Bison ecology and pre-contact human land use at the Promontory Caves

Summary

Promontory people were proficient bison hunters with a sophisticated understanding of bison ecology. In contrast, modern researchers know relatively little about pre-contact bison ecology in the Great Basin. We combine botanical analysis of dung and isotopic analysis of various substrates (dung, hair, hide, bone) to reconstruct ancient landscapes and bison behaviour during the Promontory occupation. Carbon isotope compositions indicate that a C3-dominated environment existed at the Promontory Caves during the Late Prehistoric human occupation, and botanical analysis provides evidence for the specific plant taxa present. Most bison procured by Promontory people consumed C3 diets. However, one sample of moccasin leather had an anomalously high δ13C value, indicating significant C4/CAM plant consumption. Select specimens from Franktown Cave (Colorado) and Ross Rockshelter (Wyoming) also had unusually high δ13C, suggesting the possibility that occasional bison were procured on long-distance scouting expeditions or other forays to the south and east. We use isotopic and botanical evidence to evaluate this hypothesis and alternatives such as (1) trade, (2) occasional migration of bison from distant locations, and (3) atypical consumption of locally-available C4/CAM plants, perhaps during times of stress. We also discuss the implications of our data for hunting and land use among proto-Apachean groups.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Implications of the Promontory, Dismal River, and Franktown Archaeological Records for Apachean Prehistory

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15416