Hogup Cave

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The Cave Hogup is a two-room limestone cave, and an important and well-studied Great Basin site in Utah.

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The Hogup Cave is located on the southwest side of Mount Hogup in the Great Salt Lake Desert. The Great Salt Lake itself is located ten miles east of the cave. Mount Hogup consists of three biotic zones determined by soil, altitude, and humidity. The lowest zone, known as the seaweed weed community, is a narrow group where shepherds dug several wells, revealing the presence of ground water. The presence of deep springs indicates that this zone may have been used as a water source for cave dwellers. The dominant coverage of the entire Hogup Mountain is the bush belt which is the next zone. The top zone, juniper zone, occurs only at the highest mountain altitude. The highest point of Mount Hogup is at 6847 feet.

Maps Hogup Cave

Introduction

C. Melvin Aikens, professor emeritus at the University of Oregon, led excavations in the Hogup Cave during two field seasons: June 26-August 15, 1967, and June 15 to August 20, 1968. According to Aikens, the main purpose of excavation was to provide data for the study about changes in cultural ecological patterns over time, and to contribute to the solution of some cultural history issues in the Great Salt Lake region. More than 8,000 years of accumulated deposits from recurrent human occupations were discovered, dating from 6400 BC. up to A.D. 1850. An archaeological monograph published in 1970 by Aikens entitled Hogup Cave , contains detailed analysis of nearly 10,000 artifacts found during two excavations. Many bones, wood, hides, straps, fibers, textile goods, crushed stone, clay, pottery, coprolites, hair, feathers, and feathers are analyzed.

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Stratigraphy

The trench excavation of the east and west wall of the cave reveals 16 main sequence stratigraphic layers. Aikens notes that the stratigraphy reveals modifications made by the movements of the cave dwellers. He also provides a detailed description of the individual strata.

Stratum 1
Continuous above all the boxes are dug and laid directly on the bedrock, it ranges between 1 and 3 inches thick vertically. It has a delicate yellow dust composition with rotting plant material. A powder charcoal lens with a diameter of about 6 to 8 incies is found on the surface of the coating near the northern end of the excavation.

Stratum 2
Found only in a small area on the east wall and at the low point along the western border of the excavation, it ranges between 4 and 6 inches thick. Consisting of fragile dark brown soils arising from decaying vegetation matter, no cultural features are found in this layer.

Stratum 3
Constantly above all the boxes and ranging between 6 and 10 inches, it has a dirty composition of a bed that is completely burned in white ash containing charcoal lenses. However, the east wall and the western boundary of the excavation layer are not completely burned. No cultural features are found in this layer.

Stratum 4
It is extended in all the boxes, ranging from 9 to 18 inches in thickness, and consists of pickleweed husks, twigs, shredded bark, and antelope hair. A small 8 inch deep bowl and 17 inch diameter hole was found near the eastern edge of the excavation, filled with ash and charcoal, indicating it was used as a fire pit.

Stratum 5
Extended over all boxes were excavated and ranged between 8 and 14 inches thick. It consists of pickleweed husks, twigs, shredded bark, dust, and antelope hair. A large amount of human waste, a charcoal lens, and a 6 to 8 inch thick wooden twig bed were found. Professor Aikens concludes that this is a special use area.

Stratum 6
Extended over all boxes are excavated and ranged between 6 and 13 inches thick. It has the composition of chaff grass, grass, twigs, and dust. The excavation center contains abundant guano where bats are still assembled. No cultural features are found in this layer.

Stratum 7
Found only in front of the cave and ranged between 12 and 18 inches thick, it consists of husk grass, and dust. Guano is abundantly found under a gap in the cave ceiling and two small circular charcoal lenses are found near the excavation center.

Stratum 8
Extended over all the excavated boxes, ranging between 9 and 36 inches thick, it has the composition of husk grass, grass, twigs, and dust. The concentrated Guano is found near the excavation center. A burned area burned with charcoal and ash and two gray lenses were also found.

Stratum 9
Extended over all boxes are excavated and range between 6 and 18 inches thick. It has a dirty composition of husk grass, grass, twigs, bat guano, and dust. Guano is the dominant layer near the excavation center and a small stone hole is found on the east wall.

Stratum 10
It is extended over all the excavated boxes and ranges between 9 and 10 inches thick, and has the composition of pickleweed husks, twigs, roof spalls, and antelope hair. A 6 to 8 inch thick ash zone (burning out of control) and a gray lens found.

