Keywords

Fremont archaeology, Uinta basin, village sites

Abstract

Syntheses of Fremont archaeology in the Uinta Basin of eastern Utah typically emphasize the small and ephemeral nature of Fremont settlements there. Many archaeologists have also argued that much of the Uinta Basin was abandoned by A.D. 1050. It is true that there are many small Fremont sites in the Uinta Basin, and that most of these sites predate 1050. But several large sites have been excavated in the Basin that appear to be villages, some of which appear to date after the supposed abandonment. These have not been emphasized in the syntheses because they are either poorly described or have poor chronological control that has obscured their dating. I review the evidence for the size and dating of several of these village sites, and how their presence should affect our views of Uinta Basin archaeology in general.

Original Publication Citation

James R. Allison 2018 Hiding in Plain Site: Late Fremont Villages in the Uinta Basin. Paper presented at the 36th Great Basin Anthropological Association Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah.