EVfiDA Archaeologist

36 Pages·2011·2.08 MB·English

EVfiDA
Archaeologist
Volume 5, NUUlber 2, 1986
o
20cm
An unusual, IWikl_ Proboscidean skull, Megabelodon cruz;ensis
(Frick), NSM PE.n-I, from Fi.h Lalce Valley, Esmeralda County,
Nevada. Right Lateral view. The anterior, tooth bearing portion of
the skull has been displaced upward 8-10 em by a .DtaIl normal
fault. (Drawing by Dian Mawby).
crvada
Archavologlcal
Association
BOARD
rtvvada
The Board of the Nevada An:hl1e()/oglst is elected by the
Ar<hGClOlogical
members of the Nevada Archaeological Association.
Association Th(> Board appoints. the editor t}f the Nevuda Archaevl(tgisl
for a term of thr~e years.
Member Robert LeaveN
1739 Carita Ave.
rhe design for the NAA lugu wa5
Henderson, ;-\cvad.l 89015
taken from a Garfl<'id Flat petroglyph
by Robert £/;tOIl.
Member T. Hal Turner
P.O. Box 2650
MEMBERSHIP Carson CIty, :-levad. 89702
The Nevada Archaeological Association is an incor Member James (pat) Green
porated~ non-profit organi.1.ation regist'€rc-d in the State of NEVADA ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSN.
Nevada, and has no paid employees. Membership is open
to any pe rson interested in archaeology dnd its allied Member Amv Dansie
sciences~ and in the conservation of archaeological NEVADA ARCHAEOLOCICAL ASSN.
resources. Requests for membership and dues should bt' Carson City, Nevada
sent to the corresponding secretary ,,,hose address is listed
below. Make aU checks and money orders payable to the Member Donald R. Tuohy
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HEVflDfi
Archaeologist
Volume 5, Number 2 1986
A RAPIDLY DEPLETING, NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCE
A statewide paleontological bibliography completed by James F. Firby, Howard E. Schorn
and Thomas P. Lugaski in 1981 (Paleontological Inventory of the Carson City Bureau of Land
Management District, Volume 1) has a total of 1,445 entries. A wide range of species, including
non-marine vertebrates are found in Nevada. Tertiary and Quaternary sediments within the
state have yielded marvelous paleobiological specimens - most uncovered by chance, and
preserved only by the efforts of a dedicated few. Nevada needs a State Paleontologist before it
is too late!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Errata and Additional Notes on the Great Basin Distribution of Clovis Fluted and
Folsom Projectile Points
by Donald R. Tuohy .................................................. . 2
Nevada's Fossil Elephants
by Donald R. Tuohy .................................................. . 8
An Unusual Proboscidean Skull from Fish Lake Valley, Nevada
by John E. Mawby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 19
Discovery and Dating of the Black Rock Desert Mammoth
by Betty Stout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21
Collecting Fossils With the Plaster Jacket Technique
by John E. Mawby ....... . . ......................... 24
Evidence of Late Pleistocene Lacustrine Fluctuation in North Long Valley, Nevada
by Brian C. Amme . . . . . . . .. .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Archaeological Occurrence of a Large Mammal Hom Sheath from Pyramid Lake, Nevada
by Phil W. Hutchinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 28
__ _-_
_-----------------
................_ . .._ _ . .. ..
personal communication, 12/6/85). These
ERRATA AND ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE
changes have been made in the
GREAT BASIN DISTRIBUTION
accompany ing Table 1.
OF CLOVIS FLUTED AND FOLSOM
PROJECTILE POINTS
Since the nLocality 22" entry now
would be blank, I have taken the liberty
by
to add in its place reference to two
Donald R. Tuohy Clovis points from the Gold Flat Basin
reported by the Archaeological Research
This note is written to supplement Center at the University of Nevada Las
data and to correct errata contained in Vegas (1981). The addition does not
two articles published in Volume 5, require a change in the map plot shown
Number 1 of the Nevada Archaeologist. in Figure 1.
