Transcript Zooarchaeology: A Case Study on Prehistoric Bison Populations in Eastern Oregon

Methods
Zooarchaeology:
• Review historic records and
archaeological literature
A Case Study on Prehistoric
Bison Populations
in Eastern Oregon
• Select bone samples and submit
for radiocarbon dating
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Goals
bison scapula
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Nicole Stutte
Portland State University
Paleontological bison skull,
eastern Oregon
Comparative Collections are modern
mammal bones used to determine
species, age, and sex of archaeological
skeletal specimens.
Results
20
• Bison in 20 archaeological and 2
paleontological sites
• Document history of bison in eastern Oregon
from previously excavated sites
• Few bison compared to records from
Great Plains
• Radiocarbon date bison bones from
archaeological and paleontological sites
• Most dated between 150-2000 BP
Wildcat Canyon
35UM1
No bison records
35UN80
Juniper Lake
Catlow Cave
Roaring Springs
Cave
Bison Abundant
Paisley Cave
Malheur Lake
• Historic records: bison absent in eastern Oregon
?
Connely Caves
Skull Creek Dunes
Lost Dune
• Archaeological records: few bison present compared to
sites in Great Plains
Harney Dune
Dirty Shame
Rockshelter
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• Paleontological records: bison bone bed discovered by
explorer Peter Skene Ogden
Radiocarbon Dating Is the primary absolute
dating method in archaeology
2000
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12000
14000
Calibrated
C14 Before
Ages BP Present (2 s.d.) , bison
Calibrated Radiocarbon
Years
bones from archaeological / paleontological sites
Zooarchaeology, Wildlife Management,
and Conservation Biology
• Useful for specimens
< 40,000 years old.
• Used to date anything
once living
Bison and ancient human hunters
Diagram courtesy of vflylab.calstatela.edu
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)
was used in my study because
• Requires small samples
and is very accurate
• Can measure the
content of 14C, 13C and 12C
• Bison were more valuable to hunters
than other mammals due to size and
ease of capture
• Therefore, if bison were available to
hunters, they should be present at
archaeological sites
Bison were never abundant in eastern
Oregon, like cattle are today
Understanding ancient mammals
helps us manage modern
mammals and avoid:
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Environmental stress
• Unhealthy wildlife and stock
• Conflicts over species protection