Stratum 11
Continuous outside the cave portal and cut by Stratum 12 inside the cave mouth. Consisting of pickleweed husk, grass, dust, twigs and antelope hair, a small ash-charcoal lens is found inside the cave portal. Aikens points out that although this stratum does not continue for most excavations, it is important because it leads to the realization that there is a partial gap in the stratigraphic record.

Stratum 12
Continuous above most of the boxes dug up and ranging between 6 and 12 inches thick, it consists of Scirpus , bark, and antelope hair. A small ash-gray lens and an unmarked hole about 18 inches were found.

Stratum 13
Continuous above the outer space of the cave and ranges between 9 and 12 inches thick. It has a pickleweed husk composition, and no cultural features are found in this layer.

Stratum 14
Extended over all the boxes excavated in the outer space and ranging between 8 and 14 inches thick, this layer consists of shaft loops, grass, dust, ash, and antelope hair. Bat guano is also found under a crack in the cave ceiling. Four gray areas were found and black spots left behind from incomplete combustion. Two of the burning areas are large, with the largest separated into light gray, dark gray, black, and reddish ribbons. Aikens concluded that the burned area was the result of burning in situ that burned the contents of the cave.

Stratum 15
Continuous above all the boxes dug in the outer space and ranged between 2 and 7 inches thick. It has a pickleweed chaff composition, dust, and guano, with no found cultural features.

Stratum 16
Continuous on all the boxes are dug in the outer space and range between 3 and 12 inches thick. It has a pickleweed husk composition, grass, bark, twigs, Scirpus, antelope hair, and bat guano, and three small charcoal lenses are found.

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Cultural features

Professor Aikens categorizes four types of cultural features. The first is a fireplace found at most levels. In some areas, there is considerable ash and charred material as a result of burning the pile, and indicates that the burned area has no clear margins. The second type is an irregular bowl-shaped hole found in Stratum 4. This hole contains work detritus and no fire proof. The third is a thin bed Scirpus , grass, or twig. Aikens suggests that this bed may be used for sleeping or sitting, or that it is a detritus of certain types of activities. The four types of cultural features are the modification of the contents of the cave and the vast aboriginal movement, which Aikens did to raise or enlarge the living space in the cave. Professor Aikens also points out that cultural constructions are rare in the Hogup Cave compared to the total number of deposits found, suggesting that residents make only the simplest and most casual modifications in the cave.

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Artifact

Pottery

Professor Aikens categorizes the pottery fragments found in the cave into 6 types: Great Salt Lake Gray, Gray Knolls, Snake Valley Gray, Snake Valley Corrugated, Promontory ware, and Shoshoni ware. The first pottery appears at Stratum 12, rises in the later strata, and continues into Stratum 16. Aikens explains that the frequency distributions of pottery suggest concurrent use of the cave by the makers of both types of pottery.

Clay

Fragment of the statue is represented by six unexplored clay fragments. The three are conical and resemble the termini handles, or lower portions, of typical Fremont Utah statues. The fourth fragment has two "ears" on the broad end, the fifth fragment is the cylinder, and the sixth fragment is L-shaped. There is also a clay-shaped oval form of clay, composed of a mixture of crushed white stones and bits of plant fibers. Two clods of clay that had not been dug with a trace of a cork basket were also found.

Rock break

Professor Aikens categorizes a total of 325 complete or nearly complete complete projectile points in the Great Basin. He added that only artifacts discovered from the 1967 excavations were included in the tabulation and discussion because the material from the 1968 excavations had not been analyzed when the paper was published.

There are 325 projectile points found from the cave, classified into 29 types. In addition to viewing the features of the projectile points themselves, they are also compared to a collection of 489 complete projectile points from the nearby Danger Cave. After comparison, Prof Aikens grouped the collection into four main series: 1) Pinto or Little Lake; 2) lanceolate; 3) Elko; 4) and small projectile point. The groups indicate that there is a close cultural relationship between the types in the series, so that they can be seen as four cultural/technological traditions.

There are 70 functional and functional bipacials, which have no sharp edges or notches and stems. Helicopters are heavier, rougher, and bifacially flattened with sharp edges. 82 rough unifaces and bifaces found, discarded or undone rough or empty. 147 scrapers that have one or more flaky edge flakes that create a blunt work edges. Only two provide special preparation for hafting. 2 news agencies and 21 exercises were also found. The exercises are more like artifacts than spokespersons, which look like unobtrusive pieces of stone. The exercises were found uniformly in all deposits.

Soil

Professor Aikens describes a total of 922 items in this major category, further broken down into groups depending on the use of artifacts.