The first errata were published in an
article I authored on the Great Basin The errata noted by Brian C. Amme,
distribution of Clovis Fluted and Folsom who has been doing field research in
projectile points in the Great Basin eastern Nevada, involve the crediting of
(Tuohy 1985a:lS-18). That article also proper sources for the distribution of
was written to amplify and to correct Clovis points in that portion of Nevada.
data originally publ,shed in the His paper on a Snake Valley fluted point
"festschriftlf for Dr. Emma Louise Davis (Amme 1985) mentioned the discovery of
published by the Great Basin Foundation other Clovis points made by Bureau of
(Tuohy 1985b). Land Management archaeologists in the
region and " ..... As a result, and a
In fact, the first erratum to be critical embarrassment to myself, I
noted here is the incorrect reference to appear to be res.r:x:::msible for finds in
the editor of the Iffestschrift" (Clark seven valleys in Nevada, according to
Brott, personal communication 12/12/85). Table 1 of your Inotes· article in the
The volume was improperly cited. It same publication and also certain
should not have been cited with Thomas articles in the 'festschriftl for Dr.
C. Blackburn as editor, but rather as Erruna Lou Davis" (8. Amme, personal
indicated in the bibliography, and as communication 1/24/86).
follows:
To rectify this situation, B. Amme
Great Basin Foundation submitted a list of full references to
1985 Homan, Poet, Scientist: the finds made in eastern Nevada as
EssayS in New World Anthropology follows:
Honoring Dr. Erruna Louis Davis.
Ballena Press Anthropological Papers "Dry Lake and C Davis and Shutler
No. 29, Editor: Thomas c. Groom Valleys 1969
Blackburn.
Long Valley C Hutchinson 1984
The next erra ta were noted in 'rable
1, "Paleoindian Finds in Nevada" (Tuohy Steptoe Valley C Private Collection,
1985:16, Table 1) by Ronald L. Reno and NAA Meeting
by Brian C. Amme. Ronald L. Reno has
been doing field research on the Nevada Spring Valley C Unknown Reference,
Test Site under the direction of Lonnie Local Collection(?)
C. Pippen of the Social Sciences Center
of the Desert Research Institute. Reno Railroad C John Zancanella,
noted that ItSite of Locality Number 17" Valley Ely District Office
should be labeled Groom Dry Lake Files, n.d.
(Emigrant Valley), not "Groom Valley" as
indicated in Table 1. He also noted Independence C Tim nurphy, Elko
that "Locality Nwnber 2211 entries Valley District Office
"Nev'ada Test Site; C; and ~vorman 1969; files,n.d.
Davis 1984" should be deleted, and the
two bibliographic references rtOded to
the "Locality 30" entry (R. Reno,
These changes also have been
incorporated in Table 1. In addition,
Amme (loc cit) notes that Dry Lake
Valley is mentioned twice in Table 1
(Tuohy 1985:16, Table 1), as are
"L<X:'ality 12" and "Locality 16." The
latter reference was attributed
erroneously to Amme, but actually is a
second occurrence in the same valley, as
referenced in my own note files. This
correction also has been made in Table
1, and again, the map plot (Figure 1)
remains unchanged.
Another contribution to the Volume
5, Number 1 issue of the'Nevada
Archaeologist" the paper by Richard M.
Ryan (1985:10-12), apparently contained
some misinformation about Rancholabrean
megafauna in the Great Basin. John
Mawby (personal conununication 10/16/85),
vertebrate paleontologist, wrote to say:
"He [Ryan 1985:10J seems to imply
that the Rancholabrean megafauna of the
Great Basin included Castoroides (which
he misspells) and tapirs. I know of no
records of tapirs in the Great Basin,
nor of Castoroides anywhere west of
Nebraska. Also, the North American
mylodont ground sloths are now referred
to as Glossotherium. Nor is t1a.mmut an
elephant. Quite a batch of errors for a
single sentence!
