Northern Arizona University

   

Bighorn Cave: Test Excavations of a Stratified Dry Shelter, Bighorn Cave, Arizona

Bighorn Cave, located in the Black Mountains of west-central Arizona, is a large shelter with dry stratified deposits. In 1986, test excavations were undertaken to determine the archaeological significance of the site, the extent and nature of the cultural deposits, and their ages. The cave has evidence of roughly 3000 years of site occupancy, with many perishable artifacts such as sandals and split-twig figurines preserved because of the dry conditions. Looters had disturbed substantial portions of the cave and were threatening to destroy the site before the professional community knew of its existence. Since this testing, and directly as a result of its findings, the cave was successfully nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

The project represents a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Land Management, Northern Arizona University, and the Museum of Northern Arizona, with many volunteers helping with the excavation and analysis of the materials. Results of the test excavations and analyses provide information useful for understanding human adaptation to the Basin and Range Province of western Arizona, cultural history, and the ecological history of the region.
 

For More Information:

Visit the U of A Press website
Or contact Marcelle Coder at (928)523-9188 or Marcelle.Coder@nau.edu.
 

Read an article in the Arizona Daily Sun about this project.

 

   

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