"Shaft smoothers" are stone-shaped that can be distinguished from the grooved grooves that occur on one or more surfaces. 2 complete specimens were analyzed, both made of pumice stone, one rectangle while the other was subrectangular with rounded edges. On the widest edge of the second rock, there is a main groove stretching along the edges. 5 specimens were classified as "stone slopes" found, one complete specimen and four fragments. The complete stone has an irregular stone shape with three shallow grooves. 8 nearly complete specimens and 262 fragments were classified as "milling stones". These specimens are subdivided into two categories: block grinding stone and slabs. One of two nearly complete block grinding stones, made of quartzite material, is oval with a circular depression, while the other block grinding stone has no depression and has a rectangular shape. The six almost complete grinding slabs are made of mica schist, schist, conglomerate, gneiss, and sandstone. Traces of red and black pigments can be found on the sides and centers of two stone rocks almost complete each.

14 complete specimens and 35 fragments were classified as "manos", which were subdivided into 7 subclasses according to shape, utilization, or grinding on one or more sides. They are made of sandstone, quartzite, vesicular basalt, mica schist, gabbro, granite, slate, schist, and rhyolite porfolit. Subclass 6 consists of a long cylindrical mano with three milling surfaces, one of which is a longitudinal and lateral convex, giving it a rocker shape. Two other surfaces were leveled, indicating that they had been used for beatings. 2 specimens were classified as "pests". Made of gabbro and gneiss, they are long and tapered from the wide ends to narrow the rounded edges. One of the specimens is square and the other is bread-shaped. The bread-shaped specimen has a flat surface with a grind and this indicates that it is also used as a mano. The yellow pigment is found on a flat surface.

There are 6 "pounding/rock abrading" found, made of sandstone, gabbro, and conglomerate, all with flat surfaces that are eroded and edges and outdated edges. Red pigment traces are found on the surface of one of the specimens. 46 "tabular rocks" are classified, divided into 5 categories according to the type and degree of rock modification: working bipasial edges, non-functional edges, milled on two surfaces, ground on one surface, and untreated fragments. They are made of schist, shale, and limestone. There are 30 specimens classified as "incised stones", where the design has been sliced ​​on its surface. They are grouped according to design elements and layout. Most of the stones are tabular or gravel with marks or designs made by incised or carved with sharp instruments.

Working bones, horns, shells and shells

There are a total of 269 items in this category, broken down into four sub-categories: awls, pendants, whistles, and sheep horns. The awls are classified according to the point taper degree and how bone fragments are modified. They are made of antelope, sheep, or deer bones. Pendant made of canines from the wapiti. They are perforated by drilling at the root end. Since no bones are found in the cave, this shows that animals are killed elsewhere. A broken bone tube that has a wide notch near the broken end indicates that the specimen may have been used as a whistle. 2 mountain horn sheep, perforated by a large hole, showing signs of wear on one side of the hole, indicating the horn is used as a shaft wrench or alignment.

Hide artifact

There are a total of 719 items in this classification. 23 moccasins are found from the Hogup Cave, in three categories: Hock moccasins, Fremont moccasins, and moxassin Hogup. 3 hock moccasins taken from bison hide by removing animal clumps through girdling leg at two points and lifting the hide in the form of a leather tube. The tubes are specifically cut so that the natural L-shaped angle of the skin serves as the heel of the sandals. 16 Moccasins Fremont made of deer or antelope skin. According to Aikens, Fremont moccasins were first described by Morss, with a single difference between recovered moxasin from the Hogup Cave and Morss no stitches on the heels joined by the top two. Moccasins found in the cave have two flaps formed by the upper heel end that can be folded against each other on the back of the heel and ankle and held in place by securing the ankle with a long strap. 4 moccasins are classified as Hogup's moccasins because of their different patterns. They are made from a piece of torn that is folded over the legs and sewn together on the toes. A separate outer sole is added to the base and ankle wrap is sewn at the top to give the moccasin a look like a boot. Also recovered from the caves were 2 fur cloaks, both of which were rectangular, one of which still had fur on the skin while the other had about 40% of the retained fur.

Fur

There are three types of feathers found from the cave. 10 feathers have been done by cutting the barbs and cutting very close to the rachis. The function of these feathers is unknown. 3 flying feathers work by wrapping them with a thin strip of muscle. One of the specimens has one side of the stump cut and the other side cut evenly. The function of these feathers is also unknown. Finally, a total of 245 unworked hairs are restored. The fine condition of the feathers allows direct visual comparison with known specimens from the Royal Ontario Museum collection. Donald Baldwin illustrates that the pink gray crowned finch is the smallest and most representative of any species.

