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Facilities and Hunter-Gatherer Long-Term Land Use Patterns: An Example from Southwest Wyoming

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Craig S. Smith  and
Lance M. McNees
Craig S. Smith
Affiliation:
TRC Mariah Associates Inc., 605 Skyline Drive, Laramie, WY 82070
Lance M. McNees
Affiliation:
TRC Mariah Associates Inc., 605 Skyline Drive, Laramie, WY 82070
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Abstract

To fully understand prehistoric land use patterns, we must define how prehistoric peoples used particular places on the landscape over longer periods of time. Factors influencing the multi-year use of particular places include human modifications to the landscape as a result of previous occupations. The construction of relatively elaborate and costly facilities for anticipated reuse is one type of modification associated with the repeated occupation of specific locations. Slab-lined cylindrical basins of southwest Wyoming are an example of that type of facility. The archaeological evidence indicates that prehistoric hunter-gatherers repeatedly reused some of these basins on a periodic basis over periods as long as 500 years and reoccupied some locales containing such facilities over a period of more than 2,000 years. The construction of such facilities and the repeated occupation of those locales were apparently related to the procurement and processing of a stable, predictable resource. Biscuitroot was the most likely target resource procured and processed at these locales.

Résumé

Résumé

Un entendimiento completo de las formas del uso de terreno requiere que se cómo la gente prehistórica aprovechaba lugares específicos del paísaje durante largos períodos de tiempo. Los factores que influyen el uso de lugares específicos por multiples años incluyen modificaciones humanas del paisaje como resultado de ocupaciones previas. La constructión de facilidades relativamente elaboradas y costosas para el reuso anticipado es un tipo de modificatión asociada con la ocupación repetida de lugares específicos. Pozos cilíndricos revestidos de losa de piedra en el suroeste de Wyoming son ejemplos de dicho tipo defacilidad. La evidencia arqueológica indica que los cazadores-recolectores prehistóricos reusaban repetidas veces algunas de estos pozos en forma periódica durante períodos de hasta 500 años y reocupaban algunos locales con estas facilidades por un período de más de 2,000 años. La construcción de estas facilidades y la ocupación repetida de los locales parece estar relacionada a la obtención y procesamiento de un recurso estable y susceptible de pronosticar. La raiz "biscuitroot" era el recurso objetivo más probable que fue obtenido y procesado en los locales.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 64 , Issue 1 , January 1999 , pp. 117 - 136
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1999

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