Aboriginal Lithic Raw Material Procurement in Glen Canyon and Canyonlands, Southeastern Utah

Author(s): Alan J. Osborn; Susan Veter; Jennifer Waters; Steve Baumann

Year: 1993

Summary

This report presents the results of two archeological studies of prehistoric lithic

procurement locations: the Halls Crossing site (42SA14829) in Glen Canyon National

Recreation Area and the White Crack site (42SA17597) in Canyonlands National Park in

southeastern Utah. Both studies suggest that these lithic sources were exploited by mobile

hunter-gatherers who produced bifacial cores that they transported throughout their ranges.

These thin bifaces served as multipurpose implements, sources for flake tools, and a number

of other functionally specific tools.

The Halls Crossing site is an extensive lithic scatter superimposed on alluvial fan

deposits that contain gravels and cobbles of high quality chalcedony. Approximately 10,000

pieces of debitage and four lithic tools were collected from 116,736 square meters. Intrasite

artifact assemblage variation was examined at three spatial scales: 2, 10, and 100 meter grid

units. Artifact assemblage diversity was measured using the Shannon-Weaver information

index and a related measure of redundancy. Our analysis provides insights into activity

patterning within this lithic procurement location.

Small collection areas and narrow transects were employed at the White Crack site.

One feature produced a radiocarbon sample dating approximately 1400-1000 B. c., providing

limited evidence that at least part of the site's lithic assemblage is late Archaic. Analysis

of debitage size and type revealed that bifacial "cores" were produced at this location. The

site now includes a park campground area. Flake size variation appears to be related to

human trampling and recent vehicular traffic.

Cite this Record

Aboriginal Lithic Raw Material Procurement in Glen Canyon and Canyonlands, Southeastern Utah. Alan J. Osborn, Susan Veter, Jennifer Waters, Steve Baumann. Midwest Archeological Center Technical Report ,No. 29. Lincoln, Nebraska: Midwest Archeological Center, National Park Service. 1993 ( tDAR id: 92486) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8KP81W3

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
Archaic • Late Archaic

Material
Chipped Stone

Site Name
42SA14829 • 42SA17597 • 42SA3952 • Halls Crossing • Rangers Ridge • White Crack

Site Type
Archaeological Feature • Artifact Scatter • Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Data Recovery / Excavation

General
Alluvial Fan Deposits • Bifacial Cores • Chalcedony • Cobble Deposits • Debitage • Flake Tools • Gravel Deposits • Hunter-Gatherers • Intrasite Artifact Assemblage • Intra-Site Spacial Distribution • Intra-Site Variability • Lithic • Lithic Production Site • Lithic Raw Material • Lithic Transportation • Navajo Sandstone Terrace • Patterned Reduction • Quartzite • Silicified Wood • Variegated Chert

Geographic Keywords
Canyonlands National Park • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area • Halls Crossing Marina • Lake Powell • Lake Powell Canyon • Moqui Canyon • San Juan County, Utah • White Rim Trail

Spatial Coverage

min long: -111.489; min lat: 37.02 ; max long: -109.265; max lat: 38.677 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Sponsor(s): Midwest Archaeological Center, National Park Service

Submitted To(s): Rocky Mountain Region, National Park Service

Record Identifiers

NADB document id number(s): 2000889

NADB citation id number(s): 000000147522

File Information

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