Gatecliff Rockshelter
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Gatecliff Rockshelter (26NY301) is a major archaeological site in the Great Basin area of the western United States that provides remarkable stratigraphy; it has been called the "deepest archaeological rock shelter in the Americas"."David Hurst Thomas". American Museum of Natural History. www.amnh.org. Located in Mill Canyon of the Toquima Range in the Monitor Valley of central Nevada, Gatecliff Rockshelter has an elevation of .National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form. Name: Gatecliff Rockshelter (26NY301). Form prepared by Charles D. Zeier. December 1978.
David Hurst Thomas David Hurst Thomas (born 1945) is the curator of North American Archaeology in the Division of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History and a professor at Richard Gilder Graduate School. He was previously a chairman of the American Mu ...
discovered Gatecliff Rockshelter in 1970 and began excavations in 1971.Thomas, D. H. (1983). “Chapter 1 – Excavation Strategies.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 16-28. Full scale excavations occurred at Gatecliff Rockshelter for about seven field seasons in which nearly of sediments were exposed for a well-defined stratigraphic sequence. The well-preserved artifacts and undisturbed sediments at Gatecliff Rockshelter provides data and information have been applied to a range of research topics. Based on the analysis of the artifacts at Gatecliff Rockshelter, it can be determined that it was most likely a short-term field camp throughout prehistory. The latest evidence for human usage at Gatecliff occurs between ca. 5500 B.P. to 1250 B.P. In August 1974, a short-film was created: ''Gatecliff: American Indian Rock-Shelter''. In April 1979, Gatecliff Rockshelter was listed in the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.


Discovery

David Hurst Thomas discovered Gatecliff Rockshelter in June 1970 following his first field season in the Reese River Valley and ancient Lake Tonopah.Thomas, David H. and Robert L. Kelly. (2013). Archaeology. 6th edition. pp 38-90. Thomas also conducted systematic settlement surveys of the Monitor Valley in Central Nevada in efforts to study prehistoric ecology, subsistence patterns, and chronological sequences of the Great Basin. After a day of excavation, Thomas and his crew stopped by a local diner. At the dinner, Thomas spoke with the waitress's husband, Gale Peer, a mining geologist with over 40 years of experience in the Great Basin. Peer gave the crew of archaeologists a few general directions to an interesting cave with possible rock art. The following year, Thomas returned and attempted to search for this cave. After searching through nearly 15 canyons in the area, driving through and getting out of the car to physically check the caves and rock shelters, Thomas ended at the Mill Canyon. At the opening of the rock shelter, Thomas observed pictographs but no visual artifacts. The paintings were human figures in red and yellow as well as cryptic motifs in black and white on the ceiling and rear wall. Thomas then dug a deep test pit to ensure the potential of the site. The test pit revealed sub-surface deposits and incised stones with some burned bones. Given the potential for undisturbed deposits useful for establishing a chronological framework for the area, further excavations began in 1971 and continued for nearly 7 years.


Naming

The archaeological site Gatecliff Rockshelter is named after the Silurian Gatecliff Formation, in which rock shelter occurs. It is made up of
chert Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a ...
and
dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
strata.


Excavation

After the initial discovery in 1970, Thomas and a crew from the University of California Davis began an extensive, large scale excavation. By the end of the first season, the crew had excavated a 7 meter long and 3 meter deep trench. Research continued in 1973 with the sponsorship of the American Museum of Natural History and Expeditions International. The excavations that year reached a depth of 4.8 meters and obtained radiocarbon dates of approximately 2500 B.C. In 1974, the American Museum of Natural History and Education Expeditions International again sponsored the excavations at of Gatecliff Rockshelter again. By the end of this season, the crew had excavated 98 cubic meters of deposits. Due to the danger of the steep and exposed sidewalls, the excavation strategy switched from vertical to horizontal. Starting in 1975, the excavators at Gatecliff removed stratigraphic layers one by one based on their natural levels. Natural levels were determined by the different strata in the deposits seen in the excavation profile. Horizontal strategies continued in 1976 in which the excavators ultimately removed deposits until reaching bedrock. Excavations were completed in late August 1978 with a depth of nearly and a total of of deposits removed.


