QUICK DESIGN GUIDE QUICK TIPS (--THIS SECTION...
Transcript of QUICK DESIGN GUIDE QUICK TIPS (--THIS SECTION...
QUICK DESIGN GUIDE (--THIS SECTION DOES NOT PRINT--)
This PowerPoint 2007 template produces a 36x56 inch
professional poster. You can use it to create your
research poster and save valuable time placing titles,
subtitles, text, and graphics.
We provide a series of online tutorials that will guide
you through the poster design process and answer your
poster production questions.
To view our template tutorials, go online to
PosterPresentations.com and click on HELP DESK.
When you are ready to print your poster, go online to
PosterPresentations.com.
Need Assistance? Call us at 1.866.649.3004
Object Placeholders
Using the placeholders
To add text, click inside a placeholder on the poster and type
or paste your text. To move a placeholder, click it once (to
select it). Place your cursor on its frame, and your cursor
will change to this symbol . Click once and drag it to a
new location where you can resize it.
Section Header placeholder
Click and drag this preformatted section header placeholder
to the poster area to add another section header. Use section
headers to separate topics or concepts within your
presentation.
Text placeholder
Move this preformatted text placeholder to the poster to add
a new body of text.
Picture placeholder
Move this graphic placeholder onto your poster, size it first,
and then click it to add a picture to the poster.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012
www.PosterPresentations.com
QUICK TIPS (--THIS SECTION DOES NOT PRINT--)
This PowerPoint template requires basic PowerPoint (version 2007 or newer) skills. Below is a list of commonly asked questions specific to this template. If you are using an older version of PowerPoint some template features may not work properly.
Template FAQs
Verifying the quality of your graphics
Go to the VIEW menu and click on ZOOM to set your
preferred magnification. This template is at 100% the
size of the final poster. All text and graphics will be
printed at 100% their size. To see what your poster will
look like when printed, set the zoom to 100% and
evaluate the quality of all your graphics before you
submit your poster for printing.
Modifying the layout
This template has four different
column layouts. Right-click
your mouse on the background
and click on LAYOUT to see the
layout options. The columns in
the provided layouts are fixed and cannot be moved
but advanced users can modify any layout by going to
VIEW and then SLIDE MASTER.
Importing text and graphics from external sources
TEXT: Paste or type your text into a pre-existing
placeholder or drag in a new placeholder from the left
side of the template. Move it anywhere as needed.
PHOTOS: Drag in a picture placeholder, size it first,
click in it and insert a photo from the menu.
TABLES: You can copy and paste a table from an
external document onto this poster template. To
adjust the way the text fits within the cells of a table
that has been pasted, right-click on the table, click
FORMAT SHAPE then click on TEXT BOX and change
the INTERNAL MARGIN values to 0.25.
Modifying the color scheme
To change the color scheme of this template go to the
DESIGN menu and click on COLORS. You can choose
from the provided color combinations or create your
own.
© 2013 PosterPresentations.com 2117 Fourth Street , Unit C Berkeley CA 94710 [email protected]
Student discounts are available on our Facebook page.
Go to PosterPresentations.com and click on the FB icon.
SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted data recovery
excavations at 22 sites along a north to south corridor from Ely to Las
Vegas, Nevada for the ON Line 500 kV Transmission Line Project (ON
Line). This poster presents the results of excavations at nine sites within
Coyote Springs Valley (CSV), southeastern Nevada, including two Late
Basketmaker (BM)II (A.D. 1-500) to BMIII (A.D. 500-800) residential areas
and 16 Yucca roasting pits from five of the sites. Results reveal that the
area was utilized in particular for Joshua tree (Y. brevifolia) and Mojave
yucca (Y. schidigera) exploitation beginning in the BM II period and
continuing through the ethnohistoric period. Although large prehistoric
agave roasting pits are common in southern Nevada, direct evidence for
Yucca roasting is rare. Macrobotanical analyses and radiocarbon dates
from ON Line suggest early evidence for Yucca exploitation in the valley
corresponds to intensive residential occupations during the late BMII and
BMIII period. A hiatus in intensive utilization of the valley may occur from
the end of Pueblo (P) I through PIII (A.D. 800-1300), a period
corresponding to agricultural intensification along the Virgin River to the
south. During the Post-Pueblo Period (Post A.D. 1300), regular utilization
of the valley by small family bands for seasonal Yucca spp. exploitation is
evidenced by small and ephemeral yucca roasting pits that date well into
the historic period.
