Current Research at the Connley Caves (35LK50): Late Pleistocene/early Holocene Western Stemmed Tradition Occupations in the Fort Rock Basin, Oregon

Reinvestigating Cougar Mountain Cave: New Perspectives on Stratigraphy, Chronology, and a Younger Dryas Occupation in the Northern Great Basin

“…(30 cm) of the deposits above beach gravels and the directly dated braided cordage suggest that they likely mark a Younger Dryas occupation. Such a scenario is consistent with the ages of Haskett points at the nearby Connley Caves (Jenkins et al 2017). Unfortunately, because Cowles (1960:17) simply stated that the Cody/Alberta, Windust, Cougar Mountain, Parman, and foliate points occurred 1.5–2.5 ft. above the basal gravels, their exact vertical and chronological relationship remains unknown and likely unknowable.…”

“…Nevertheless, we firmly disagree with statements similar to Hester and Heizer's (1973) quote at the beginning of our paper. Renewed fieldwork at the Paisley, Connley, and Fort Rock caves (Connolly et al 2017; Jenkins 2007; Jenkins et al 2012; Jenkins et al 2013; Jenkins et al 2016; Jenkins et al 2017), as well as further study of the Last Supper Cave collection (Camp 2017; Felling 2015; Ollivier et al 2017; Smith et al 2015), have demonstrated the utility of revisiting old sites and collections. The variety and volume of artifacts recovered from CMC, which appear to span most of Great Basin prehistory, make it one of the most important sites in the region.…”

“…We believe that Layton's crew found a pocket of intact deposits along the cave's west wall eight years after Cowles excavated the site. Whether or not additional intact deposits remain is unknown, but recent work at the Connley Caves beneath Bedwell's (1970) extensive backdirt berm has produced a large WST assemblage in a primary context, indicating that even extensively disturbed rockshelters in the region hold potential, given careful reinvestigation (Jenkins et al 2017; McDonough et al 2018). CMC remains privately owned, but we hope to engage in discourse with the owners about renewing excavations.…”

“…Of particular relevance to our ongoing research, Cowles reported finding a variety of WST artifacts, including Haskett, Cougar Mountain, Parman, and square-based points; a crescent; and large ovate bifaces in the lowest 2 ft. (60 cm) of the deposits. Well-made scrapers resembling those from the Haskett component dated to the Younger Dryas at the nearby Connley Caves (Jenkins et al 2017) were found in “the bottom part of the cave” (Cowles 1960:20). Perishable artifacts from the lowest 2 ft. (60 cm) include Fort Rock–style sandals, braided cordage, matting, bag and basket fragments, sewn leather, and leather string (Cowles 1960:32–44).…”

“…Over the past two decades, researchers from the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Nevada State Museum have conducted investigations at the earliest sites in the northwestern Great Basin (Connolly et al 2016; Connolly et al 2017; Felling 2015; Jenkins 2007; Jenkins et al 2012; Jenkins et al 2013; Jenkins et al 2017; Reaux et al 2018; Smith et al 2014; Smith et al 2015). Several projects have reinvestigated previously excavated sites such as the Paisley, Connley, Fort Rock, and Last Supper caves through additional fieldwork or renewed studies of museum collections.…”