[OR_Archaeology] Volunteers needed for lithic analysis

[POULEY John * OPRD]

Buck Lake Lithic Analysis
March 2015

Project Summary
The Buck Lake site is located in the NE quad of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State.  The site was initially recorded in 1995 but it wasn't until 2004 that active research and excavation began at the site. While completing test excavations at the site, National Park Service archaeologists recovered the oldest artifact found to date within Mount Rainier National Park. This find pushed back the date of human presence in the mountain's sub-alpine to 8,000 cal. years B.P., 4,000 years earlier than previously thought.
Excavations at the site took place between 2004 and 2009, yielding over 20,000 pieces of chipped stone artifacts.  The purpose of the current analysis is to cover a subset of roughly 8,000 pieces recovered from same area as the 8,000 cal. B.P. microblade core.  The analysis focuses on identifying material types and also basic flake identification (primary, secondary, or interior flake; relative size; and completeness). The collection does include some blades, scrappers, projectile points, and other chipped stone tools that will be subject to a slightly different analysis.
Volunteer Information
Volunteers (Ideally 2 people) will help sort through the debitage to record the information given above. Information will be written out on a spreadsheet to begin, then transferred to a digital copy.  There may also be an opportunity to help prepare the collection for curation depending on time and feasibility.  Interested persons should have some experience working with chipped stone tool identification/analysis.
The collection is being held at the Deschutes National Forest Offices in Bend, this is where all work will be completed.  Schedules are flexible but Fridays will be the primary work day.  The project begins March 3, 2015 and will hopefully be completed by April 1, 2015.

Contact Information
Emily Pritchard
Emily.pritchard05 at gmail.com<mailto:Emily.pritchard05 at gmail.com>
563-505-2984



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