Soils and stratigraphy of the laddie creek site (48BH345), an altithermal‐age occupation in the big horn mountains, wyoming

Abstract

Haploborolls and Ustifluvents with A‐C horizonation characterize Holocene soil development in alluvium and colluvium of the Laddie Creek valley. Cumulic soils with overthickened A horizons, including those of Altithermal age, have formed along the valley walls under the influence of spring activity from the Amsden Formation (Mississippian‐Pennsylvanian). Soil texture, mineralogy, and to some extent color, are inherited largely from sediment derived from the Amsden and Tensleep (Pennsylvanian) Formations. The valley was able to support human occupation during Altithermal time (ca. 7500‐4000 B.P.) because of springs emanating from the valley walls. Past spring locations are identified from soil morphology and stratigraphy. Springs are still active along the valley, although they have shifted positions many times in the past. The association of spring soils with Altithermal‐age occupation at the site (ca. 6600‐5700 B.P.) does not coincide with the caliche concept of the Altithermal paleosol in Holocene alluvial valleys in Wyoming basins as identified by Leopold and Miller. Nevertheless, early man of Altithermal time probably sought higher elevations within mountains of the region where springs offered water and the environs provided food and shelter—thus enabling human groups to survive the drought, and possible high temperatures, which seemingly prevailed in the basins and plains.

Site formation processes in the cody and early plains archaic levels at the laddie creek site, wyoming

“…Because of slow accumulation and long periods of surface stability (allowing the formation of successive A horizons), further investigation into the nature of the archaeological deposits was needed to understand the nature of Cody and Early Plains Archaic occupation of the Laddie Creek site. Although Reider and Karlstrom (1987) report the presence of seven cultural levels within the 7500-5000-year-old deposits, my research with the archaeological material indicates that one Cody Complex level and four Early Plains Archaic cultural levels were present. Part of determining the nature of human occupation of the Laddie Creek site involved z P understanding how the levels within the site were formed, and the levels had to be investigated before the cultural material contained within them could be used in further analyses.…”

“…Based on comparison of the four soil horizons identified by Reider and Karlstrom (1987) with the results of backplotting, the buried soils and the artifactual remains co-occur. Because Reider and Karlstrom's (1987) …”

“…Based on Reider and Karlstrom's (1987) analyses of the site's sediments, the presence of active springs throughout the Holocene maintained Laddie Creek as a perennial drainage. The archaeological site is located on the first terrace above Laddie Creek (Figure 1).…”

“…The paleoenvironmental and behavioral information emerges when pedological analysis done by Reider and Karlstrom (1987) on the soils and stratigraphy at the site is combined with newly completed archaeological site formation analyses and previously unpublished geological and palynological information.…”

Adaptive Management and Planning Models for Cultural Resources in Oil and Gas Fields in New Mexico and Wyoming

“…Implicit in the classification are soil features that have genetic and chronological significance (Soil Survey Staff, 1975), and thus provide insight to where sediment younger than 14,000 years old is located. Both the regional and local studies (Birkeland 1999;Birkeland et al 1991;Reider and Karlstrom 1987;Reider 1983;Reider 1980;Albanese 1991;Albanese 2000;Eckerle 1986a) suggest that a general, timedependent sequence of horizon development can be identified and includes from youngest to oldest: A (surface organic accumulation); Bw (oxidation or weak structural development); Bt and Bk (clay accumulation and calcium carbonate accumulation, respectively); K (very well-developed calcium carbonate accumulation); and Bym (very strongly developed gypsum accumulation). In terms of the taxonomic classes present in our study area, a relevant sequence would be as follows from youngest to oldest: (1) Orthents and Fluvents; (2) Camborthids at the great group leve l, and calcic and argic variants at the family level of other great groups; (3) Argids and Calciorthids; and (4) Paleargids and Paleorthids.…”