II
Both the editor and the author wish
to thank Dr. Hawby for noting these
errata, and we hope such erroneous
information as contained in the article
did not seriously inconvenience readers
of the Nevada Archaeologist. This
statement also applies to the Early Man
projectile paper (Tuohy 1985a) and
corrections thereof (Tuohy 1985b, 1986),
for which the editor thanks the many
contributors. These persons are,
however, absolved from all responsi
bility for any additional errors of
commission or omission of their comments
Clovis pJints from Nevada, actual size
as contained herein, and the editor
takes the sole responsibility for them.
3
TABLE 1
PALEO INDIAN FINDS IN NEVADA
Site or Period of Literature
Locality Number Occupation Reference
L Lake Tonopah C Davis and Shutler 1969; Haynes 1964a;
Tuohy 1969, 1984
2. Lovelock area C Davis and Shutler 1969
3. Caliente C Davis and Shutler 1969
4. Carlin F Davis and Shutler 1969
26Ekl James 1981
5. Sarcobalus Flat C Davis and Shutler 1969
6. Washoe Lake C Davis and Shutler 1969;
Tuohy 1977
7. Star Peak area F Davis and Shutler 1969
8. Black Rock Desert C Davis and Shutler 1969;
Clewlow 1968
9. Mud Lake C Davis and Shutler 1969
10. Lovelock C Davis and Shutler 1969
11. Huntoon Valley C Davis and Shutler 1969
12. Dry Lake Valley C Davis and Shutler 1969
13. Walker Lake area C Tuohy 1971
14. Gilbert Dry Lake C Elston 1983
15. 26Ek962 (Elko County) C James 1981
16. Dry Lake Valley C Tuohy (notes), 1985
17. Groom Dry Lake (Emigrant Valley) C Davis and Shutler 1969
18. Kane Spring Wash C Perkins 1967
19. 26Ck404 (Clark County) C Perkins 1967
20. Clark and Lincoln Counties C,F Perkins 1968
21. No. Washoe County C Richards 1968
22. Gold Flat Basin C Archaeological Research Center UNL V 1981
23. Rye Patch Reservoir C Rusco and Davis 1984; Davis 1984
24. Steptoe Valley C Tuohy (notes), NAA Meeting, 1985
25. Railroad Valley C John Zanca nella, Ely District, BLM files
26. Long Valley C Hutchinson and Noyes 1984
27. Lahontan Reservoir C Reno 1985
28. Garden Valley C Ryan 1985
29. Yucca Mountain C Reno 1985
30. Timber Mountain C Worman 1969; Pippin 1984
31. Montgomery Pass C Haynes 1964b
32. Truckee River C Tuohy (notes)
33. Spring Valley C
34. Coal Valley C Ryan 1985
35. Duck Flat C Layton 1977
36. Independence Valley C Tim Murphy, Elko District, BLM files
4
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5
References
c.
Amrne, Brian C. Haynes, Vance
1985 A Snake Valley "Flootern Notes 1964a Geochronology and Dispersion
on a fluted point from Snake of Clovis and Folsom Projectile
Valley, east-central Great Points. Science 145:1408-1413.
Basin. Nevada Archaeologist
Vol. 5, Number 1. Carson City. 1964b Notes on Clovis Fluted Point
From Huntoon Valley, Nevada.
Archaeological Research Center, UNLV ~~nuscript on file, Department
1981 An Archaeological SUrvey of the of Anthropology, the Nevada
Training and Support Facility on State Museum, Carson City.
the Nellis Air Force Bombing and
Gunnery Ranges, Nye, Lincoln, Houghton, Samuel G.
and Clark Counties, Nevada. 1976 -A Trace of Desert waters: The
-----
Great Basin story. The Arthur
Clewlow, C. William H. Clark Co. Glendale.
1968 Surface Archaeology of the Black
Rock Desert, Nevada. Reports of Hutchison, P. H.
the University of California Ar 1984 Archaeology: The Prehistoric
chaeological Survey, Number Dwellers at Lake Hubbsl Lithic
73:1 93. Berkeley. Artifacts from Lake Terraces.
Manuscript on file, Nevada State
Davis, Emma Lou and Richard Shutler, Jr. Museum, Carson City.
