Bear Creek Site, MI (20SA1043) Project
Summary
The Bear Creek Site (20SA1043) is a small site on a tributary of the Shiawassee River in the Saginaw Valley drainage basin in Michigan. Site elevation is 180.6 AMSL. Archaeological work at the site was determined by the boundaries of a pipeline expansion in the Phase III of this CRM project in 1991, when 73 m2 were excavated in 1 m2 units. Five radiocarbon dates are reported from the site. The stratified deposits (Strata 2-5) represent encampments of short duration beginning ca. 4000 years ago in the terminal Middle Archaic and spanning the duration of the Late Archaic period to about 2000 years ago. A more recent Woodland period occupation is found in the upper strata of the site (Strata 1.1 & 1.2). In addition to faunal remains from all strata, flotation samples produced a relative small floral sample that informs both cultural and palaeoecological reconstruction. The Archaic period lithic assemblage is relatively small but diverse, reflecting chipped and ground stone tools and debitage reflecting extractive and processing activities of both plants and animals. Excavations identified a hearth (Feature 3) and an erosional low spot (Feature 4) where faunal remains, nut remains, and lithic tools and debitage are considered to reflect processing activities and disposal during the Archaic period.
Cite this Record
Bear Creek Site, MI (20SA1043) Project. ( tDAR id: 394388) ; doi:10.6067/XCV88G8NJQ
Keywords
Culture
Late Archaic
•
Middle Archaic
Material
Chipped Stone
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Dating Sample
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Fauna
•
Fire Cracked Rock
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Ground Stone
•
Macrobotanical
•
Shell
Site Name
20SA1043
•
Bear Creek Site
Site Type
Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features
Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation
General
Faunal Remains - Prehistoric
Geographic Keywords
Saginaw Valley, MI
•
Southeastern Michigan
Temporal Keywords
Late Archaic
•
Terminal Middle Archaic
Temporal Coverage
Radiocarbon Date: 2590 to 2430 (2510+/-80 RCYBP; Uncalibrated; Strata 2/3; sheet midden; BETA56425; charcoal)
Radiocarbon Date: 4990 to 4918 (4954+/-36; RCYBP; Uncalibrated; Strata 4/5, Level 7; D-AMS02095; calcined bone4)
Radiocarbon Date: 2370 to 2230 (2250+/-120 RCYBP; Uncalibrated; Strata 2, Feature 4; BETA56118; bone collagen)
Radiocarbon Date: 4032 to 3960 (3996+/-36 RCYBP; Uncalibrated; Strata 3, Level 5; D-AMS020955; calcined bone)
Radiocarbon Date: 4628 to 4548 (4588+/-40 RCYBP; Uncalibrated; Strata 3, Level 5; D-AMS020956; calcined bone)
Radiocarbon Date: 4330 to 4170 (4250+/-80 RCYBC; Uncalibrated; Strata 4/5; sheet midden; BETA56311; calcined bone)
Spatial Coverage
min long: -84.108; min lat: 43.255 ; max long: -84.078; max lat: 43.277 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Beverley Smith
Source Collections
Michigan State University
Related Comparative Collections
Bear Creek Site (20SA1043), Saginaw County, MI
Eastern Archaic Faunal Working Group
Great Lakes/Upper Midwest