The primary goal of the streams project was to identify cultural resources along intermittent and... more The primary goal of the streams project was to identify cultural resources along intermittent and perennial water courses in Texas and Beaver counties, Oklahoma. Water resources included in this survey varied from springs to perennial streams to intermittent streams. Today, Kiowa, Coon, and Fulton creeks are perennial. The remaining streams were dry at the time of survey, although all contained pooled water marking the location of springs and seeps. It is likely that all eight streams included in the survey were perennially flowing prior to the advent of pump irrigation.
... During thecourse of this mechanical excavation, rodent, wolf, bear, and human skeletal remain... more ... During thecourse of this mechanical excavation, rodent, wolf, bear, and human skeletal remains were disinterred; their 97 ... The nearness of the centroids of the latter two dates suggests that both samples originated from a single cremation that dis tributed charcoal as it was ...
The Plains lost a premier rock art archaeologist with the passing of Solveig A. Turpin, PhD (1936... more The Plains lost a premier rock art archaeologist with the passing of Solveig A. Turpin, PhD (1936–2020). Solveig is best known for her Texas research into Lower Pecos archaeology and, in particular, the Pecos River style of rock art for the region. Her career spanned over 40 years, beginning at the Texas Archeological Survey (TAS) at The University of Texas, Austin. At TAS she worked alongside Dr. David S. Dibble and later assumed the directorship when Dave retired. She continued at the helm of the contracting branch of the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory as it morphed into the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory – Sponsored Projects (TARL-SP). Solveig later opened her own Cultural Resource Management (CRM) firm when the University withdrew from conducting archeological contracting projects in the early 1990s (Figures 1 and 2). Throughout her career, Solveig balanced CRM projects with more scholarly research endeavors. She was particularly successful at cultivating private sponsors to fund her research in the Lower Pecos region as well as across the US border in Mexico. Her love for this region of stark contrasts between the arid environment and the lush resources along the waterways began as a contract to conduct pedestrian survey of the Seminole Canyon State Park owned by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. That project would form the core of her PhD dissertation and solidify a research focus on the lifeways of huntergatherers who not only adapted to arid lands but thrived in this region. Building on the research of others, including Walter W. Taylor and his concept of tethered nomadism, where people under climate stress are tethered to water sources, Solveig’s research wrestled with the apparent incongruities of increased aridity in a region dominated not by scarce water resources, but by three major riverways. Perhaps the most enigmatic aspect of this adaptation was the development of a monumental polychrome rock art tradition known today as the Pecos River style. The rock art tradition developed and flourished against a backdrop of a subsistence regime focused on arid lands plant and small animal exploitation that persisted, seemingly unchanged, for millennia. The pictographs included monumental depictions of stylized human figures and animals with attendant smaller figures and items of adornment. Solveig’s field projects revealed that the distribution of parietal art motifs were just as useful in defining the territory of the Lower Pecos cultural region as the distinctive projectile points contained in site deposits. Solveig’s research was multi-tiered: documenting the development, distribution, and composition of parietal art; place this art within the archaeological context of environment, subsistence, technology, and ideology; and form a synthetic view of the history of hunter-gatherer adaptations in this region. The ideational aspects of this adaptation would dominate. By shifting the paradigm away from aspects of environmental determinism and subsistence technology (the “you are what you eat” paradigm), Solveig’s research illuminated the development of the social construct of a lifeway and worldview imbued in shamanism. plains anthropologist, Vol. 66 No. 258, May 2021, 175–178