1969 Recent discoveries of fluted
f:Oints in California and Nevada. James, Stephen R. (editor)
The Nevada ~ Museum 1981 Prehistory, Ethnohistory, and
Anthropological Papers 14:154- History of Eastern Nevada.
169. Carson city. Culture Resource Series No.3,
Bureau of Land Management~ Reno.
Davis, Jonathan O. (editor)
1984 1983 Excavations at archaeo Layton, Thomas N.
logical site 26Pe670 Rye Patch 1977 Letter from T. N. Layton to D.
Reservoir. Desert Research Tuohy, November 5, 1977,
Institute Social Sciences Center regarding an obsidian Clovis
Technical Report No. 38. Reno. point on road to Eagleville,
Calif.
Elston, Robert G.
1983 Gund Ranch Cultural Resource Perkins, R. F.
Research and Preservation 1967 Clovis-like points in Southern
Program: Phase III. Report Nevada. Nevada Archaeological
submitted to the Nevada State Survey Reporter 1(9):9-11.
Division of HI;toric Pre;;;= Reno.
vat ion and Archaeology.
Prepared £y the Agricultural 1968 Folsom and Sandia points from
Experiment Station, the ~ c. Clark County. Nevada
Fleischmann College of Archaeological Survey Reporter
Agriculture, University of 2(4):4-6. Rena.
Nevada, Reno.
Pippin, Lonnie C. (editor)
1984 Limited Test Excavations at
Great Basin Foundation Selected Archaeological Sites in
1985 Woman, Poet, Scientist: Essays the NNW5I f.1ountain Project Area,
in New World Anthropology Southern Nye County, Nevada.
Honoring Dr. Emma Louise Davis. Desert Research Institute Social
Ba1lena P~s Anthropological Sciences Technical Report No.4.
Papers No. 29, Editor: Thomas Reno.
C. Blackburn.
6
Reno, Ronald L.
1985 Clovis Points from the Lahontan 1985a Probable Early Man Migration
Reservoir and the Nevada Test Routes in the Great Basin. In
Site, Nevada. Nevada Woman, Poet, Scientist: Essays
Archaeologist, Volume 5, Number in New World Anthropology
1, Carson City. Honoring Dr. Emma Louise ~.
Bal1ena Press Anthropological
Richards, Brian Papers No. 29:105-113. Los
1968 A Clovis Point From Northwestern Altos.
Nevada. Nevada Archaeological
Survey Reporter 2(3):13-14. 1985b Notes on the Great Basin
Reno. Distribution of Clovis Fluted
and Folsom Projectile Points.
Rogers; Richard A. Nevada Archaeologist, Volume 5,
1985 Wisconsinan Glaciation and the Number 1, pp. 15-18. Carson
Dispersal of Native Ethnic City.
Groups in North American. In,
Woman, Poet, Scientist: ESsays 1984 Implications of Obsidian
in New World Anthropology Hydration Readings and Source
Honoring Dr. Emma Louise ~. Determinations for 28 Presumed
Ballena Press Anthropological nEarly ManN Points from Nevada.
Papers No. 29:105-113. Los In "Obsidian Studies in the
Altos. Great Basin," edited by Richard
E. Hughes, pp. 193-221.
2f
Ruscot Mary K., and Jonathan O. Davis Contributions ~ University
1982 The Humboldt Project, Rye Patch of California Archaeological
Reservoir, Phase IV: Research Facility Number 45.
Archaeological Data Synthesis Berkeley.
Final Report. Nevada State
Huseum Archaeological Services 1977 More on Clovis Points from
Reports. Carson City. Washoe Lake, Nevada. Nevada
Archaeological survey Reporter
Ryan, Richard 10(4),1-7. Reno.
1985 Clovis Point from Coal Valley
Water Gap, Southeastern Nevada.
Nevada Archaeologist Volume 5,
Number 1. Carson City.
Smith, George I.
1985 Possible Impacts on Early Man of
Late Quaternary Lake
Fluctuations in the Great Basin.
In, Woman, Poet, Scientist:
ESsays in ~ ~ Anthropology
Honoring ~ ~ Louise Davis.