Plant fibers that work

46 pads made of sagebrush rhizome and 3 more made of grass sticks, the fibers stick together and tangle, indicating that they may have been impregnated with blood, further suggesting they may have been used as a menstrual cushion. However, it can not be determined that blood is an adhesive, so the identification of the menstrual cushion remains predictable.

Textile

160 pieces of baskets and specimens were found from 1967-68 excavations. The collections are one of the largest and well preserved sites of the Great Basin. Lined and circular baskets are identified with subclasses based on multiple diagnostic criteria. 8 subclasses are allocated for multiple baskets and 7 subclasses are assigned to the basket of coils. When dealing exclusively with Hogup material, Dr. Adovasio concluded that scrolling earlier than wrapped around the Hogup Cave and more popular. The production and use of textiles in the Hogup Cave is more common and there is greater variation in techniques and forms under Stratum 10. Subclass 13 (single-rod and bundle foundations, unlocked seams) gained popularity through time due to its adaptability.

Wooden Artifact

491 pieces of wood and alang-alang were found. Most of the artifacts finished related to the hunt, while the digging stick represents the economic aspect of gathering. A small number of game pieces can deduce leisure time or perhaps the non-cultural side of the culture. Atlatl arrow pieces and throwing boards represent the use of atlatl. There is no strong evidence for the main feathers of arrows, consisting of shallow cups at the proximal end to engage spiky spikes at the distal end. The main shaft specimen collected is too separate to estimate its length. the throwing board is also too separate to set an approximate size or shape. The collected arrows are represented by a type of compound with main reeds and wooden foreshaft. Dalley concludes that compound arrows are the most common type found in caves. The striking changes from using atlatl to bows and arrows can be seen when comparing strata. From strata 1 to 8 there are only atlatl and dart items, whereas strata 12 to 16 contain only bow and arrow items. Strata 9 and 10 contain a mixture of both weapons and no occurrences of the two types in strata 11. However, Dalley identifies two weaknesses in the interpretation. First, the strata are not dated and second artifacts, the conclusions are based on multiple and fragmentary artifacts that some of them have less characteristic characteristics.

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Summary

Four different cultural patterns that succeed each other in the cave are identified, named Unit I to IV. They are categorized by the typical types and frequency of artifacts, as well as the distinctive patterns of species and plant species distribution.

Unit I (6400-1250 BC ))

Materials from Strata 1 to 8 are defined as Unit I. Unit I resembles Desert culture in which the way of life is based on gathering seeds, especially pickleweed, and hunting small and large game, mostly pronghorn, deer, and bull. Studies conducted by Fry and Kelso suggest that small seeds of pickleweed are the dominant vegetal foods. Millstone is used for seed processing; Projectile points, arrows, and spears are used for hunting. There are remnants of domestic dogs found in Unit I. Haag has suggested that they are a food source, but not the main one because the dog bones are broken and scattered with other food bones. There is also evidence of intensive occupation of caves during this period through the abundance and variety of artifacts.

Unit II (1250 BC) - AD 400)

Materials from Strata 9 through 11 define Unit II. Prof There is a dramatic cultural shift from Unit I to Unit II, shown from the striking decline in the number and variety of artifacts, which may indicate a new pattern of resource use and infrequent visits to the cave. There is also a marked decline in the use of milling and manos stones, which Harper and Alder say may be caused by a lake recession that reduces suitability for pickleweed growth. The importance of bison and pronghorn becomes more emphasized than in Unit I but the evidence shows a loss of interest in deer, rabbits, and the total loss of waterfowl. New hunting tools such as bows and arrows are used as seen from the arrow pieces. Fragment baskets are also found but in low frequency. Aikens suggested that the main function of the basket associated with the collection and processing of plant seeds and the low usage coincides with the reduction in pickleweed intake.

Unit III (AD 400-1350)

Strata 12 through 14 is used to define Unit III. Millstone and manos continue to be used during this period. Coprolyte analysis showed a decrease in jatropha seed seeds, and the plant macrophosphine analysis showed similar results and also showed that the bushes were an important food source. In the Cutler study, peeled corn was found but no cobs or husk, indicating that corn was brought to the site from elsewhere. In this Unit, Bison takes over pronghorn as a major hunt. Many small cracked stone arrows and arrows were found but no atlatl fragments were identified. The use of baskets is similar to Unit II, and the first pottery of the site was identified in Unit III. They are identified as ollas and jars and five of them refer to the Fremont culture and one of them is Shoshoni ware. Red painted bone fragments and Fremont moccasins became common for the first time during this era.