We start the new year with high hopes and expectations for our society. Under the watchful eye of... more We start the new year with high hopes and expectations for our society. Under the watchful eye of the treasurer, Dale Henning, and ever-searching editor, Richard Drass, this new year offers optimism and encouragement that the Plains Anthropological Society is as strong as ever. We take that strength with us as we look forward to the timely completion of the Journal and the exciting prospects of this year's annual meeting in Rapid City. As word of my election to the presidency spread at the last annual meeting in Topeka, I was immediately impressed by the support of the general membership as displayed by the chanting of "Impeach Lee Bement". Leading the cheer was none other than my colleague who had added this slogan to his name tag-a trend displayed by countless others by the end of the meeting. The respect was everywhere evident, including the use of my new title to introduce my talk in the Saturday morning session. Such treatment served to remind me that Plains anthropology is about serious work and having fun. For those of you needing a last minute. tax deduction or those society-mindful individuals, Dr. Hester Davis (University of Arkansas) delivered the gauntlet of a $1000.00 challenge contribution to our student endowment fund in memory of her brother, Dr. E. Mott Davis (University of Texas). Mott was a staunch supporter of the Society and invested his many talents in the students of Plains archaeology. He served on countless Ph.D. and M.A. committees and improved every one of them through his life long experiences and editing prowess. I encourage all of you to consider meeting the challenge to support our students by donating whatever amount you wish to the endowment fund in Mott's name or the name of your mentor. Contributions can be sent to Treasurer Dale Henning at Henning # 168, 7 Avenida Vista Grande B-7, Santa Fe, NM 87508-9199. This fund, upon reaching self-sustaining capability, will fund student awards presented each year at the conference. This year's student recipients were Jason Hale (Native American Student Award), Jayme Job (Undergraduate Student Award), and Michael Jordan (Graduate Student Award). Congratulations to them. We look forward to seeing their papers published in an upcoming issue. of Plains Anthropologist. As we move forward into this year, keep the PA in mind as an outlet for your research. Its purpose is to get Plains research results into the hands of Plains anthropologists. And don't forget to visit our website at http://www.ou.edu/cas/archsur/plainsanth/ for updates and information. Have a great year, and take a student under your wing to show him or her what Plains anthropology is all about.
The primary goal of the streams project was to identify cultural resources along intermittent and... more The primary goal of the streams project was to identify cultural resources along intermittent and perennial water courses in Texas and Beaver counties, Oklahoma. Water resources included in this survey varied from springs to perennial streams to intermittent streams. Today, Kiowa, Coon, and Fulton creeks are perennial. The remaining streams were dry at the time of survey, although all contained pooled water marking the location of springs and seeps. It is likely that all eight streams included in the survey were perennially flowing prior to the advent of pump irrigation.
... During thecourse of this mechanical excavation, rodent, wolf, bear, and human skeletal remain... more ... During thecourse of this mechanical excavation, rodent, wolf, bear, and human skeletal remains were disinterred; their 97 ... The nearness of the centroids of the latter two dates suggests that both samples originated from a single cremation that dis tributed charcoal as it was ...
The Plains lost a premier rock art archaeologist with the passing of Solveig A. Turpin, PhD (1936... more The Plains lost a premier rock art archaeologist with the passing of Solveig A. Turpin, PhD (1936–2020). Solveig is best known for her Texas research into Lower Pecos archaeology and, in particular, the Pecos River style of rock art for the region. Her career spanned over 40 years, beginning at the Texas Archeological Survey (TAS) at The University of Texas, Austin. At TAS she worked alongside Dr. David S. Dibble and later assumed the directorship when Dave retired. She continued at the helm of the contracting branch of the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory as it morphed into the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory – Sponsored Projects (TARL-SP). Solveig later opened her own Cultural Resource Management (CRM) firm when the University withdrew from conducting archeological contracting projects in the early 1990s (Figures 1 and 2). Throughout her career, Solveig balanced CRM projects with more scholarly research endeavors. She was particularly successful at cultivating private sponsors to fund her research in the Lower Pecos region as well as across the US border in Mexico. Her love for this region of stark contrasts between the arid environment and the lush resources along the waterways began as a contract to conduct pedestrian survey of the Seminole Canyon State Park owned by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. That project would form the core of her PhD dissertation and solidify a research focus on the lifeways of huntergatherers who not only adapted to arid lands but thrived in this region. Building on the research of others, including Walter W. Taylor and his concept of tethered nomadism, where people under climate stress are tethered to water sources, Solveig’s research wrestled with the apparent incongruities of