Interpreting a Mid-Eighteenth-Century Vertebrate Assemblage from a Probable Comanche Site on the Southern High Plains of Texas

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Whiskey Flats is a mid-eighteenth-century probable Comanche site on the Southern High Plains in Midland County, Texas. Ongoing excavation in Mustang Draw of the now dry Mustang Pond uncovered evidence of occupation along a terrace and a bone bed within the pond basin. A modern bison periotic from the bone bed dates to the mid-1700s. Artifacts from both areas include lithics, metal, and a glass bead. The collection primarily is composed of a vertebrate assemblage that includes culturally modified modern bison and modern horse, along with remains of local fauna. Attention has been focused on the analysis of faunal remains to create a better understanding of the nature of the deposit and inhabitants of the site. Taxonomic assessment and taphonomy have been used to interpret the assemblage in terms of ecological community and the order of the events that may have taken place during the accumulation of the assemblage. The methods applied have been successful in reconstructing the environmental conditions, butchering process, and aggregation of the assemblage during and after the occupation of the site. The data gathered contribute to the general knowledge of the people and environments of the Southern High Plains and its changes over time.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33066