Spatial Variation in Faunal Remains at 48PA551, a Middle Plains Archaic Period Archaeological Site in the Sunlight Basin, WY

• Main Author: Gehrke, Kaylen E
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: ScholarWorks at University of Montana 2019
• Subjects: Archeological Survey
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/umcur/2019/pmposters/31; https://scholarworks.umt.edu/context/umcur/article/2143/type/native/viewcontent/Capstone_project_poster.pptx

The archaeological site, 48PA551, is located in the Sunlight Basin near Cody, Wyoming and dates to the Middle Plains Archaic period (about 4000 years ago). New research suggests that the site can shed a light onto people of the past and how they used their landscape. The previous inhabitants of this landscape left behind many faunal remains (animal bones) resulting from subsistence practices. In this project the faunal data will be analyzed to find spatial patterns and try to predict how certain areas of the site were being used. I spent 3 weeks this summer at this site digging up artifacts and learning various archeological survey techniques. I also had the chance to work in the faunal lab learning zoo-archaeological methods and analyzing the animal bones up close to identify element, taxa, cut marks, carnivore marks, and other taphonomic changes on the bone specimens. I will compile the faunal data to define activity areas associated with animal processing across the site. I will consider the context of the various high-density activity areas to determine which type of activities were performed in these spaces by the previous inhabitants. This project demonstrates how faunal analyses can help to reconstruct variation the uses of a landscape as related to subsistence practices.