Desert Pavement and Buried Archaeological Features in the Arid West: A Case Study from Southern Arizona
General Material Designation
[Article]
First Statement of Responsibility
Ahlstrom, Richard V. N.; Roberts, Heidi
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
The interpretation of surface artifact scatters presents a challenge to all archaeologists, including those •who work in the deserts of the American West. In some circumstances, a sufficiently dense and diverse artifact assemblage can indicate the presence of buried pit houses or other evidence of habitation (Czaplicki and Ravesloot 1989). At the opposite extreme, there are artifact scatters of low density and diversity that are often assumed to be exclusively surface manifestations, unlikely to be accompanied by significant subsurface remains. This is especially true when the artifacts are scattered on top of, or are incorporated in, desert pavement.
SET
Date of Publication
2001
Title
Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology