Western Stemmed Occupations of the Northern Great Basin

Author(s): Dennis Jenkins

Year: 2017

Summary

Recent research into the chronology and character of Western Stemmed Tradition occupations at the Paisley and Connley Caves provides new insight into the settlement-subsistence patterns and social organization of the period >13,000 to 9000 cal. BP. Human populations may have been larger, more social, and territorially constrained than previously envisioned. Long distance movement of obsidian artifacts across the landscape probably reflect brief population agglomerations (festivals) scheduled to coincide seasonally with peak periods of biologic productivity (late summer-early fall). Pronghorn and rabbit drives, in particular, in and around grasslands surrounding lowland lakes and marshes offered the perfect opportunity to meet potential mates, trade, gamble, exchange gossip, and keep abreast of social developments.

Cite this Record

Western Stemmed Occupations of the Northern Great Basin. Dennis Jenkins. Presented at The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver, British Columbia. 2017 ( tDAR id: 429714)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -122.761; min lat: 29.917 ; max long: -109.27; max lat: 42.553 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 13252