PROTEIN RESIDUE (CIEP) ANALYSIS OF A BASALT COBBLE FROM THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL, MILLARD COUNTY, UTAH

Summary

During the period after Mexico established its independence from Spanish rule in 1821, trade between the eastern and western halves of the United States thrived, inducing the development of various trail networks (National Park Service 2014). Among these was the Old Spanish Trail, whose routes spanned much of the Southwest extending between Santa Fe, New Mexico, through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and eventually into Los Angeles, California. The trail was used by a variety of groups including Native Americans, missionaries, cattlemen, prospectors, trappers, and traders. Pack-horses were the primary transportation along this route as Hafen notes that “...no wagon ever traversed its entire length” (1948:149). Trade goods and livestock were commonly transported along this route. A large basalt cobble was collected from the middle of a manmade swale showing minimal signs of erosion and representing a portion of the trail extending through Fishlake National Forest, Millard County, Utah. The surface of the cobble was tested for protein residues to provide information regarding the types of animals that were used/transported along this section of the trail.

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Contact(s): PaleoResearch Institute

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