Hi Everybody,

Our last meeting before the summer break will be Thursday May 17^th at 7:00pm at the Health Science Building Room 113 at LCCC. This months distinguished speaker will be local author Paula Taylor author of “Images of America, F.E. Warren Air Force Base.” She will probably talk about the history of the base but also mentioned she could talk about Women in the 1800s, and/or Single Women Homesteaders. I suggested talking about the history of the base and possibly working in a small talk about the role women played during the early years at the base. Whatever she settles on I think we can all agree that it will be a wonderful talk. Hope to see everyone there.

P.S. we will be taking Paula out to dinner at the Albany at 5:00pm. Please feel free to join us if you want to. We will be meeting in the bar section (we can combine tables in that part of the restaurant). Take Care, Dan

-April 12 , 2012 The Cheyenne Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society presents Mr.  Jason Chambers. The title of his talk is “Hideworking/Clothing Manufacture at the LindenmeierFolsom Site (5LR13).” The Lindenmeier Site (5LR13) was occupied by Folsom peoples at the end of the Pleistocene, a period of dynamic climatic change.  Cold-weather behavioral adaptations for hunter-gatherers include the construction of shelters and regulation of the loss of body heat through the use and manufacture of clothing.  While evidence to the former at the Lindenmeier site has thus far been elusive, the latter is suggested by the quantity and distributions of certain artifact types plotted during excavations.  Evidence from the site, excavated from 1934-1940 by Frank H.H. Roberts, Jr. of the Smithsonian Institution, suggests cold-weather coping strategies were employed on the Great Plains of North America at the close of the Pleistocene.  This presentation therefore examines the distribution patterns of bone, lithic and mineral items functionally related to the manufacturing process in turning animal-derived products into wearable clothing, and suggests behavioral implications for the occupants of this important Folsom site in Northern Colorado ~11,000 BP.

Jason earned his B.A. in Anthropology from Radford University in Virginia in 2006, and his Graduate Certificate in G.I.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009.

We will be meeting at LCCC, Room 113, Health Science Building, 7pm. 307-287-3334

For those interested, we will be taking Jason out to Dinner at 5:00p at Don Rey’s Mexican Restaurant-- 1613 Capitol Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001

--March 15, 2012 The Cheyenne Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society presents Mr.  Michael Page. The title of his talk is “The Game Creek Site: 9,500 years of Intermittent Use, Jackson, WY.”

Abstract

The prehistory of Jackson Hole is poorly understood because there have been relatively few excavations of intact sites. Game Creek is a stratified, multi-component site that has yielded evidence of approximately 9,500 years of intermittent human occupation. This site has the potential to shed considerable light on the early cultural history of Jackson Hole and the surrounding region. The presentation will provide detailed overviews of the site’s cultural stratigraphy, the transition from Paleoindian to Archaic lifeways, the stylistic transition of projectile points and emergence of the McKean Culture Complex.

Bio

Michael Page,

Senior Archaeologist ( a.k.a. Crew Chief)

Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist, a division of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

Originally from northern Minnesota, I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Archaeological Studies from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 2000. I came to Wyoming in 2003 to attend Graduate School and Law School and graduated with a MA in Anthropology and a JD in 2009.

I have worked on a wide range of archaeological and cultural resource management projects throughout Wyoming as well as in the upper Midwest, the Southeast and the Great Plains. My personal research interests include prehistoric pottery, sourcing of pottery and stone, geoarchaeology, and typological systems.

I have been with the Office of the State Archaeologist since March 2010.

We will be meeting at LCCC, Room 113, Health Science Building at 7pm. For more information, contact Dan Bach at 307-287-3334.

For those interested we will be taking Michael out to dinner at 5:00pm at Poor Richards (ask for the archaeology group).

Hi everyone,

--February 16, 2012 The Cheyenne Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society presents Mr.  Daniel Eakin, Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist. The title of his talk is “Archaeological Investigations along the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, Yellowstone National Park.”

