Prehistoric lithic materials on Cedar Mesa, Southeastern Utah: source identification and aspects of regional distribution.

Abstract

During the course of the archeological survey project conducted between 1972 and 1973 on Cedar Mesa, southeastern Utah, the problem of the sources of prehistoric Anasazi stone tool material and the implications of material distributional variation through time was studied. A methodology for differentiating discrete material types was employed based on macroscopic analysis and differentiation of recovered site materials and comparison with identified potential source or actual prehistoric quarry material. Ten discrete material types, from on and around Cedar Mesa and from as far away as 40 miles eastward, could be identified to at least the level of source geologic information. Discontinuities between Basketmaker II, Basketmaker III, and Pueblo occupation phases on the mesa, implied by marked temporal differences in the frequencies of certain types, correlate with and support available dendrochronological and ceramic evidence.