Article Title

Calf Creek Horizon Evidence at the Gault Site (41BL323); a description of the imagery found in the Volume 5 cover border design

Authors

Sergio J. Ayala, Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory at the University of TexasFollow

Agency

Journal of Texas Archeology and History

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21112/ita.2019.1.44

Abstract

Dated to ca. 6,000 – 5,750 cal BP considerable amounts of material culture associated with what is identified as the Calf Creek Horizon by Don G. Wyckoff, has been recovered from the Gault site (Wyckoff pp. 1-8, 1994). The natural response to this evidence was to expand upon previous understandings of this time period (Wyckoff and Shockey 1994) (Weber 1994) (Wyckoff and Shockey 1995) (Drass 1999). Directed by Michael B. Collins, a considerable amount of effort was invested by the author to develop a deeper understanding of the human manufacturing behaviors behind the production of the dart points of this horizon throughout the Southern Plains. An upcoming book edited by Jon C. Lohse, Don G. Wyckoff, and Margorie Duncan (Lohse In Press) will feature many insights into this horizon and these point technologies by the author from the Gault School of Archaeological Research (GSAR) and Elton Prewitt from the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL).

The sample of imagery presented here comes from two primary periods of investigation. There is material from the Pearce Collection located at TARL, excavated by J. E. Pearce and his crewmen in 1929 and 1930 (Collins 2011). There are also specimens that relate to GSAR investigations between 1999 and the current day (Williams 2018). The assembled imagery consists of significantly refurbished Andice points, point fragments, Andice stems, several Bell point specimens that have clearly seen service in the ancient past, potential Andice preforms from the Pearce Collection (illustrated by Sergio J Ayala), a practice notching piece, and notching flakes that are a byproduct of Andice point manufacturing. These images comprise a tiny fraction of the Calf Creek Horizon materials from the Gault site. This evidence demonstrates both the discard of exhausted points and tremendous quantities of Andice and Bell point manufacturing at the Gault site. This does not include the nearly 3,000 Andice and Bell point specimens that are said to have been collected from the site during the years when the property was a pay-to-dig operation (Hester 1992) (Collins 2011).

Archaeologically, we know very little about the hunter gatherer groups that are the creators of the extraordinarily complex dart points that mark this horizon in time throughout the Southern Plains. Technologically however, we now understand that there are three dart point forms that are contemporaneous, intergrade morphologically, and share similar reduction strategies, techniques, flaking patterns, and reduction sequences. They are the Andice and Bell dart points of Texas and the Calf Creek dart points associated with southeast Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma (Ayala, Technology and Typology of the Calf Creek Horizon In Press).

Licensing Statement

Reproduction, posting, transmission, or other distribution or use of the Journal volume, individual article or any portion of the material therein, in any medium, is permitted strictly for personal, non-commercial purposes via a personal-use exemption under a Creative Commons license granted by JTAH.org, Inc. This license exemption requires, as a condition of its granted permission, proper credit be attributed to JTAH.org as copyright holder (e.g., Journal of Texas Archeology and History.org © 2019). No part of this publication may be reproduced, posted, transmitted, or otherwise utilized or distributed in any form by any means or method for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the Publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to JTAH Publisher, Suite 307, Box 361, 5114 Balcones Woods Drive, Austin, Texas, 78759.

The Journal of Texas Archeology and History.org is an organization dedicated to furthering research, education and public outreach in the fields of archeology and history concerning Texas and its bordering states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Northern Mexico; a region we call the “Texas Borderlands.” The J.T.A.H. is collaborating with the Index of Texas Archaeology and S.F.A.S.U. to distribute their publication library to the general public via free and open-access channels. Visit www.JTAH.org to submit an article.