Approximately thirty precontact archaeological sites were evaluated prior to construction of a housing development in mid-to-upland settings in Crook County, Oregon. Sites are surficial, and most are eroded and heavily grazed. Site 35CR1259, which exhibited a single feature, is an exception. This feature appears to be a remnant of the original temporary structure, as the rest of the deposits appear to have eroded away. Site 35CR1259 has been assigned to an occupation of approximately 2,750 BP using mean projectile point age. If 35CR1259 does date to this time period, it may be associated with a period of increasing logistical organization. A sample collected from a thin deposit in the center of the feature was submitted for macrofloral analysis to ascertain the local vegetation, overall floral diversity, and seasonality. A charcoal sample from the same deposit was submitted for identification and AMS radiocarbon dating to provide chronological information for the occupation of this structure.
Cummings et al. (Fri,) studied this question.