Dating and Analysis of Western Stemmed Toolkits from the Legacy Collection of Connley Cave 4, Oregon

Abstract

ABSTRACT Stephen Bedwell excavated the Connley Caves in 1967 and 1968, uncovering dense Western Stemmed Tradition assemblages in the lowest deposits. Reporting a series of radiocarbon dates between 11,200 ± 200 14C yr BP and 9150 ± 150 14C yr BP, he suggested the earliest human occupation of Cave 4 dated to ∼11,000 14C yr BP. Subsequent researchers have questioned the veracity of his claim and the reliability of his data. We revisit Bedwell’s investigations to provide a detailed narrative of the excavations and more thoroughly report the Western Stemmed materials. We identify and date two Early Holocene and late Pleistocene cultural features and recharacterize the lithic assemblage. Our results suggest that Bedwell’s oldest date is aberrant and current evidence for the earliest occupations spans the Younger Dryas. This study provides new information, resolves long-standing questions about Bedwell’s assumptions and methodologies, and facilitates the incorporation of the collection into on-going Western Stemmed research in the northern Great Basin.