Pronghorn and Bison Procurement During the Uinta Phase in Southwest Wyoming: A Case Study from Site 48SW270

The dramatic bonebeds occasionally uncovered in southwest Wyoming have strongly influenced perceptions of pronghorn procurement in the region during prehistoric times. However they provide a misleading picture of the typical pattern of pronghorn procurement. Pronghorn bonebeds are generally rare and many may even represent a number of kill events. More typically, the prehistoric hunter-gatherers probably pursued and killed single pronghorn non-communally, often interchangeably with bison when available. The remains recovered from 48SW270 dating to the Uinta phase exemplify these procurement practices. The hunter-gatherers at 48SW270 intensively butchered at least two, and probably three, bison and at least two pronghorn in the late fall and spring during repeated visits to the site. The butchering took place in an area adjacent to the habitation structure. The hunter-gatherers brought the entire animals back to the site for extensive processing, which included bone marrow extraction and bone grease production. The prehistoric inhabitants were probably operating under stress conditions.