Ballena Press Anthropological
Papers No. 29:105-113. Los
Altos.
Tuohy, Donald R.
1986 r1iscellaneous Errata and
Additional Notes on the Great
Basin Distribution of Clovis
Fluted and Folsom Projectile
Points. Nevada Archaeologist
Vol ume 5, Number 2. Carson
City.
7
NEVADA'S FOSSIL ELEPHANTS The Order Proboscidea, which
includes the surviving African and Asian
by elephants, has been divided into five
super-families and three families:
Donald R. Tuohy Hanunutidae, Elephantidae, and
Gomphotheridae. Both Hammutidae and the
Nevada's truly white elephants, the Elephantidae are found locally as
fossilized remains of giant pachyderms, fossils of the Recent, or postglacial
mammoths and mastodons, ranging in age period, and the Pleistocene, or Ice Age,
from over ten million years to ten to of up to one million years ago. Also
twenty thousand years, are not found in Nevada are Proboscideans that
infreqently found in the Silver State date as far back as the Pliocene of ten
(Map 1). Since most discoveries of million years ago (see article by J.
fossilized elephant bones are accidental Mawby, this volume). The more recent
rather than planned, and since Pleistocene Proboscideans, however, Seem
vertebrate paleontologists are sometimes to be represented by a single species of
more scarce than the specimens they mastodon, Mastodon americanus, and the
seek, Nevada State Museum personnel have mammoths, Mammuthu8 £E, probably by
responded frequently to excited requests several subfamilies and genera.
for assistance in preserving such
fossils. The principal difference between
mastodons and the more elephant-like
For example, not long ago, former mammoths may be seen in the cheek teeth
Nevada State Huseum Director, James (Figure 1). All of the cheek teeth of
Calhoun, received an urgent telephone the mastodon functioned simultaneously
message from Jerry L. Fitch, Resident and are somewhat simpler in structure
Engineer of the Winnemucca District, who than those of the mammoth or elephant.
was then w·orking on overpass construc The name, mastodon, comes from masto
tion on Interstate 80. A Jack Parson (nipples or breast), and dont (~).
Construction Company blade operator, This breast-toothed beast, like the
Sydney Gittens, had exposed a large mammoth, had upper jaw tusks, and many
tusk, and asked if the Museum would be mastodons had enlarged second incisors,
interested in preserving the rapidly or lower jaw tusks.
diSintegrating 8-1/2 foot long specimen?
The answer, of course, was "Yes," even The mammoth, on the other hand, had
though it was later determined that the only upper jaw tusks, and developed only
tusk lay on private property leased for SlX cheek teeth in the courSe of a
a materials borrow pit, and therefore, lifetime. and usually only one tooth
was not subject to the provisions of the functioned simultaneously in each half
Nevada Antiquities Act which protects of the jaw. Hanunoth cheek teeth are
such fossils for the public weal, rather almost rootless and quite different in
than opening them up for private gain or appearance from mastodon cheek teeth.
exploitation. The tusk was duly Each is made up of a series of enamel
preserved and removed from the path of plates completely surrounding oblong
the bulldozers, and literally hundreds centers of dentine. Cement of varying
of Winnemuccans were treated to verbal thickness in different genera of
description of the excavation, and mammoths binds the enamel plates
plaster-of-paris jacketing of the together. Like a nineteenth century
specimen, over radio station KYINA. horse-trader, then, a vertebrate paleon
tologist must check his Proboscidean
It has not yet been determined f05si1·s cheek teeth to be certain of its
whether this tusk dropped from the upper Mammutidae or Elephantidae ancestry.
jaw of either a mammoth or a mastodon
. ,
bu t S1nce it was deposited in lake Vertebrate paleontologists doing
sediments of the upper Sehoo geological research in Nevada are far more scarce
formation, it was probably at least than the fossils they seek. As noted
14,000 years old when discovered. The previously, most discoveries of
tusk definitely represented the remains Proboscidean remains are accidental
of a Proboscidean. rather than planned. For example, one
8