Introduction
Background
Methods
Radiocarbon Dates
The 32 radiocarbon dates obtained
from thermal features in CSV,
plotted in Figure 12, returned
dates clustered within the late BM
II to PI Period (A.D. 1-1000) and
the Post-Puebloan to historic
period (Post- A.D. 1300).
Radiocarbon dates are absent from
the Early PII to PIII periods (A.D.
1000-1300), suggesting the sites
were not intensively occupied
during the height of Puebloan
farming along the Virgin River
corridor to the south (Larson and
Michaelsen 1990).
Results
Conclusions
Nine of the 14 surface thermal features returned abundant burnt whole
and fragmented Joshua tree and/or Mojave yucca seeds, fruit walls,
and fruits suggesting they functioned as yucca roasting pits. Three of
the remaining surface thermal features had no burnt plant remains
suggesting they may have either been cleaned out after roasting or used
for other heating activities.
Three of the subsurface thermal features within Block 5 and three of
the features within Block 4 each returned a few burnt Yucca spp. seeds
or seed fragments. Unidentified burnt seeds were recovered from one
surbsurface hearth feature within Block 4. At this same site, three
surface features recovered burnt plant remains other than Yucca spp.
consisting of two with burnt Ambrosia spp. cones and one with a burnt
Ephedra spp. cone.
References Fowler, C. S. (1995). Some notes on Ethnographic subsistence systems in Mojavean
environments in the Great Basin. Journal of Ethnobiology 15(1):99-117.
Larson, Daniel O. and Joel Michaelsen (1990). Impacts of Climatic Variability and
Population Growth on Virgin Branch Anasazi Cultural Developments. American
Antiquity 55(2): 227-49.
Louderback, L., S.K.R. Kaser, and B.M. Pavlik (2012). Macrobotanical Analyses of
Feature Sediments from the ON Line Data Recovery Project, western and
southwestern Nevada.
McGuire, K., W. Hildebrandt, et al. (2010). Final Research Results for the Gold
Butte Study Area, Clark County, Nevada, Vol. I, Prehistoric Resources. BLM Report
No. 5-2617. Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Davis, California.
CSV was historically occupied by the Southern Paiute and falls within the
ethnographically documented “Yucca Complex” (Fowler 1995: 106).
During the Formative Period, it was occupied by Virgin Branch Anasazi
groups, or groups with access to Virgin Branch Anasazi ceramics, which
contrasts with the Fremont ceramic assemblages common in Parahangat
Valley 10 km to the north. The ON Line sites in CSV are situated along a
drainage that follows the bottom of alluvial fan and playa surfaces within
a creosote brush vegetation community. Mojave yucca is present sparingly
but Joshua tree is absent; the closest known Joshua Tree community is
located in Pahranagat Valley. Direct archaeological evidence of yucca
roasting is rare if not absent in southern Nevada. Roasting pits, generally
assumed to be used for Agave spp. roasting, are common, and substantial
evidence for agave roasting was found during recent excavations by
McGuire et al. (2010) within the Gold Butte Area, 50 miles south of CSV.
Ephemeral thermal features containing clusters of fire-cracked rock and
charcoal are common in surface assemblages in CSV; however, these
features appear much smaller and more ephemeral than the massive
roasting pits described in McGuire et al. (2010).
1. SWCA Environmental Consultants; 2. Washington University in St. Louis; 3. University of Washington
Amy M. Spurling1, Mary Ann Vicari1,2, Victor Villagran1, and Lisbeth A. Louderback3
Macrobotanical Results
Radiocarbon Dating
Thirty-two radiocarbon dates were obtained using the Accelerated Mass
Spectrometer (AMS) method through Beta Analytic, Inc. from 31 features
in CSV. Whenever possible, burnt seeds were submitted for AMS dating
from the features; associated charcoal was submitted in the absence of
burnt seeds.
Excavations
Data recovery investigations for ON Line in CSV consisted of the collection
of surface artifacts, subsurface testing of surface features and non-feature
areas, and block excavations to further define buried cultural deposits.
Excavations were conducted at nine sites along the linear project corridor
in CSV. Of these, eight had thermal features visible on the surface as
accumulations of fire cracked or fire altered limestone gravels and cobbles
and charcoal-stained soil. During testing, features were bisected and at
least half of the feature fill was collected for radiocarbon and
macrobotanical analyses, when possible.
