The Dry Muddy Creek site and the early Late Archaic period in southwest Wyoming

Abstract

The Late Archaic period dating between 3600 and 1800 years B.P. is one of the more poorly understood periods in the prehistory of the southern Wyoming Basin of southwest Wyoming. It is the interval of low site densities and probably low population densities between the two better-known periods of intensive and stable use of the area, the Opal phase dating between 6400 and 3600 years B.P. and the Uinta phase dating between 1800 and 1000 years B.P. The results of the excavations of a Late Archaic period component at the Dry Muddy Creek site and comparisons with 19 other excavated components dating between 3600 and 2500 years B.P. adds considerably to our understanding of the range of subsistence activities and mobility patterns during the early portion of the Late Archaic period. It appears that mobility patterns and the selection of locations for occupation during this period were at least partly tied to the presence of bison, whose remains occur in many of the excavated components. Among the other exploited resources, which included large, medium, and small mammals was the collection and processing of goosefoot seeds. Several structure types were constructed during this period including small basin houses archaeologically detectable as shallow charcoal-stained basins.