North Platte Basin (Geographic Keyword)
1-14 (14 Records)
The archaeological excavation at the Confluence Housepit site yielded a single housepit feature, two associated subfloor thermal basins internal to the housepit substructure, one thermal basin exterior to the housepit substructure, and associated artifacts. The deposit is dated to the Opal phase of the Early Archaic period through four conventional radiocarbon age estimates ranging between 5000 ± 40 and 5390 ± 40 years B.P. The housepit, associated features, and cultural materials are viewed as...
Archaeological Excavation at the Pathfinder Ranch Site (48CR332): A Stratified Multicomponent Site Located Near the Ferris Mountains of Central Wyoming (2014)
The excavated cultural deposit at the Pathfinder Ranch site (48CR332) yielded five cultural components dating to the Uinta phase of the Late Prehistoric (Component 1), the Deadman Wash phase of the Late Archaic (Components 1-2), and the Pine Spring phase of the Late Archaic (Components 3-5). The cultural materials recovered from the five components suggests the occupations represent temporally punctuated short-term hunter-gatherer camps likely characterized by large mammal faunal resource...
Archaeological Investigations at the Bridge Tender's House Fort Fred Steele, Wyoming (1993)
Before stabilization activities in 1982, limited archaeological testing was undertaken at the Fort Fred Steele Bridge Tender’s House. Questions existed concerning later replacement or remodeling of the original structure. Archaeological investigations were oriented toward establishing the date of initial construction on the structure and identification of any later building activities. Information gained through excavation , supplemented with historical research, suggests the extant structure...
Ceramics from the EKW #1 Site (48NA969), Natrona County, Wyoming (2010)
The EKW #1 site (48NA969) was located during a class III survey of the Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park in 1984 (Eckles 1984). The site appeared as a large surface scatter of artifacts and bone, covering over five acres. The site was considered unusual at the time due to the high numbers of prehistoric ceramic artifacts. Late Prehistoric age projectile points, a variety of chipped stone tools, shell beads and animal bone were also recorded during the surface inventory. The density of surface...
The Conservation of Archaeological Metals: The Copper Alloy Cartridge Cases and Lead Slugs from Wyoming's Fort Fred Steele (2000)
North American archaeology is well behind European archaeology in effectively addressing the special conservation concerns for metal artifacts. The primary threat to archaeological metals is corrosion. The copper alloy cartridge cases and lead slugs recovered from Fort Fred Steele, Wyoming, are excellent examples of metal corrosion and conservation in North America. With a basic understanding of corrosion and corrosion products, effective recovery, cleaning, and storage techniques can be devised...
Fracture Patterns of Bones in Archaeological Contexts: Significance of the Casper Site Materials (2005)
In the study of Paleolithic flaked bone tools, the most important criteria are the quality of preservation and completeness when we are trying to elucidate details of fracture on cylindrical bones. There are virtually no examples which adequately satisfy these criteria. We must use specimens which are as close to the ideal conditions. The close-to-the-ideal conditions are: 1) the bones are from sites where hunting of large mammals was carried out; 2) the site is considered or close to...
Freshwater Mussel Identification and Analysis from the River Bend Site, 48NA202 (2005)
The subject of freshwater mussels in Wyoming archaeology is of more importance than might first appear and seems not to have been recognized by students of Wyoming archaeology. A significant body of data exists concerning mussels’ biological description, ecology, and relationships as well as the archaeological identification and prehistoric cultural connections of mussels. The following draws on those data and applies it to an example of Wyoming’s archaeologically recovered mussels from the...
Late Prehistoric Life Along Laprele Creek: Evidence for Broad Spectrum Hunting and Gathering at 48CO2672 (2003)
In the summer of 2001, Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc. (MAC) excavated a deeply buried campsite (48C02672) along LaPrele Creek in Converse County, Wyoming. Charcoal from two hearths produced conventional radiocarbon ages of 1200 ± 60 BP and 1100 ± 60 BP. The cultural level dates to the Late Prehistoric period (Frison 1991), and results suggest at least two and as many as four use episodes may be represented. During these use episodes, there appears to have been an emphasis on plant...
Latex Peels: A Method for Preserving Natural and Cultural Stratigraphy (2006)
This article describes the methodology and application of latex peel technology for documenting natural and cultural stratigraphy. The techniques discussed are for mounting a cleaned profile surface layer, several millimeters thick, upon a permanent flexible backing. Latex peels are rapid and inexpensive to construct, portable and compact. Their use permanently and accurately documents details of depositional strata, soil horizons, micro-stratigraphy, and fabric of unconsolidated sediments. They...
Lithic Analysis from Two Prehistoric Sites (48NA312 AND 48NA2516) Near Martin's Cove, Natrona County, Wyoming (2006)
Extensive lithic collections have been made from the surface of two archaeological sites (48NA312 and 48NA2516) near Martin’s Cove, Natrona County, Wyoming. Contrary to the original archaeological assessment of the two sites (Griffiths and Talbot 1996), these two sites now appear to contain significant archaeological data concerning the prehistory of the central Wyoming area (NRHP Criterion D). Additional archaeological evaluation of the sites has become necessary to properly evaluate these two...
New Information from the Reanalyses of a Frontier Burial from Fort Caspar, Wyoming (2001)
Reexamination of the Fort Caspar Burial #3 collection, including a nearly complete human skeleton and associated artifacts, has provided additional information regarding the life and death of this early frontier white male. Subsequent analyses indicate the individual was younger than originally estimated and had been buried in a coffin constructed of painted wood and fittings from a wagon. Reevaluation of the skeletal trauma strongly suggests the cause of death was a result of bludgeoning rather...
Pronghorn Procurement at the Bear River Site (48GO22), Southeastern Wyoming (2010)
The Bear River Site (48GO22) was located in 1979 during a class III cultural resource survey for a Wyoming Department of Transportation project along the LaGrange Road in Goshen County, Wyoming near the town of LaGrange (Sanders and Francis 1979). The site is in extreme southeastern Wyoming, near the Nebraska border. Artifacts and bone were first identified eroding from an apparent natural (erosional) cut in the third alluvial terrace above the river. This included flakes and a possible large...
Review of Window In Time: The Story of the Discovery of the Casper Site (1994)
Review of Window In Time: The Story of the Discovery of the Casper Site
The Wyoming Archaeological Society Joseph Cramer Grant and the 1990 Archaeological Investigations at 48CR4001: The Espy-Cornwell Site, Carbon County, Wyoming (1994)
Archaeological excavations and research at 48CR4001 have been conducted from 1983 to 1993. The site, located approximately 16 miles south of Rawlins, Wyoming, is situated on the east face of a north-south trending exposure of Lance Formation sandstone. It is at an elevation of 2195 meters (7200 feet) above mean sea level (AMSL). Vegetation on the site is characteristic of a low sagebrush-grassland community. In 1990, the archaeological investigations and subsequent research was generously funded...