Paleoindian Occupation in the North Dakota National Grasslands: A geoarchaeological analysis of site preservation and land-use

Summary

A GIS model was utilized to help understand Paleoindian land-use, site formation processes and major landform changes in the North Dakota National Grasslands since the terminal Pleistocene. This landscape has changed dramatically over the last 12,000 years and geoarchaeological methods can help understand what the landscape and environment may have looked like during the Paleoindian period. Further, a recent survey has shown that soil erosion in the North Dakota National Grasslands is occurring rapidly which is impacting site preservation and visibility. Geoarchaeological analyses have been able to detect where and how quickly erosion has occurred. This GIS model is also used to predict probable and potential locations of Paleoindian sites to determine where these sites may be preserved, may be destroyed, and where they are yet to be discovered. These analyses thus, help inform on Paleoindian behavior and modern site formation processes and provide a useful management tool to the North Dakota National Grasslands.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage