-at-risk on the ranch belonging to the site's landowner.

在国家科学基金会的资助下，罗伯特·凯利博士将调查怀俄明州西北部洞穴和岩石掩体中的更新世晚期沉积物。 人类在北美殖民的最早明确证据可以追溯到大约13，200年前，即更新世末期。 然而，与后来的北美人不同，大陆上最早的居民似乎很少使用洞穴和岩石庇护所。 在他们的殖民模式中，罗伯特·凯利和劳伦斯托德（1988）认为，这表明殖民者没有使用“稀有”的景观元素，因为它们是北美快速殖民的一部分。然而，在12，000年前，洞穴和岩石掩体中很少出现人类活动，这可能是一个取样问题（例如，未能挖掘足够深），或者是掩蔽物埋藏学的结果（例如，目前可观察到的掩蔽物在更新世晚期不适合居住）。 了解早期职业的罕见程度，对于理解它们为什么罕见至关重要。来自美国各地的数据分析表明，洞穴和岩石掩体中的早期职业确实很罕见，= 11%的地点具有适当的年龄沉积物。利用主要在怀俄明州的大角山收集的现场数据，该项目将充分采样12000 - 13500 BP存款在洞穴和岩石掩体，确定的作用，埋藏在调节是否使用庇护所，并确定是否11%的入住率适用于该地区或不。 该项目调查了怀俄明州大角山脉150个数据库中的一系列庇护所;目前，其中只有10-11个证明渗透到12,000年前的沉积物中，只有2-3个有人类使用的证据。 将挖掘30个具有12，000 - 13，500年历史的沉积物并在更新世末可居住的避难所样本。该项目主要是重新调查以前挖掘的避难所，通过AMS放射性碳和光激发光（OSL）测年来修改其地层剖面，以避免不必要的挖掘后期沉积物。 在两名地质考古学家的协助下，该项目将收集与评价每个掩蔽所的埋藏史和古环境史有关的数据。 将在新的掩体中进行试掘，以确保获得足够的样本，以及不同基岩类型和设置（例如石灰岩与砂岩;高海拔与低海拔）的掩体样本。知识价值一旦完成，该项目将（a）首次确定特定区域中晚期更新世居住在庇护所的频率;（B）评估样本偏差和庇护所埋藏学对晚期更新世居住在洞穴和岩石庇护所的稀疏证据负责的概率;以及（c）提供数据以评估用于支持Kelly/托德晚更新世殖民模型的一个证据。更广泛的影响本项目（1）加强了怀俄明州大学古印第安人考古学博士课程的培训，并加强了国际合作协议（2005年赞助了一名俄罗斯学生）;此外，2006年有一名高中生参加了该项目（2）为其他研究项目汇编关于大角牛庇护所考古记录的资料;（3）提供数据以帮助评估光释光测年的效用;（3）导致对尚未报告的先前挖掘的遗址进行报告/分析;（4）证明重新检查先前挖掘的遗址/收藏品可以有很大的回报;（5）有助于公众教育;在其中一个地点，建造了一个小型博物馆，展示研究结果;该博物馆目前正在该地点土地所有者的牧场上为洛杉矶风险青年举办的营地展出。