29.86/3:17 I High-altitude Archeological Investigations at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah by ClemsonUniversity Timothy W. Canaday 3 1604 014 744 926 CULTURAL RESOURCES SELECTIONS No. 17 Intel-mountain Region PUBLIC DC 2001 National Park Service DEPOSITORY I *RV REPORTDOCUMENTATIONPAGE 1. REPORTNO. 3. RecipientsAccessionNo. 4. TitleandSubtitle 5. ReportDate High-altitude Archeological Investigations atCedarBreaks National Monument, Utah March2001 6. 7. Author(s) 8. PerformingOrganization Timothy W. Canaday ReportNo. 9 PerformingOrganizationNameandAddress 10. Project/Task/WorkUnitNo. 11. Contract©orGrant(G)No. (C) (G) 12. SponsoringOrganizationNameandAddress 13. TypeofReportandPeriod Covered Final National Park Service 14. ZionNational Park Springdale, Utah 84767 15. SupplementaryNotes Cultural Resources SelectionsNo. 17 Intermountain Region, National Park Service 16..Abstract This document is the final technical report of a cultural resources inventory and limited testing project in the Cedar Breaks National Monumentareaofthe Markagunt Plateau, Utah. Elevations withintheprojectarearange from 7,800 ft (2,378 m) in the lowerportions of the Monument to 11,278 ft (3,438 m). An intensive pedestrian survey of 2,318 acres within the monument, and additional acres surroundingthe monument on lands administered by the Dixie National Forest resulted in the discovery of99 archeological sites and 32 isolated occurrences. Four historical sites and 21 prehistoric isolates were documented in the lower portions ofthe monument. The remainder ofthe sites and isolates are located on the upper rim ofthe Markagunt Plateau. A 10% sample ofthese sites was tested to determine ifsignificant subsurface deposits were present. These testing efforts indicated that the vast majority ofthe archeological sites discovered during the course of field work are surface manifestations. The majority of these sites appear to be associated with the prehistoric reduction oflocally available Brian Head chert. Time-sensitive artifacts indicate prolonged and intensive use ofhigh-altitude resources overthe last 8,000years orso. X-ray flourescence analysis ofobsidian artifacts indicate a decidedly Great Basin connection. Obsidian from four different locales are presentatCedarBreaks sites, dominated by obsidian from the Wild Horse Canyon areaofthe Mineral Mountains, Utah. Lesser amounts ofobsidian were foundto come fromthe Panaca, Nevadaarea; the Obsidian Butte source inNye County, Nevada; and Black Mountain in southwestern Utah. Bristlecone pine stands within the monument and surrounding Dixie National Forest were analyzed to gain insights about paleoenvironmental conditions in the area during the last several thousand years. Additional paleoenvironmental studies focused on pollen and macrofossils extracted from lake andbogsediments. Firehistory andpossible beetle infestation are also documented. 17. DocumentAnalysis a. Descriptors Archeological Studies/Field Investigations/Laboratory Analyses/Cultural Resources b. Identifiers/Open-EndedTerms CedarBreaksNational Monument, Utah/High-altitude Archeology/Great Basin/Markagunt Plateau/Lithic Procurement Source/Hunter-Gatherers/Paleoenvironment c. COSATI Field/Group Archeology 18. AvailabilityStatement 19. SecurityClass(ThisReport) 21 No.ofPages Available fromtheNational Park Service Unclassified 203 20. SecurityClass(ThisPage) 22 Price Unclassified N/A (SeeANSI-Z39.l8) SeeInstructionsonReverse OPTIONALFORM272-<4-77) (FormerlyNTIS-35) DepartmentofCommerce High-altitude Archeological Investigations at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah by Timothy W. Canaday With contributions by Edward F. Bakewell, Weng Chengyu, Peggy L. Corson, Dawna E. Ferris, Scott A. Elias, Gary S. Funkhouser, Richard E. Hughes, Stephen T. Jackson, David B. Madsen, Laureen Perry, Andrei Sarna-Wojciki, and Robert S. Thompson U.S. Department ofthe Interior National Park Service Intermountain Region Cultural Resource Selections Series Denver, Colorado 2001 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/highaltitudearchOOcana FORWORD The National Park Service, Intermountain environmental changes influenced human Region, is pleased to present this volume, land use patterns during prehistory, with an as the latest in a series of reports apparent concentration of use during the concerning prehistoric and historic period Late Archaic. Tool stone procurement and cultural resources in regional parks. This hunting appear to have been the primary volume is the final technical report of a human activities conducted within the study multi-year cooperative cultural resources area. During Late Prehistoric and project focused on the Cedar Breaks Protohistoric times, use of the area National Monument and surrounding areas continues, but with less intensity. Evidence of the Markagunt Plateau in southwestern of historic period activities include logging Utah. The project included studies by the and livestock production sites, as well as National Park Service, the U.S. Forest structures associated with early tourism to Service, and the Utah Geological Survey. the national parks. The goals of the project were to collect management, scientific, and interpretive This report contains new information about data concerning the paleoecology and long-term human adaptations to the human uses ofthe study area. somewhat inhospitable high elevation Markagunt Plateau of southwestern Utah. I The Cedar Breaks National Monument is take great pleasure in making this study of located on the Markagunt Plateau, at the Cedar Breaks National Monument elevations above 3,000 meters (10,000 available to the scientific community and to feet). Prior to the current research, little the public. scientific data had been collected about past environmental conditions or human adaptations to this high elevation zone. Dendroclimatic and peat bog studies by the Utah Geological Survey, reported in this volume, identify fluctuating wet and dry Karen P. Wade periods during the past 10,000 to 12,000 Regional Director years on the Markagunt Plateau. These Intermountain Region Mission: As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally-owned public lands and natural and cultural resources. This includes fostering wise use ofour land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interests of all our people. The Department also promotes the goals of the Take Pride in America campaign by encouraging stewardship and citizen responsibility for the public lands and promoting citizen participation in their care. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in Island Territories under U.S. Administration. NPS-D28. in IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Funding for this project was provided by Marian Jacklin, Dixie National Forest the National Park Service, Intermountain Archeologist, provided details on past Support Office, under a Systemwide Markagunt Plateau research. Archeological Inventory Program grant, and by a cooperative agreement with the The first season offield work was conducted Dixie National Forest and Utah by Barbara Frank (supervisor), Matthew Geological Survey. Betenson, and Brian White. The second season of field work was conducted by Dr. Adrienne B. Anderson, National Park Tim Canaday (supervisor), Matthew Service Intermountain Region Archeologist, Betenson, Brian White, Brian Brownholtz, was instrumental in securing funding for this Connie VonSleichter, and Maggie Thurs. project. It was Adrienne who first The crew for the third field season recognized the importance of the consisted of Tim Canaday (supervisor) and archeology of the area and without her threestudent conservation assistants:BrittHansen, drive and determination, this project may Johnny Hartsfield, and Rebecca Janssen. never have been initiated. Adrienne Anderson also assisted with field work during the second and third seasons. I'd especially like to thank Matt Betensonfor Volunteers included Peggy Corson, Paula promptly acting uponmy constant requests for Hungar, Dr. Patrick McCutcheon and more data. Thanks, bud! Binny Westerhofi! Volunteers from the Southwestern Service Group ofthe Sierra Club Laird P. Naylor, former Zion National assistedDixieForestArcheologist Marian Jacklin Park Archeologist, acted as Project over the course of six summer field Director for this three-year field project. seasons. Jack Bums, Cultural Resource Specialist and Assistant Chief of Resource Management at This report is greatly improved by the Zion National Park, provided valuable artistic talents of Peggy Corson, who editorial comments on earlier versions of provided illustrations of the historic and this report. prehistoric artifacts depicted here. I thank the Cedar Breaks National Laureen Perry performed analyses of the Monument Superintendent, Tom Henry, ceramics. Dr. David Madsen and his and Chief Ranger Steve Robinson for their colleagues conducted the Markagunt Plateau ongoing interest in our work and their ever paleoecologystudies. Dr.RichardHughesperformed present willingness to help ensure a X-ray fluorescence analyses on the collected successful project. Monument personnel obsidian. Edward Bakewell conducted were also very helpful in many logistical petrographic and geochemical analyses on aspects of the field work. In particular, the Brian Head chert samples. Gary Mike Ward, Jill Howard, Jerry Carpenter, Funkhouser performed the bristlecone Larry McNeil, and Troy Hunt provided studies. Gary Bowyer helped with some of valuable information and assistance. the bottle identifications. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks to writer-editor Jane Harvey of the NPS Intermountain Support Office in Santa Fe for improving the quality of this report. Matt Betenson, Jack Burns, Dawna Ferris, Dr. Pete Rowley, and Dr. Pat McCutcheon also reviewed earlier versions of this manuscript. Of course any errors or omissions are my responsibility, not theirs. This technical report was prepared while I was employed by Death Valley National Park. I thank the Superintendent (Richard Martin) and the Chief of Resource Management(LindaGreene)forallowing me the time and resources to complete this report. Timothy W. Canaday Field Director September 30, 2000 VI ABSTRACT This document is the final technical report The majority of these sites appear to be of a cultural resources inventory and associated with the prehistoric reduction of limited testing project in the Cedar Breaks locally available Brian Head chert. Time- National Monument area ofthe Markagunt sensitive artifacts indicate prolonged and Plateau, Utah. Elevations within the intensive use of high-altitude resources project area range from 7,800 ft (2,378 m) over the last 8,000 years or so. in the lower portions of the Monument to 11,278 ft (3,438 m) at the summit ofBrian Several special studies were conducted in Head Peak. support of the Cedar Breaks archeological project. Petrographic and geochemical This project was conducted as part of a characterization of Brian Head chert multi-year cooperative cultural resources suggests that this tool stone is an altered program between the National Park vitric tuff. Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Utah Geological Survey. The purposes of X-ray fluorescence analysis of obsidian this multi-year effort are to provide artifacts indicates a decidedly Great Basin management, scientific, and interpretive connection. Obsidians from four different information on the prehistory, history, and locales are present at Cedar Breaks sites, paleoecology of the monument and dominated by obsidian from the Wild surrounding area. Horse Canyon area of the Mineral Mountains, Utah. Lesser amounts of An intensive pedestrian survey of 2,318 obsidian were found to come from the acres within the monument, and additional Panaca, Nevada, area; the Obsidian Butte acres surrounding the monument on lands source in Nye County, Nevada; and Black administered by the Dixie National Forest Mountain in southwestern Utah. resulted in the discovery of 99 archeological sites and 32 isolated Bristlecone pine stands within the occurrences. Four historical sites and 21 monument and surrounding Dixie National prehistoric isolates were documented in the Forest were analyzed to gain insights about lower portions of the monument. The paleoenvironmental conditions in the area remainder of the sites and isolates are during the last several thousand years. located on the upper rim ofthe Markagunt Additional paleoenvironmental studies Plateau. focused on pollen and macrofossils extracted from lake and bog sediments. A 10% sample of these sites was tested to Fire history and possible beetle infestation determine ifsignificant subsurface deposits are also documented. The presence of were present. These testing efforts Mono Craters ash at Lowder Creek bog indicated that the vast majority of the extends the known range of this volcanic archeological sites discovered during the ash hundreds ofmiles. course of field work are surface manifestations. vn Vlll