Macrobotanical Analysis
Feature fill samples from 14 CSV
surface thermal features from
five sites and 13 subsurface
features excavated from within
two block areas at one site (Block
4 and Block 5) were submitted to
the Paleobotany Laboratory at
the University of Washington for
processing. After flotation
analysis to separate the heavy
fraction from the light fraction,
the light fractions were sieved
through 2mm mesh screen. The
samples were then analyzed for
macrobotanicals (seeds, fruits,
leaves, etc.). Burnt remains were
considered to be subsistence-
related while unburnt remains
may be modern contaminants
(Louderback et al. 2012).
Feature Excavations
The majority of surface features were identified as sparsely scattered to
lightly clustered fire cracked and fire affected local limestone and caliche
cobbles between 0.5 and 2.0 m in diameter. Some but not all features
were associated with charcoal stained soil. Most lacked rock rings.
Excavations of thermal features from six of the eight sites yielded shallow
basin shapes that were 10-30 cmbs deep. The surface features at the
remaining two sites in CSV were heavily deflated and yielded no feature
fill or associated charcoal fragments. Two occupational surfaces (Block 4
and Block 5) were found subsurface within coppice dune deposits at one
of the sites.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3 Figure 4. Map of Coyote Springs Valley with ON Line Project and Sites
Figure 5&6. Typical CSV surface thermal feature, pre-excavation and profile of bisected feature
Figure 7. Bisected surface feature Figure 8. Subsurface hearth feature
Figure 9. Burnt Yucca spp. seeds
Possible hiatus
Figure 12. Radiocarbon dates from CSV
Figure 11. 26LN5080 Block 5 Plan View
Figure 10. 26LN5080 Block 4 Plan View
Block 4, located in an alcove on a
dune crest, contained several
subsurface cultural features, including
a possible occupational surface, five
fire pits, and two indeterminate
thermal features. One of the features
was characterized by a high density of
chipped stone debitage with a
minimum of one Logandale Grayware
ceramic vessel.
Excavations at Block 5, located in a
low coppice dune, led to the
discovery of a prepared house floor
measuring 5-15 cm thick and at least
5 meters by 2 meters in area. Other
features in association with the floor
include five pit hearths, two
postholes, and multiple unidentified
pit features. Overall, the floor and
its subsidiary features, which date to
the Late BMII and BMIII periods,
likely represent the remnants of an
occupation surface and intensive use
area for cooking and other thermal
activities. Stratigraphic evidence
indicates multiple episodes of re-
use, possibly consistent with
reoccupation of the surface over a
period of time. The possible
postholes suggest the living surface
map have been roofed. The thick
horizon of diffuse charcoal fill
capping the living surface and
features may be the remnant of
burnt roof material.
Macrobotanical results paired with AMS dates from features at one site
within CSV suggests the valley was used, in particular, for Yucca spp.
(particularly Joshua tree and Mojave yucca) exploitation beginning in
the late BMII until the PI period. At this site, evidence of Yucca
exploitation comes from the excavation of two separate occupational
areas where living floors or remnants of pithouses were located during
subsurface testing of dunal areas. Block excavations of both of these
areas revealed intensive occupations during the Late BMII and BMIII
periods indicated by clusters of rock ring hearths, pits, and thermal
features in association with the possible living floors. The Yucca spp.
remains associated with these occupations consist of a few seeds found
in three thermal features present in each of the two block areas. The
association of the remains in intensive use areas with other subsistence
remains also present suggests Yucca was one of a wide breadth of
resources exploited during intensive BMII to BMIII occupation of the site.
The use of Yucca, and the intensive occupational use of the valley in
general, appears to decline from the Early PII to Pueblo III periods as is
shown by the lack of radiocarbon dates for this time frame. This
suggests the valley was not utilized intensively during the height of
agricultural intensification along the Virgin River corridor to the south.
Similar results have been documented for the Puebloan Period in the
Gold Butte Area (McGuire et al. 2010). It is possible that intensive
farming activities created scheduling issues for the collection and
processing of Yucca in CSV.
Beginning in the Post-Puebloan period and continuing into the historic
period, macrobotanical results from ephemeral thermal features
located on the surface of five sites in the valley provide archaeological
evidence of the “Yucca Complex” documented ethnographically. The
ephemeral nature and small extent of the features compared to the
large Agave roasting pits known to the south (McGuire et al. 2010)
suggest they were single-episode Yucca spp. roasting pits utilized by
small groups, likely occupying the area as highly residentially mobile,
small family bands during the ethnographically documented seasonal
round.
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to the archaeological crew for ON Line; BLM
Ely District archaeologists Leslie Riley and Shawn Gibson; and Bruce Pavlik and Sydney Kaser who contributed to the macrobotanical analyses.