Keywords

Fremont archaeology, farming, Northern Utah

Abstract

Fremont maize cultivation in northern Utah occurred at the northernmost extent of prehistoric Native American horticulture west of the Rocky Mountains. Fremont chronology currently relies almost entirely on a large database of radiocarbon dates, but most of the existing dates are on wood charcoal subject to old wood problems; dated charcoal also often has unclear associations with maize or other cultural materials. Recent efforts to directly date archaeological maize from museum collections have helped refine the chronology of Fremont horticulture. These new dates indicate that the timing of the earliest appearance of maize varies across northern Utah, and that in some areas maize horticulture continues later than previously thought.

Original Publication Citation

James R. Allison 2014 The Chronology of Fremont Farming in Northern Utah. Paper presented at the 79th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Austin, Texas.