Barton Gulch
Encyclopedia
Barton Gulch is an archaeological site
in southwest Montana
that has provided very important information concerning some of the earliest residents of the Paleo-Indian period in the northwest United States
.
on a tributary
of the Ruby River
southwest of Indian Creek in the Greenhorn range, and is calculated to be as big as 827640 square feet (76,890.3 m²), or 19 acres (76,890.3 m²). Dr. Les Davis excavated Barton Gulch from 1987 through 1993, and found 37 features that were each arranged into four distinct aggregations. Each of these aggregations contains a central oxidized pit that is 30-centimeters deep and surrounds each basin. A string of small features, representing a living floor site, form a circle around each oxidized basin.
s for the Blackwater Draw Paleo-Indian archaeological culture, and believed to be a Clovis culture. Most of the excavations of Barton Gulch were done by Dr. Les Davis, a professor at Montana State University, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There has also been an intermediate amount of mining done at Barton Gulch for gold due to the presumption that the source of gold found in Barton Creek could have moved its way down the channel into the area.
, the climate began a dramatic change. It is unknown how and why exactly the climate changed, but scientists speculate that the Earth’s orbit around the sun changed, leading to an evident increase in the amount of sunlight exposed to the planet. As the Pleistocene period gave way to the Paleo-Indian period, so did the harsh winter climates give way to a suitable warm climate. Strong evidence for the warm climate is the many warm-weather plants that have been found during excavations at Barton Gulch.
(Sylvilagus sp.), hare
(Lepus sp.), mink
(Mustela vison), porcupine
(Orithizon dorsatum) and deer
(Odocoileus sp.). The bones of the deer were used to make hammerstone
s and other small tools. Small tools that were made from the bones of the animals include knives, flake tool
s, end scrapers, abrading stones and points. Also, due to the warm weather, Barton Gulch contained many different edible plant species. Identified at Barton Gulch were remains of charred seeds, stems, spines, and other elements from over thirty different plant species. These plans were recovered from a series of over one hundred cooking features. These discoveries suggest that the people of the area used plants for various purposes such as food, medicine, in ceremonies, tools and weapons.
ic, meaning that although the people’s living habits were largely nomadic, they do participate in planting crops at specific locations. Excavations suggest that the people were logistically organized, kin-related aggregates of hunter-gatherers. Remains of earth ovens at Barton Gulch were identified as a possible technique of processing plants and animals into food. The presence of earth ovens and other cooking features implies that the people had detailed procedures for preparing plant and animal remains. The identification of the many different tools from the animal bones suggests that there were many different activities being done by the men and women of Barton Gulch.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
in southwest Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
that has provided very important information concerning some of the earliest residents of the Paleo-Indian period in the northwest United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Geography
Barton Gulch is located in Madison County, MontanaMadison County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Beaverhead National Forest *Deerlodge National Forest *Gallatin National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,851 people, 2,956 households, and 1,921 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile...
on a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Ruby River
Ruby River
The Ruby River is a tributary of the Beaverhead River, approximately 76 mi long, in southwestern Montana in the United States. It rises in the Beaverhead National Forest in southwestern Madison County between the Snowcrest Range and the Gravelly Range...
southwest of Indian Creek in the Greenhorn range, and is calculated to be as big as 827640 square feet (76,890.3 m²), or 19 acres (76,890.3 m²). Dr. Les Davis excavated Barton Gulch from 1987 through 1993, and found 37 features that were each arranged into four distinct aggregations. Each of these aggregations contains a central oxidized pit that is 30-centimeters deep and surrounds each basin. A string of small features, representing a living floor site, form a circle around each oxidized basin.
History
Barton Gulch, also known as the Barton Gulch Alder Complex, was discovered in 1972 and first excavated in 1979. Barton Gulch is dated back to 9400 RCYBP (radio carbon years before the present), and was actually uncovered due to intensive, localized commercial mining projects in the late 1970s. Barton Gulch, along with the Alder site, are regarded as the type siteType site
In archaeology a type site is a site that is considered the model of a particular archaeological culture...
s for the Blackwater Draw Paleo-Indian archaeological culture, and believed to be a Clovis culture. Most of the excavations of Barton Gulch were done by Dr. Les Davis, a professor at Montana State University, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There has also been an intermediate amount of mining done at Barton Gulch for gold due to the presumption that the source of gold found in Barton Creek could have moved its way down the channel into the area.
Climate
During the late Pleistocene periodPleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, the climate began a dramatic change. It is unknown how and why exactly the climate changed, but scientists speculate that the Earth’s orbit around the sun changed, leading to an evident increase in the amount of sunlight exposed to the planet. As the Pleistocene period gave way to the Paleo-Indian period, so did the harsh winter climates give way to a suitable warm climate. Strong evidence for the warm climate is the many warm-weather plants that have been found during excavations at Barton Gulch.
Flora and fauna
Barton Gulch included various animals that have rarely been seen in Paleo-Indian cultures. Such animals included the cottontail rabbitCottontail rabbit
The cottontail rabbits are among the 16 lagomorph species in the genus Sylvilagus, found in the Americas.In appearance, most cottontail rabbits closely resemble the wild European Rabbit...
(Sylvilagus sp.), hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
(Lepus sp.), mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
(Mustela vison), porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
(Orithizon dorsatum) and deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
(Odocoileus sp.). The bones of the deer were used to make hammerstone
Hammerstone
In archaeology, a hammerstone is a hard cobble used to strike off lithic flakes from a lump of tool stone during the process of lithic reduction. The hammerstone is a rather universal stone tool which appeared early in most regions of the world including Europe, India and North America...
s and other small tools. Small tools that were made from the bones of the animals include knives, flake tool
Flake tool
In archaeology a flake tool is a type of stone tool created by striking a flake from a prepared stone core.The flake could be sharpened by retouch to create scrapers or burins.-References:...
s, end scrapers, abrading stones and points. Also, due to the warm weather, Barton Gulch contained many different edible plant species. Identified at Barton Gulch were remains of charred seeds, stems, spines, and other elements from over thirty different plant species. These plans were recovered from a series of over one hundred cooking features. These discoveries suggest that the people of the area used plants for various purposes such as food, medicine, in ceremonies, tools and weapons.
People
The people of Barton Gulch are thought to have been seasonally semi nomadNomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic, meaning that although the people’s living habits were largely nomadic, they do participate in planting crops at specific locations. Excavations suggest that the people were logistically organized, kin-related aggregates of hunter-gatherers. Remains of earth ovens at Barton Gulch were identified as a possible technique of processing plants and animals into food. The presence of earth ovens and other cooking features implies that the people had detailed procedures for preparing plant and animal remains. The identification of the many different tools from the animal bones suggests that there were many different activities being done by the men and women of Barton Gulch.