Structures

Almost half of the Archaic components contained one or more brush shelters, and all four Archaic periods
were represented. The investigations revealed that, over the span of approximately 7,000 years, the
morphology of the shelters changed little, but the average floor space more than doubled (from 6 sq. m in
the Early period to 14 sq. m. in the Upper Late period). In general, the shelters functioned as temporary
domiciles and/or sheltered processing loci, and were probably inhabited for less than one season.

 

Most were circular or oval in plan view and all were basin-shaped in cross-section. The floors were often
leveled flat and were earthen and unlined. The six main features types consisted of hearths, roasting pits,
warming pits, shallow unburned, pits, storage pits and post holes. Most of the features (with the exception
of post holes) functioned in a food-processing capacity.

 

Typically, artifacts consisted of domestic refuse accumulated during the processing and consumption of
food. The flaked stone and non-human bone assemblages reveal that butchering was often practiced
within the shelters, while the ground stone and vegetal assemblages indicate that plant seed milling and
parching was also conducted inside the structures.