Early Archaic subsistence in the central plains: The Spring Creek (25FT31) fauna

The Spring Creek site (25FT31) in southwestern Nebraska has been an important part of understanding Early Archaic adaptations to the central Plains since its excavation in 1961. A reanalysis of faunal remains from these excavations suggests that the Spring Creek site is a task-oriented bison processing site occupied for a limited duration in the late summer or early fall. Traditional zooarchaeological methods combined with stable isotope data indicate an archaeofauna dominated by bison from a single herd suggesting a subsistence system where bison hunting is not an unfamiliar activity. These ideas contradict many extant models of Early Archaic subsistence in the central Plains which de-emphasize bison resources in favor of a broad-spectrum foraging strategy. Finally, it is suggested that subsistence models developed for Middle Holocene hunter-gatherers in other areas of North America are not necessarily appropriate for coeval groups on the central Plains.