Examining Spatial Organization Through Bone Fragments at Barger Gulch, an Early Folsom Campsite.

The study of hunter-gatherer settlements in prehistory has been limited by the often ephemeral nature of these sites. The structures identified at Barger Gulch Locality B, an alpine Folsom campsite, are among the oldest ever found in the western hemisphere. While poor preservation conditions produced a highly fragmented faunal site assemblage, even unidentifiable bone fragments reveal interesting patterns of hunter-gatherer life. In this study, we examine patterns of burning, distribution, and fragmentation to identify heterogeneous animal processing activities taking place across the site. Spatial analyses of the site's faunal assemblage reaffirm interpretations made using the site's lithic assemblage regarding the location of structures and the seasonality of the site. These analyses reveal spatial patterns of animal processing and hint at ways in which structures were partitioned for different tasks. These results demonstrate that even poorly preserved faunal assemblages can provide valuable insights into human behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]