Reinvestigating the Chronostratigraphy of the Early Paleoindian Components of Hell Gap, Locality 1

Summary

Hell Gap in eastern Wyoming contains the most complete Paleoindian cultural sequence in North America, providing insight into long-term landscape use and available resources exploited by early Americans. A well-developed chronology allows for clearer and more accurate comparisons of both cultural information and geologic data. Although Hell Gap is well studied and has provided archaeologists a wealth of information regarding the Paleoindian period, questions remain regarding the timing of events and geomorphology due to discrepancies with 14C dates and a complex stratigraphy. Some cultural components and sedimentary units remain undated. Discrepancies in the chronological record of Hell Gap may be better understood by improving the dating resolution using techniques not reliant on charcoal or cultural material such as that provided by OSL Dating. OSL samples were recently collected from Hell Gap, thus rendering a greater understanding of the timing of sediment deposition in relation to cultural sequences at the site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21475