Vertical excavation

The initial objective at Gatecliff Rockshelter, Nevada was establishing and dating a stratigraphic sequence that could be applied regionally in the Great Basin area; this would require a vertical excavation strategy. During the early excavations, the deposits were troweled and screened with a 1/8 inch mesh screen. The vertical excavation revealed a pattern of periodic floods that filled the rock shelter with silt and, when dried out, people exploited it again. Due to the hazardous, steep walls produced by the vertical excavation, Thomas and his crew changed their strategy in 1975 as well as their primary objectives; instead of working on exposing a deep, stratified profile, the crew began to remove the deposits over a larger horizontal area to document activity areas. No further excavation occurred on the sidewalls.


Horizontal excavation

During the excavations, Gatecliff Rockshelter proved to be more useful than just for chronology. The new objective with a horizontal excavation at the rock shelter, the previous being chronology, emphasized the reconstruction pre-historic activities and events that occurred at the site. The focus shifted to finding artifacts and mapping them on large-scale living floor maps. In 1975, over a period of ten days, the crew removed a massive chert roof fall that covered half of the rear of the rock shelter. The excavation units were removed by the visible natural levels or strata; if natural levels exceeded , arbitrary levels were created within the natural levels. Bags of deposits were passed outside of the cave and then screened outside.


Stratigraphy

The decade of excavations from 1970 to 1978 exposed a remarkable
stratigraphic Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy has three related subfields: lithostra ...
sequence at Gatecliff Rockshelter. The lack of erosion and episodic deposits of sediments due to water provided a well-defined and intact cultural sequence that could be applied to the Great Basin area. The deposits consisted of 56 geological strata with 16 cultural horizons; 23 strata contained rubble and 33 contained fine silt material.Gibbon, Guy E. et al. (1998). Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: An Encyclopedia. Pp. 538.“Chapter 3 – Geology of Gatecliff Shelter: Physical Stratigraphy.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 39-63. The deposits also include a layer of
tephra Tephra is fragmental material produced by a volcanic eruption regardless of composition, fragment size, or emplacement mechanism. Volcanologists also refer to airborne fragments as pyroclasts. Once clasts have fallen to the ground, they re ...
from
Mount Mazama Mount Mazama (''Giiwas'' in the Native American language Klamath) is a complex volcano in the state of Oregon, United States, in a segment of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and Cascade Range. Most of the mountain collapsed following a major erupt ...
's eruption about 6600 to 7000 B.P.“Chapter 4 – Geology of Gatecliff Shelter: Sedimentary Facies and Holocene Climate.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1):64-87. The stratigraphy can also be divided into eight stages to reflect a specific climatic regime. Forty-seven radiocarbon dates were obtained and thoroughly ground the chronological sequence of Gatecliff Rockshelter.


Paleontology

In Gatecliff Rockshelter, the excavators recovered over 51,000 animal bones.MaManamon, Francis P. (2009). Archaeology in America: An encycolopedia. Pp. 286. Donald K. Grayson identified and analyzed approximately 13,000 bones and teeth of small mammals.Grayson, D. K. et al. (1983). “Chapter 6 – The Paleontology of Gatecliff Shelter.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 99-135. Due to the nature of the rock shelter and the lack of taphonomic knowledge, Grayson argued that the processes that produced this massive collection of bones could not be determined. It could be a result of human activities, other animals, and natural processes. These small mammals include rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, gophers, rats, voles, mice, dogs, and coyotes; only two of the taxa found at Gatecliff are absent from the present Toquima-Monitor area. Large mammal remains represent the bulk of the bones found at Gatecliff. Roughly 90% of the bones came from the bighorn sheep, a major prey of high-altitude hunters. Other large mammals include pronghorn, elk, and bison. On a smaller scale, approximately 500 elements of amphibians and reptiles were recovered. The amphibians and reptiles at the rock shelter include lizards, toads, and snakes.


