a multi-substrate strontium isotope baseline for the promontory caves, utah: implications for studies of ancient bison migration
abstract
the purpose of this thesis is to provide a framework for evaluating bison mobility in the
eastern great basin during the thirteenth-century using strontium (sr) isotope analysis. the
promontory caves, utah (42bo1 and 42bo2) were occupied for a relatively short period
(a.d.1250-1290) but have a rich record of incredibly well-preserved organic remains including a
high abundance of bison remains indicating that bison were a key prey species. previous research
indicates a decline in the local bison population which may have triggered a push for ancient
people to navigate the landscape to shift their home (or seasonally-used territory). one possible
site that the promontory people visited is west fork rock creek (wfrc) (10-oa-275), idaho.
there is evidence that wfrc was visited by promontory people as they were hunting bison in
the late thirteenth-century. [...]