Mats, trays, bowls, and patches: results from the analysis of over 9,000 years of Catlow Twine basketry in the archaeological record

Summary

Catlow Twine is a unique and diagnostic basketry type found in archaeological sites of the Great Basin and some parts of California. It has a relatively wide geographic distribution and is thought to have over ~9,000 calendar years before present (cal B.P.) of technological continuity. Through the reexamination and recording of specific attributes and the direct Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) dating of Catlow Twine basketry from sites in Nevada, California, and Oregon, I have observed these continuities and some discontinuities in this basketry type, and propose that Catlow Twine basketry had significant technological and personal significance to the people who manufactured it. The value of this type of basketry can be seen in the size and types of vessels that were made, the fineness of the weave, and the use and reuse of Catlow Twine baskets. These specific attributes observed through time and space demonstrate how basketry can be used as a cultural and technological marker in the archaeological record.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16904