The UNEV Pipeline Project: An Update

Results of data recovery investigations

David T. Yoder, John C. Ravesloot, Brandon M. Gabler, and William D. Self

William Self Associates, Inc.

In 2010 the Holly Corporation is scheduled to construct the UNEV pipeline, a 400-mile-long project that will carry liquid petroleum products from a refinery in Woods Cross in north Salt Lake City to northeast Las Vegas. In 2009, as part of the mitigation effort for UNEV, William Self Associates performed phased data recovery at 11 prehistoric and 4 historic sites along the pipeline’s route. The preliminary results from two of the more interesting prehistoric sites (42MD3014 and 42MD3285, both near Delta, Utah) are presented. A human behavioral ecology framework is used to investigate issues related to site use and occupation.

Hypothesis 1: Archaic groups practiced a high degree of residential mobility Hypothesis 2: Formative groups practiced a low degree of residential mobility Hypothesis 3: Late Prehistoric groups practiced a high degree of residential mobility Hypothesis 4: According to Madsen and Simms (1998), Fremont groups both farmed and foraged full-time, and switched between these strategies

Expectations:•Elements of Fremont material culture associated with characteristics of both high and low residential mobility should be present•Multiple types of Fremont complex sites should be present - some indicating long-term occupations associated with cultigens, others indicating foraging occupations•Material culture should provide indications of connections between foragers and farmers during the Formative period

Hypothesis 5: Wetlands environments were particularly productive, and therefore groups resided near them throughout prehistory

UNEV Research Themes

42MD3014: Class III Results

Overview of site, view to the east

Site type: Artifact scatter - flaked stoneCulture and period: Archaic, Formative, Late PrehistoricDiagnostic artifacts: One Gatecliff Contracting-stem pointDescription

• situated on low sand knoll on a flat plain, 2 miles north of Sevier River•moderate-density lithic scatter of 50 flakes, represents core reduction• 10 obsidian specimens collected for sourcing and hydration analyses

• 8 from Black Rock, 1 from Topaz Mountain, 1 from Wild Horse Canyon• hydration rims suggest Archaic, Formative, and Late Prehistoric periods

42MD3014: Surface

Material Class Count

Elko Corner-notched point

1

Bifaces 10

Cores 4

Debitage 609

Snake Valley Gray sherd

1

Sevier Gray sherd

1

42MD3014: Subsurface

Material Class Count

Projectile points (Elko Corner-notched fragment and an unknown fragment)

2

Bifaces 7

Debitage 1,398

Hammerstone 1

Ground stone 2

Fremont plain gray sherds

110

Sevier Gray sherd

1

Shell bead 1

Faunal bone 53

Feature 1: Large basin-shaped depressionFeature 2: Medium basin-shaped depressionFeature 3: Brush structure or wikiupFeature 4: Medium pitFeature 5: Medium pit

42MD3014

Medium depression (Feature 2) post-excavation; view to the south

42MD3014

Wikiup (Feature 3) pre-excavation; view to the north

42MD3014

Wikiup (Feature 3) post-excavation; view to the east

42MD3014

Medium pit (Feature 4) post-excavation; view to the south and down

42MD3014

Medium pit (Feature 5) pre-excavation; view to the west and down

42MD3014: Absolute dating

Beta Analytic

Conventional Age Context

2663304310 ± 40 B.P.

(Cal 3020 to 2880 B.C.)

Stratum IVvery dark gray, massive

silt, wetland/paludal deposit

2663311110 ± 40 B.P.(Cal A.D. 870 to

1010)Feature 1, depression

2663321150 ± 40 B.P.(Cal A.D. 780 to

980)

TU 29, stratum 2, level 3,

above Feature 3

2663331000 ± 40 B.P.(Cal A.D. 980 to

1060)

Feature 3, wikiup or brush structure

2663341150 ± 40 B.P.(Cal A.D. 780 to

980)Feature 4, medium pit

42MD3014 represents a moderate- to high-density, multicomponent habitation site

• surface assemblage•626 artifacts: debitage, cores, bifaces, ceramics, and an Elko Corner-notched point

•disturbed subsurface assemblage •1,723 artifacts: debitage, bifaces, projectile points, ground stone, ceramics, faunal bone, a hammerstone, a stone bead, and a piece of shell• two pit features, two depressions, and a possible wikiup

