Prehistory of the Rustler Hills : Granado Cave

by Hamilton, Donny L.; Bratten, John R.; Carlson, David L.; Dockall, John E.; Shafer, Harry J.

• ISBN13: 9780292731417
• ISBN10: 0292731418
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

"This report is classic in its use of all available research tools to explicate the prehistory of a region.... The care and methodology demonstrated [here] could and should well serve as a model for future archaeological research in the Trans-Pecos." --James E. Corbin, Professor of Anthropology, Stephen F. Austin State University The Northeastern Trans-Pecos region of Texas is an unforgiving environment for anyone living off the land, yet nomadic hunters and gatherers roamed its deserts and mountains and sheltered in caves and sinkholes from around AD 200 to 1450. This book provides detailed insights into the lifeways of these little-known prehistoric peoples. It places their occupation of the region in a wider temporal and cultural framework through a comprehensive description and analysis of the archaeological remains excavated by Donny L. Hamilton at Granado Cave in 1978. Hamilton begins with a brief overview of the geology and environment of the Granado Cave area and reviews previous archaeological investigations. Then he and other researchers present detailed analyses of the burials and other material remains found in the cave, as well as the results of radiocarbon dating. From these findings, he reconstructs the subsistence patterns and burial practices of these Native Americans, whom he identifies as a distinct group that was pushed into the environment by surrounding peoples. He proposes that they should be represented by a new archaeological phase, thus helping to clarify the poorly understood late prehistory of the Trans-Pecos.

Table of Contents

Preface	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Introduction	1	(3)
Geological and Environmental Setting	4	(12)
Previous Archaeological Research	16	(8)
Site Excavation	24	(29)
Prehistoric Burials	53	(28)
Cordage and Cotton	81	(12)
Basketry	93	(34)
Matting, Bags, and Sandals	127	(31)
Wood Artifacts	158	(13)
Pottery	171	(12)
Lithic Artifacts	183	(21)
John E. Dockall
Harry J. Shafer
Miscellaneous Artifacts	204	(21)
Vertebrate Faunal Remains	225	(12)
Cristi Assad Hunter
The Rustler Hills Economic Pollen Spectrum	237	(25)
Donny L. Hamilton
John R. Bratten
Radiocarbon Dating	262	(4)
Concluding Remarks	266	(11)
Appendix Osteological Identification of the Eastern and Desert Cottontail	277	(4)
Cristi Assad Hunter
David L. Carlson
References Cited	281	(8)
Index	289