Comparing Spatial Distribution of Burned Artifacts in Hearth-Centered Activity Area at La Prele Mammoth Site, Wyoming

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Household archaeology is an effective way to study past peoples, but it is only effective when a house is present for study. Throughout Paleoindian archaeology, the lack of perishable materials makes identifying house structures difficult. In central Wyoming, the La Prele Mammoth Site is a unique opportunity to study Paleoindian households. The La Prele Mammoth site (48CO1401) is a nearly 13,000-year-old Clovis mammoth kill/scavenge site with multiple artifact scatters believed to represent hearth-centered family camps. This was determined by analysis of artifact scatters relative to hearth locations. Block D shows evidence of hearth centered activity, but the hearth itself was invisible during excavation. The hearth features lack the obvious characteristics of oxidization or staining of sediments. To determine the location of the hearth feature, I compare the distribution of charcoal, burnt lithics, and burnt bones left because of hearth centered activity to determine the location of the feature. The location of a hearth feature is important for understanding the spatial locations of other artifacts at the site and for taking the first step toward analyzing the houses Paleoindians peoples used.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52897