Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of Two Paleoindian Sites in North-Central New Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Mapping environmental change through time can help archaeologists better understand patterns of human resource use. This poster presents the δ13C and δ18O values for bison teeth at two Paleoindian sites (Boca Negra Wash and Water Canyon) in north-central New Mexico. The δ13C and δ18O values are compared across the two sites to evaluate if there is a change in the habitat and climate occupied by the bison (and the humans that hunted them) during the Younger Dryas and Early Holocene. The results show that δ13C values remained consistent during the two periods, while the δ18O values were more negative in the Younger Dryas than in the Early Holocene. Additionally, the δ13C results demonstrate that the ratio of C3 to C4 grasses remained constant during the Younger Dryas and Early Holocene. My preliminary conclusion is that the δ18O shift reflects distinctive hunting strategies during the two periods by the humans that preyed on the bison. However, further research is needed to demonstrate if the δ18O values are due to climate or the herding patterns of the bison.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38657.0