• three features (Features 2, 3, 4) have clustering 14C dates•wikiup absolute date (Cal A.D. 980 to 1060) is during the Formative/Fremont period•wikiup represents short-term habitation

•flaked stone tool manufacture occurred• food processing, evidenced by:

•ground stone• faunal bone (cottontails, jackrabbits, small mammals, duck, and common teal)•macrobotanical remains (pickleweed, cheno-am, bullrush, sunflower, dropseed, little barley grass, Indian rice grass, saltbush fruit)

42MD3014 Summary

42MD3285: Class III Results

Overview of site, view to the north

Site Type: Artifact scatter - flaked stone, ceramics, FCRCulture and Period: FremontDiagnostic Artifacts: Fremont Sevier GrayDescription

• situated on broad, flat alluvial plain or terrace, one mile south of the Old River Bed• extensive, diffuse artifact scatter

• 500+ Fremont Sevier Gray sherds visible on surface

42MD3285: Surface

Material Class Count

Bifaces 2

Unifaces 1

Debitage 451

Sevier Gray sherds

42

Snake Valley Gray sherds

2

42MD3285: Subsurface

Material Class Count

Parowan Basal-notched point

1

Bifaces 1

Unifaces 1

Hammerstone 1

Debitage 254

Sevier Gray sherds

2

Ground stone 9

Faunal bone 2

Mineral/Manuport

6

Feature 1: FCR concentrationFeature 2: Artifact concentrationFeature 3: FCR concentrationFeature 4: FCR concentrationFeature 5: Basin-shaped depression, possible wikiupFeature 7: FCR and ground stone concentrationNot shown: Feature 6, a natural soil stain

42MD3285

FCR concentration (Feature 1); view to the northeast

42MD3285

Possible wikiup (Feature 5) post-excavation, moistened for emphasis;

view to the northwest

42MD3285: Absolute dating

Beta Analytic

Conventional Age Context

2663351960 ± 40 B.P.(Cal 40 B.C.

to Cal A.D. 120)

Stratum IIIblack, massive, sandy

silt, wet meadow deposit

2663361240 ± 40 B.P.(Cal A.D. 670 to

890)

Stratum V, Trench 1black, massive, sandy

silt, wet meadow deposit

266337

1490 ± 40 B.P.(Cal A.D. 450 to

450,460 to 480, 530 to

640)

Feature 5, possible wikiup

42MD3285 represents a low- to moderate-density artifact scatter and possible habitation site

• surface assemblage•498 artifacts: debitage, a uniface, bifaces, and Sevier Gray and Snake Valley Gray ceramics•multiple FCR and artifact concentrations

•disturbed subsurface assemblage•277 artifacts: debitage, a hammerstone, a uniface, a biface, a Parowan Basal-notched point, ground stone, Sevier Gray ceramics, faunal bone, and a manuport•a possible wikiup

•absolute date of Cal A.D. 450 to 450, 460 to 480, 530 to 640• if a wikiup, it represents short-term habitation

• food processing, evidenced by:•ground stone• faunal bone (a rodent)•macrobotanical remains (pickleweed, cheno-am, bullrush, Indian rice grass)

42MD3285 Summary

Data gathered during Phase I data recovery from 15 sites are most useful for:

•contributing to knowledge of regional prehistoric occupation in Utah •addressing research questions posed earlier in this presentation directed towards local and regional mobility and settlement patterns•addressing some site-specific mobility questions

Primary field work ended in October•analysis of the large collection of artifacts and samples is in progress • for example, preliminary analyses of the materials from 42MD3014 and 42MD3285 suggest that:• lithic tool manufacture occurred, with little on-site core reduction• there were multiple occupations, minimally during the Archaic and Formative/Fremont periods

Conclusions

Many of the prehistoric sites failed to produce a lot of data, but:•negative data are data nonetheless, and • some of our historic sites are quite interesting, such as 42SL255, the subject of the next paper by Scott O'Mack

Thanks to Holly Energy Partners and Sinclair Oil Corporation for providing the means to collect and disseminate this information, and the agency archaeologists who helped to facilitate it.

Conclusions