Development and Documentation of Geomorphic Characteristics in Support of a Cultural Resources/Archaeological Favorability Model for Death Valley National Park

INTRODUCTION

Applying geomorphic principles to help understand human prehistory in the context of desert landscape evolution has been an integral part of archaeological investigations for many decades(Waters, 1992). The use of geomorphology to define and characterize landscape components conducive to preserving archaeological materials, also has been in use for several decades; however, it is only in recent years that soil-geomorphology has been applied to characterize landform surface dynamics and the relative age of deposits to assist with cultural resource management strategies. Intensified research efforts on American Southwest desert geomorphic systems in the 1970s and 1980s began to shed light on landscape evolution and the associations among landscape stability, landscape age, desert soils, and the development and significance of desert pavements (Wells et al., 1984; McFadden et al., 1987; McFadden et al., 1989). In recent years, application of this knowledge in archaeology has led to increased use of geomorphic-Interim/Final Progress Report – Development and Documentation of Geomorphic Characteristics in Support of a Cultural Resources/Archaeological Favorability Model for Death Valley National Park based archaeological models in cultural resource management programs on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) installations (e.g., McDonald and Bullard 2003; Peter et al., 2004; Miller et al., 2009; Bullard et al., 2009; Brewster et al., 2011). However, the proper effective use of geomorphology in modeling, particularly in desert environments, is still developing.

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) began working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana (UICU), and Fort Irwin Cultural Resources Department in 2001 to develop a conceptual, geomorphic-based archaeological model (Ruiz, 2002; McDonald and Bullard, 2003; McDonald et al., 2004; Ruiz et al., 2007). Since that time we have expanded the concept of geomorphic-based favorability models to other DoD installations including U.S. Marine Corps installations at Twentynine Palms (Brewster et al., 2011) and Camp Pendleton (Bullard and Bacon, 2010), as well as the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (Bullard et al., 2010). The study plan at Death Valley National Park (DEVA) was to expand upon existing conceptual frameworks built around the role of geomorphology in archaeological modeling and to provide necessary geologic and geomorphic input for a comprehensive predictive model being developed with researchers at UICU.

Previous geomorphic-based archaeological models were based on straightforward associations of geology, geomorphology, and archaeology, and estimates the relative favorability (i.e., potential) of particular landscape components to contain surface and/or buried archaeological sites. For example, at Fort Irwin, a region characterized by a mix of geologic rock types, relatively intact lithic scatters, campsites, and quarry sites are commonly found preserved on stable geomorphic surfaces formed on parent materials derived from fine-grained volcanic rock sources and Tertiary-age deposits containing cobbles of lithic material suitable for procurement and tool making. The same types of sites (i.e., lithic scatters, campsites, and quarry sites) were rarely found on landscapes formed on deposits derived from coarse-grained igneous rock sources, such as granite and quartz monzonite.

The absence of lithic scatters, campsites, and quarry sites in landscapes associated with granitic rocks does not necessarily mean they did not exist; the coarse-grained igneous rocks tend to weather rapidly and are commonly associated with relatively unstable landscapes. In general, associated landscapes commonly have surfaces that are bioturbated by flora and fauna, and are relatively unfavorable areas for preserving intact surface archaeological sites. On the other hand, sites formed in areas containing abundant coarse-grained igneous rock may be more conducive to producing relatively thick deposits that could support different vegetation types (e.g., grasses) than areas containing abundant fine-grained volcanic rocks. Areas containing abundant coarse-grained igneous rock and weathering products also have the potential for containing buried sites. In addition, other site types, such as natural rock shelters and long-term habitation sites, which were rarely observed in fine-grained volcanic rock terrain at Fort Irwin, tended to be more frequently associated with coarse-grained igneous rocks. These same concepts were used at DEVA.

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