Fossil Bison and Artifacts From an Early Altithermal Period Arroyo Trap in Wyoming

Abstract

The Hawken site is a steep-sided arroyo into which small groups of bison were driven and slaughtered. The bison, which date about 4500 B.C. during the Altithermal period, are an extinct variant (B. bison occidentalis) and are morphologically intermediate between B. bison antiquus and B. bison bison. The projectile points are in the Altithermal period Side-Notched tradition and the butchering tools are similar to those found in many bison kill sites from the Paleoindian to the end of the Late Prehistoric period. Continuity of bison procurement methods from Paleoindian through Altithermal and into post-Altithermal times is suggested.

Analyzing cut marks: lessons from artiodactyl remains in the northwestern United States

“…These analyses have focused (in approximate chronological order) on developing ways to infer butchering behaviors [19,20,22,25,26,28,41], especially so-called ''butchering patterns'' or ''the results of the butchering process'' [30, p. 252], establishing criteria for the reliable identification of butchering marks [11,12,40,42], and producing accurate tallies of butchering marks [1,31,32]. The second topic seems to have been resolved to the satisfaction of many [10,18]; the third topic continues to be a subject of discussion (e.g., compare the methods used in [1,13,36], and below).…”

Palaeopathology in late Pleistocene and early Holocene Central Plains bison: dental enamel hypoplasia, fluoride toxicosis and the archaeological record

“…osteoporosis, alveolar inflammation, ''fly-away'' cusps, oligodontia, bilaterally-reduced and rotated teeth, enamel spalling, aberrant enamel wear, and DEH (see Frison et al, 1976;Wilson, 1974aWilson, , 1988. Although not all of these abnormalities are symptomatic of fluoride toxicosis, it was reasoned that their inclusion in this analysis would further account for possible contributors to reduced feeding efficiency and lameness.…”

“…This is particularly germane to elucidating the predator/prey interaction of human hunter-gatherers and bison on the North American Great Plains from the late Pleistocene into the Holocene (e.g., Frison, 2004;Gadbury et al, 2000;Niven et al, 2004;Todd, 1987Todd, , 1991Widga, 2006;Wilson, 1974aWilson, , 1988Wilson, , 1999. Wilson's (1974a) palaeopathological analyses of the late Pleistocene Casper site bison, subsequent work at the mid-Holocene Hawken bonebed, and that conducted at the late Holocene Ayers-Frazier and Henry Smith sites (Clark and Wilson, 1981;Frison et al, 1976;Wilson, 1988) represent some of the best seminal work in this regard.…”

Cementum Annuli in Mammal Teeth from Archeological Sites

“…Frison et al (6) and Gilbert (7) have also called attention to the study of cementum annuli in archeological samples. In the former case, the attempt was abandoned because chemical alteration had disrupted the structure of the 6500-year-old bison tooth cementum, reducing the reliability of observations.…”