Archaeological Excavation at the Pathfinder Ranch Site (48CR332): A Stratified Multicomponent Site Located Near the Ferris Mountains of Central Wyoming
Creators: name: Buenger, Brent A.
Publisher: name: The Wyoming Archaeological Society
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: North Platte Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/86320/north-platte-basin
subject: Late Prehistoric
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/3245/late-prehistoric
subject: Late Archaic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/32/late-archaic
subject: Uinta Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/7635/uinta-phase
subject: Deadman Wash Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/1828/deadman-wash-phase
subject: Pine Spring Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/1830/pine-spring-phase
subject: Rose Spring
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/7606/rose-spring
subject: McKean
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/169/mckean
subject: 48CR310
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/22125/48cr310
subject: 48CR332
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/24525/48cr332
subject: 48CR304
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132655/48cr304
subject: Scoggin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132654/scoggin
subject: 48CA61
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132434/48ca61
subject: Sheep Mountain
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132626/sheep-mountain
subject: Pathfinder Ranch
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132703/pathfinder-ranch
subject: Harrower
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132704/harrower
subject: 5LR3953
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132707/5lr3953
subject: Cache Hill
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132708/cache-hill
subject: 48SU0867
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132705/48su0867
subject: Kaplan-Hoover
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132706/kaplan-hoover
subject: Ferris Dune
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132711/ferris-dune
subject: McGinnis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132616/mcginnis
subject: Graham Ranch
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132709/graham-ranch
subject: 48FR4442
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132710/48fr4442
subject: 48SU1499
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132617/48su1499
subject: 48FR5125
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/132682/48fr5125
subject: Pollen
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/13/pollen
subject: Ceramic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/1/ceramic
subject: Chipped Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/2/chipped-stone
subject: Fauna
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/4/fauna
subject: Ground Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/7/ground-stone
subject: Hunter-Gatherer
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/42334/hunter-gatherer
subject: oxbow
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/170087/oxbow
subject: holocene paleoenvironment
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/170086/holocene-paleoenvironment
subject: Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/145804/basin

description: The excavated cultural deposit at the Pathfinder Ranch site (48CR332) yielded five cultural components dating to the Uinta phase of the Late Prehistoric (Component 1), the Deadman Wash phase of the Late Archaic (Components 1-2), and the Pine Spring phase of the Late Archaic (Components 3-5). The cultural materials recovered from the five components suggests the occupations represent temporally punctuated short-term hunter-gatherer camps likely characterized by large mammal faunal resource procurement, seasonally-conditioned broad spectrum resource procurement, and in at least one instance, specialized resource procurement related to bison hunting/processing. The location of the Pathfinder Ranch site in close proximity to a perennial water source, associated riparian zones, large meadows and grassland expanses; as well as a foothill/mountain ecozone, likely conditioned the repeated use of the area by hunter-gatherers throughout a significant part of Wyoming Basin prehistory.