increased aridity in a region dominated not by scarce water resources, but by three major riverways. Perhaps the most enigmatic aspect of this adaptation was the development of a monumental polychrome rock art tradition known today as the Pecos River style. The rock art tradition developed and flourished against a backdrop of a subsistence regime focused on arid lands plant and small animal exploitation that persisted, seemingly unchanged, for millennia. The pictographs included monumental depictions of stylized human figures and animals with attendant smaller figures and items of adornment. Solveig’s field projects revealed that the distribution of parietal art motifs were just as useful in defining the territory of the Lower Pecos cultural region as the distinctive projectile points contained in site deposits. Solveig’s research was multi-tiered: documenting the development, distribution, and composition of parietal art; place this art within the archaeological context of environment, subsistence, technology, and ideology; and form a synthetic view of the history of hunter-gatherer adaptations in this region. The ideational aspects of this adaptation would dominate. By shifting the paradigm away from aspects of environmental determinism and subsistence technology (the “you are what you eat” paradigm), Solveig’s research illuminated the development of the social construct of a lifeway and worldview imbued in shamanism. plains anthropologist, Vol. 66 No. 258, May 2021, 175–178
We start the new year with high hopes and expectations for our society. Under the watchful eye of... more We start the new year with high hopes and expectations for our society. Under the watchful eye of the treasurer, Dale Henning, and ever-searching editor, Richard Drass, this new year offers optimism and encouragement that the Plains Anthropological Society is as strong as ever. We take that strength with us as we look forward to the timely completion of the Journal and the exciting prospects of this year's annual meeting in Rapid City. As word of my election to the presidency spread at the last annual meeting in Topeka, I was immediately impressed by the support of the general membership as displayed by the chanting of "Impeach Lee Bement". Leading the cheer was none other than my colleague who had added this slogan to his name tag-a trend displayed by countless others by the end of the meeting. The respect was everywhere evident, including the use of my new title to introduce my talk in the Saturday morning session. Such treatment served to remind me that Plains anthropology is about serious work and having fun. For those of you needing a last minute. tax deduction or those society-mindful individuals, Dr. Hester Davis (University of Arkansas) delivered the gauntlet of a $1000.00 challenge contribution to our student endowment fund in memory of her brother, Dr. E. Mott Davis (University of Texas). Mott was a staunch supporter of the Society and invested his many talents in the students of Plains archaeology. He served on countless Ph.D. and M.A. committees and improved every one of them through his life long experiences and editing prowess. I encourage all of you to consider meeting the challenge to support our students by donating whatever amount you wish to the endowment fund in Mott's name or the name of your mentor. Contributions can be sent to Treasurer Dale Henning at Henning # 168, 7 Avenida Vista Grande B-7, Santa Fe, NM 87508-9199. This fund, upon reaching self-sustaining capability, will fund student awards presented each year at the conference. This year's student recipients were Jason Hale (Native American Student Award), Jayme Job (Undergraduate Student Award), and Michael Jordan (Graduate Student Award). Congratulations to them. We look forward to seeing their papers published in an upcoming issue. of Plains Anthropologist. As we move forward into this year, keep the PA in mind as an outlet for your research. Its purpose is to get Plains research results into the hands of Plains anthropologists. And don't forget to visit our website at http://www.ou.edu/cas/archsur/plainsanth/ for updates and information. Have a great year, and take a student under your wing to show him or her what Plains anthropology is all about.
After the extinction of megafauna across North America hunters adapted to the largest remaining p... more After the extinction of megafauna across North America hunters adapted to the largest remaining prey animals on the plains, bison. This analysis focuses on the study of bison remains from the Jake Bluff Kill site in northwestern Oklahoma. Jake Bluff is one of the most recent accepted Clovis kill sites in North America, and one of the few mass kill events of bison associated with Clovis hunters. Through the use of stable isotope and morphometric analysis we demonstrate the changes in bison condition and diet during the transition from the Clovis time period to the Folsom time period at an arroyo trap kill complex (Beaver River Complex) on the southern Plains.
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Papers by Leland Bement