Revisions to Context and Dating of Ceremonial Bison Skull

• Published in: Plains anthropologist Vol. 55; no. 215; pp. 251 - 252
• Main Authors: Nicholson, B.A., Lints, Andrew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Plains Anthropological Society 01.08.2010; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Bison; Bones; Buffalo; College students; Cultural change; Occupations; Radiocarbon dating; Revisions; Skull; Canada; Swan River; Manitoba Canada; Knife River
• ISSN: 0032-0447; 2052-546X
• DOI: 10.1179/pan.2010.023

In 2004 a bison skull was encountered during excavations at the Crepeele wintering site in Southwestern Manitoba. The skull was carefully exposed and then transported on a sheet of plywood to the Brandon University Archaeology labs for further processing. An undergraduate student volunteered to remove the enclosing and enclosed soil matrix. During this process a number of small, poorly fired pot sherds were encountered. On closer examination, they were found to have been decorated with red ochre. A radiocarbon date was obtained on an adjacent bison longbone fragment, providing a date of 1620+/-120 B.P. for the enclosing occupation. Subsequent reexamination of the wall profiles, and the problems associated with creating the ceramic vessel during the winter, suggested that the feature might be intrusive into an earlier occupation. Upon completion of a thorough examination of the skull it was decided to sacrifice a portion of the skull for an additional C14 date. This analysis produced a date of 530+/-40 B.P. clearly indicating that the skull feature was intrusive into a much earlier occupation. This result indicated, in addition, that a change in cultural assignment was required.