Material culture

The excavations at Gatecliff Rockshelter recovered over 400 projectile points. From this large collection of identifiable projectile points, Thomas was able to identify specific projectile point styles as specific time markers.Thomas, D. H. and Bierwirth, S. L. (1983). “Chapter 9 – Material Culture of Gatecliff Shelter: Projectile Points.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 177-211. The sequence contains the Gatecliff series dating from ca. 4000 B.C. – 1000 B.C., the Elko series from ca. 1300 B.C. – A.D., Rosegate series from ca. A.D. 700- A.D. 1300, and the Desert series from ca. A.D. 1300 – 1850. Other stone tools found include
metate A metate (or mealing stone) is a type or variety of quern, a ground stone tool used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican cultures, metates are typically used by women who would grind nixtamalized maize and other organic ...
s, palettes (small grinding stones), handstones, and worked
turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of year ...
.Thomas, David H. et al. (1983). “Chapter 10 – Material Culture of Gatecliff Shelter: Additional Stone Tools.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 212-245. Several turquoise mines exist throughout the Monitor Valley which could provide the turquoise source for Gatecliff; Indian Blue Mine is the best known mine located 3 miles south of Toquima Cave. Gatecliff Rockshelter also produced over 400 incised stones – the largest known concentration in the New World. Incised stones include any portable stone purposefully modified with cuts or lines or holes.Thomas, T. (1983). “Chapter 11 – Material Culture of Gatecliff Shelter: Incised Stones.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 246-278. The incised stones at Gatecliff Rockshelter include simple to complex motifs of lines, rows, chevrons, circles, and striations. Incised stones have also been considered as a means of dating rock art styles. Approximately 35 perishable artifacts were recovered in Gatecliff Rockshelter; these include 11 basket fragments and 18 pieces of cordage.Adovasio, J. M. and Andrews, R. L. (1983). “Chapter 12 – Material Culture of Gatecliff Shelter: Basketry, Cordage, and Miscellaneous Fiber Constructions.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 279-289. The preferred material for cordage is
Artemisia (genus) ''Artemisia'' () is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 and 400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. Common names for various species in the genus include mugwort, wormwood, and sagebrush. ''Artemisia'' comprises ha ...
and
Salix Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
sp. for baskets. According to
James M. Adovasio James M. Adovasio (born 1944) is an American archaeologist and one of the foremost experts in perishable artifacts (such as basketry and textiles). He was formerly the Provost, Dean of the Zurn School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Di ...
, the preference for willow, despite its sporadic distribution across Monitor Valley, comes from its durability, flexibility, consistent thickness of the bark, and the lack of lateral twigs. The techniques used in the Monitor Valley include simple twining, open and close diagonal twining, and coiling. In addition, the excavations at Gatecliff Rockshelter recovered 17 shell beads and 4 ornaments.Bennyhoff, J. A. and Hughes, R. E. (1983). “Chapter 13 – Material Culture of Gatecliff Shelter: Shell Beads and Ornaments.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 290-298. The shells include Olivella (gastropod),
Haliotis ''Haliotis'', common name abalone, is the only genus in the family Haliotidae. This genus once contained six subgenera. These subgenera have become alternate representations of ''Haliotis''. The genus consists of small to very large, edible, h ...
cracherodii, and
Haliotis ''Haliotis'', common name abalone, is the only genus in the family Haliotidae. This genus once contained six subgenera. These subgenera have become alternate representations of ''Haliotis''. The genus consists of small to very large, edible, h ...
cracherodii. 5Other materials include mica and stone. Additional artifacts found at Gatecliff Rockshelter include wooden artifacts ( promontory pegs, firemaking tools, bow fragments, etc.), bone artifacts (bone beads, awls, and tubes), a glass bead (possible trade bead), a few pieces of ceramic sherds, and some incised clay objects.Thomas, D. H. (1983). “Chapter 14 – Material Culture of Gatecliff Shelter: Additional Artifacts.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 197-309.


Rock art

The rock art at Gatecliff Rockshelter includes white, red, yellow, and orange pigments; black was not used on the walls but decorated small stones.Thomas, T. (1983). “Chapter 15 – Rock Art of Gatecliff Shelter.” The Archaeology of Monitor Valley: 2. Gatecliff. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 59(1): 310-319. The paint materials are derived from local sources. Of the images, fifty-three were recognizable with 13 different motifs and some unidentifiable blotches. The important images include human anthropomorphs and linear arrangements.
Cupule A cupule is a small structure shaped like a cup, including: * In archeology, rock cupules are circular man-made hollows on the surface of a large rock or a rock slab ** On a smaller artifact they are called a cupstone. * In botany: the base of an ...
motifs account for 11 percent of the images, handprints 9 percent, and bisected chevrons 7 present.


References


External links


Gatecliff Shelter, Nevada



Life in a rock shelter
{{Navbox prehistoric caves Rock shelters in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Nye County, Nevada Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Nevada