North American ArchaeologyAnthropology 176ASpring 2009UCSCJudith A. Habicht Mauche 1The Great Plains I:Bison Hunters of theWestern PlainsLecture 18North American ArchaeologySpring 2009UCSCCultural Stereotype Tipi-dwelling, horsenomads Bison hunters Male emphasis onmilitarism andindividual status Snap-shot of culturethat existed briefly inmid-nineteenthcenturyImpact of European Contact Horse and Gun Disease anddemographiccollapse Trade (hides) WarfareNorth American ArchaeologyAnthropology 176ASpring 2009UCSCJudith A. Habicht Mauche 2“The Great American Desert” Lewis Henry Morgan vs. Waldo Wedel Not the horse, but bison that made living onHigh Plains possibleThe Great Plains Vast, flat grasslands Over 1 billion squaremiles Cut by E-W rivers Unpredictable climate Agriculture risky Bison herd size variedacross space andthrough timeValleys and Canyons Rich, diverse biotic zones Deer, small mammals, birds, fish, waterfowl, reptiles Soft, tillable soilsPalo Duro Canyon, TXNorth American ArchaeologyAnthropology 176ASpring 2009UCSCJudith A. Habicht Mauche 3Uplands Short grass--West (“High Plains”) Tall Grass--East Large Game--Bison and AntelopeTexasPanhandle,looking westto LlanoEstacadoWestern Plains West of 100th meridian Always dominated bybison-hunting nomads Apache, Blackfoot,Piegan Sequence reflected atHead-Smashed-In,AlbertaSeggesar Hide Painting, 18thc., So. High PlainsMobility, opportunism, portability ofpossessions, and primary reliance onbisonEastern Plains Tall grass and mixedgrass prairies Mixed H-G and farmers Maize, bean, squash,sunflower Semi-permanent, fixedvillages Strong ties to East Plains Woodland andPlains Village TraditionsNorth American ArchaeologyAnthropology 176ASpring 2009UCSCJudith A. Habicht Mauche 4Cultural Sequence(West)PaleoIndian Period Clovis/Llano11,500-10,900 BCMammoth huntersLarge fluted points Folsom and Plano10,900 BC-5000BCBison huntersCommunal drivesFluted and unflutedpointsOlsen-Chubbock (6000BC)Early Plains Archaic 5000-2900 BC “Altithermal” (MiddleHolocene)--droughts Bison herdsretreated to Plainsmargins Sparsely populated DiversifiedsubsistenceMummy Cave, Wyoming Western margin ofGreat Plains Long sequence 5600 BC--transitionAtlatl and dartDiverse subsistence But..evidence ofcommunal bison drivescontinuing throughoutMiddle HoloceneHead-Smashed-In--Mummy Cave Phase(3700 BC)North American ArchaeologyAnthropology 176ASpring 2009UCSCJudith A. Habicht Mauche 5Middle and Late Plains Archaic 2900-1000 BC/1000BC-500 AD Late Holocene climate Increased seasonaloccupation of HighPlains “Scheduling” Base camps w/ moreemphasis on plantprocessing (grindingstones, roasting pits) More sophisticated,communal drivesMore groupcooperationJumps, corrals,drive linesHigh risk/highyield strategiesExample: Head-Smashed-In(Pelican LakePhase) Ceremonialism Ruby Site (BesantCulture) (AD 200)Late Prehistoric, AD 500-1750 Avonlea Complex, So.CanadaLocal development orMigration ofAthapaskans?Intro of bow and arrowHide-tent, dog transportComplex ritualized bisondrivesVery efficient hunters--surplus--for tradeHides more important--skinning knives, scrapersNorth American ArchaeologyAnthropology 176ASpring 2009UCSCJudith A. Habicht Mauche 6 Garnsey Site (JohnSpeth)A.D. 1550More emphasis onstorage andprocessingFat--importantenergy sourceHunters veryselective in choiceof animals to kill andbutcherTrade with AgriculturalistsSpecialized bison-hunting NOT a self-sufficient strategyon the High