Unit IV (AD 1350-1850)

Materials obtained from Strata 15 and 16 are used to determine Unit IV. There is a decrease in artifacts and the loss of typical objects as found in Unit III, which may indicate a radical change in cultural ecology in Utah. The number of grinding stones and manos continues to be small and the bushes and grass continue to be the main source of plant foods. The most important activities remain hunting, and the bulls and pronghorn are still the most hunted animals. Hiding artifacts such as thongs and pieces of rabbit fur robes found and pottery fragments continue to be seen but few are Fremont, causing Aikens to observe that they are likely to be out of context in Unit IV.

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Conclusion

Professor Aikens stressed in his book that the Hogup Cave is just one of the occupied settlements during the seasonal rounds, with the presence of residents for the rest of their economic cycle unknown. Aikens points out that his study only defines a portion of the total cultural system. Therefore, he proposes that in order to fully understand the changes of cultural ecological systems, sites that have other activities must be discovered and excavated.

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Selected papers and monographs

• Aikens, C. Melvin (1966). "Fremont-Promontory-Plains Relationships", University of Anthropology Utah Paper , No. 82. University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City.
• Aikens, C. Melvin (1967a). "Plains Relationships of the Fremont Culture: A Hypothesis", American Antiquity, 32 (2), p.Ã, 198-209.
• Aikens, C. Melvin (1967b). "Excavations at Snake Rock Village and Bear River Site No. 2", University of Anthropology Utah Paper , No. 87. University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City.
• Aikens, C. Melvin (1969a). "Hogup Cave: Chronology and Archeology", Abstract Paper, 34th Annual Meeting of the Union for Archeology of America , p.Ã, 1-2.
• Byers, David A. and Hill, Brenda L. (2009). "Pronghorn Dental Age Profiles and Holocene Hunting Strategies at Hogup Cave, Utah", American Antiquity , 74 (2), p.Ã, 299-321.
• Fry, Gary F. (1976). "Prehcrolite Prehistoric Analysis from Utah", University of Anthropology Utah Paper , No. 97. University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City, 45pp.
• Gunn, Joel (1975). "Envirotechnological System for the Hogup Cave", American Antiquity , 40 (1), p.Ã, 3-21.
• Hockett, Bryan S. (1994). "A Leporid Bone Descriptive Analysis of the Hogup, Utah Cave", Journal of Anthropology of the Basin and Great Basin , 16 (1).
• Jennings, Jesse D. (1953). "Danger Cave: Progress Progress", El Palacio , 60 (5), p.Ã, 179-213.
• Jennings, Jesse D. (1957). "Danger of the Cave", University of Anthropology Utah Paper , No. 27. University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City. Also released as Memoirs of Society for Archeology of America , 14.

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Footnote

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References

• Aikens, C. Melvin (1970). "Hogup Cave", University of Utah Antropological Papers , No. 93. Reprinted in 1999. University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City, 286 pp.
• Appendix I in the Hogup Cave. Harper, K. T. and Alder, G. M. "The Macroscopic Plant Remains of Deposits of Hogup Cave, Utah, and Their Paleoclimatic Implications", p.Ã, 215-240.
• Appendix III in the Hogup Cave. Fry, Gary F. "Preliminary Analysis of Hogup Cave Coprolites", p.Ã, 247-250.
• Appendix IV in the Hogup Cave. Kelso, Gerald. "Hogup Cave, Utah: Comparative Pollen Analysis of Human Coprolites and Content of Caves", p.Ã, 251-262.
• Appendix V in the Hogup Cave. Parmalee, Paul W. "The Birds of the Hogup Cave", p.Ã, 263-266.
• Appendix VI in the Hogup Cave. Baldwin, Donald. "Feathers of the Hogup Cave", p.Ã, 267-269.
• Appendix VII in the Hogup Cave. Cutler, Hugh C. "Corn from the Hogup Cave, Fremont Site", p.Ã, 271-272.
• Appendix VIII in the Hogup Cave. Haag, William G. "Dog Remains from Hogup Cave", p.Ã, 273-274.
• Morss, Noel M. (1931). "Ancient Culture of the Fremont River in Utah: Report on Exploration Under the Claflin-Emerson Fund", Peabody Museum of American Archeology and Ethnology Paper , 12 (3).
• University of Oregon, Faculty Emeritus, C. Melvin Aikens, Professor Emeritus. Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20121220114737/http://pages.uoregon.edu/anthro/people/faculty/emeritus-faculty/

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