Yellowstone National Park (YNP) initiated the Nez Perce National Historic Trail (NPNHT) project with the office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist in 2008. The goals of the project are to identify and record archaeological sites within that part of the NPNHT corridor within YNP, including those sites, both Nez Perce, U.S. Military, and civilian, associated with the Nez Perce War of 1877.   Three seasons of archaeological investigation have been completed in twelve study areas that extend from the Lower Geyser Basin in the west, to the park’s eastern boundary.  The study areas are located in the Nez Perce Creek Valley, Central Plateau, Hayden Valley, Yellowstone Valley, Otter Creek, Pelican Creek, Mist Creek, Mirror Plateau, Lamar Valley, and Parker Peak area.  Seventy-three sites have been identified along the trail and range from Paleoindian to early 20th century in age.  Several Nez Perce related sites, including the location of the Radersburg party wagon abandonment, General Howard’s bivouac of August 31st, Helena Party camp, and a possible Nez Perce camp near Parker Peak have been investigated.  Several other early military and tourist sites, as well as pre-and post-contact period Native American sites have also been found.   The results of these investigations are discussed in light of both the well documented and poorly understood sections of the NPNHT.

Daniel Eakin received a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Wyoming in 1981 and an M.A in Geography (Quaternary Studies and Paleoenvironments) in 1991.  He has been employed by the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist since 1978.  During this time he has worked mainly within the state of Wyoming, participating in or leading investigations at Native American archaeological sites ranging in age from Clovis to historic Indian War Period.  In his 32 year association with OWSA he has authored or co-authored over 140 cultural resource management reports, published several articles, presented papers at professional conferences, given numerous public outreach programs, and functioned as an archaeological field-school instructor for Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming.  Since 1985 he has conducted archaeological survey, testing and excavation at numerous localities in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  From 2003 through 2007 he conducted investigations related to high elevation Shoshonean occupation and bighorn sheep trapping in the Wind River, Washakie and Absaroka mountains.  In 2008 he began a multi-year project that was implemented to gain a better understanding of the historic and prehistoric properties associated with the Nez Perce National Historic Trail in Yellowstone National Park.  In his spare time Eakin likes to spend time with his family, as well as hunt, fish, and build things.

We will be meeting at LCCC, Room 113, Health Science Building at 7pm. For more information, contact Dan Bach at 307-287-3334 or Russ Kaldenberg at 307-772-9317

Also, for those interested we are taking Dan out to dinner at 5:00pm at the Albany. Feel free to join us if you would like.

Sincerely, Dan and Russ

--January 19, 2012 The Cheyenne Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society presents Mr. Russell Richard. The title of his talk is “Scraped Stains: Middle Archaic and Late Prehistoric Features of Oven Town, Site 48FR5928, Fremont County, Wyoming.” His presentation will discuss excavations conducted at Oven Town (Site 48FR5928) in northeastern Fremont County, Wyoming. Two components (Components I and II) were identified at Oven Town. Component I consisted of five basins and localized stains in two excavation blocks and one isolated unit and eight features on the disturbed surface. Component I dates to the Middle Archaic period based on 13 radiocarbon age estimates ranging from 4,330 ± 60 to 3,680 ± 40 years before present. Component II produced solely surface features and dates to the Late Prehistoric period based on seven radiocarbon age estimates ranging from 1,630 ± 50 to 1,210 ± 50 years before present. Both Component I and Component II appear to reflect short-term occupations by small groups of hunter-gatherers primarily to conduct plant processing activities. The differing feature types associated with each component will be illustrated and the site will be shown to represent a local pattern of resource utilization.

Russell Richard is a native Wyomingite from the Big Horn Basin and has been a practicing CRM archaeologist for TRC since obtaining a degree from UW in 1995. He has worked on projects from Montana to New Mexico and from California to Illinois.

-December 15, 2011 at 7:00pm. The Cheyenne Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society guest speaker is Mr. John Laughlin. He will be talking about the Finley Site which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. The Finley Site's significance lies in the contribution it made to "Early Man" (Paleoindian) studies.  Presented here will be a history of excavation at the Cody Complex site gathered from the original 1940 field notes and photographs housed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum.  Additionally, investigations from 2009 will be discussed along with recent radiocarbon dates from both bone beds. 

Mr. Laughlin is a staff archaeologist with the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office in Cheyenne.  He received his archaeological training at the University of Wyoming.  Prior to joining the State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO), Mr. Laughlin worked for the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist in Laramie.

We will be meeting at LCCC, Health Science Building, Room 111.This month we will be taking John out to dinner at Shadows Bar and Grill at 5:00pm. All are welcomed to join us. Afterwards we will head over to LCCC for John’s talk. 

Russ Kaldenberg, RPA (Vice President and Treasurer)
453 Vandehie Ave., Suite 140
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
307-772-9317
E-mail: rkaldenberg [at] asmaffiliates.com

Dan Bach, RPA (President, Secretary)
2433 Council Bluff
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
307-514-2685
E-mail: macrofloral [at] msn.com