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10
Stanton's Site
Mark D. Varien
Contents
- Courtyard (Sampling Stratum 3)
- Sampling Unit 103N/111E
Sampling Unit 102N/108E
Sampling Unit 100N/106E
- Inner Periphery (Sampling Stratum 4)
- Sampling Unit 97N/114E
Sampling Unit 90N/98E
Sampling Unit 87N/102E
Sampling Unit 85N/111E
Sampling Unit 84N/100E
Sampling Unit 82N/101E
Sampling Unit 78N/104E
Inner Periphery Artifacts
Inner Periphery Interpretations
- Midden (Sampling Stratum 5)
- Sampling Unit 96N/111E
Sampling Units 95N/104E and 95N/103E
Sampling Unit 94N/111E
Sampling Unit 92N/101E
Sampling Units 92N/109E and 90N/109E
Sampling Unit 89N/102E
Midden Artifacts
Midden Interpretations
- Outer Periphery (Sampling Stratum 6)
- Sampling Unit 90N/95E
Sampling Units 87N/120E and 85N/120E
Sampling Unit 84N/97E
Outer Periphery (Sampling Stratum 6) Interpretations
Outer Periphery, Slopewash (Sampling Stratum 7)
Stanton's Site Summary and Conclusions
Introduction
Crow Canyon survey crews recorded Stanton's Site during the 1987 field season as CC87-279 (Adler 1988); it was later reassigned site number 5MT10508. Stanton's Site was excavated as part of the Sand Canyon Archaeological Project Site Testing Program during 1989 and 1990. The site lies at an elevation of 6880 ft, at the base of a sandstone cliff that forms the east rim of Sand Canyon. There is a narrow, somewhat level area at the base of the cliff, and the various architectural facilities associated with the site lie on this level ground. In front of the architectural features, a steep (24 degree) talus slope drops down approximately 100 m to a relatively level bench (Figure 10.1 and Figure 10.2). Catherine's Site (Chapter 11, this volume) is located on this bench, 105 m downslope from Stanton's Site (Figure 1.7).
Access to the site is difficult, but passage off the mesa top can be found by way of the numerous cracks in the sandstone cliff. Sand Canyon is the closest major drainage, and a spring at Catherine's Site may have been the closest source of water. A small tributary drainage that flows into Sand Canyon lies approximately 100 m south of Stanton's Site. Sand Canyon Pueblo is 1.4 km north, at the head of Sand Canyon.
Pinyon and juniper cover the site. Also present are Mormon tea, serviceberry, mountain mahogany, rabbitbrush, sagebrush, saltbush, and wide- and narrow-leaf yucca, along with several other types of vegetation. Boulders are strewn about the base of the cliff and the talus slope. Some of these boulders have been incorporated into the construction of the prehistoric buildings.
The difficult terrain has limited the historic impact to Stanton's Site. There may have been some grazing during the historic period, but we observed no evidence of recent grazing. Signs of historic-period vandalism are not readily apparent. Cracks in the cliff have been used as dens by animals, and mountain lion scat was found on the site. Excavation in the roomblock revealed that a relatively large mammal had used the fallen room as a burrow or den after the room was abandoned.
Crow Canyon survey crews recorded numerous sites located on talus slopes. Three of these--Stanton's Site, Lester's Site, and Lookout House--were excavated as part of the Testing Program. The cliff-base/talus-slope topographic setting makes the surface remains at these sites more difficult to interpret than the surface remains at small sites on level terrain. The site layout had to accommodate the radical topographic setting, and the steep slopes are subject to erosion. Nevertheless, surface remains at Stanton's did provide clues as to the composition and layout of the site. Piles of rubble indicate the presence of surface rooms and a tower at Stanton's Site. A level spot with no rubble was interpreted as the location of a pit structure. The dense artifact scatter on the talus slope is the midden. Retaining walls located at the top of the talus slope (at the edge of the architectural terrace) could also be seen on the modern ground surface.
The surface remains were used to define the sampling stratum boundaries for the stratified random sample (Figure 10.3 and Figure 10.4). The sandstone rubble associated with the fallen surface rooms and the tower became Sampling Stratum 1. The level area between the roomblock and tower rubble is the pit structure sampling stratum, Sampling Stratum 2. Sampling Stratum 3 is the courtyard surrounding these architectural features.
Sampling Stratum 4, the inner periphery, surrounds the surface rooms, the courtyard, and the midden. The inner periphery has a higher surface artifact density than any other sampling stratum except the midden. Sampling Stratum 5 is the midden, which is provenienced as Nonstructure 1. This sampling stratum is characterized by ashy, gray brown sediments and the highest surface artifact density anywhere at the site.
Sampling Stratum 6 is the outer periphery that surrounds Sampling Stratum 4. The outer periphery was defined on the basis of a light artifact scatter that marks the edge of the site. Artifact deposition in the outer periphery is largely the result of postabandonment erosion. We defined another sampling stratum (Sampling Stratum 7) that covers the artifact scatter on the remainder of the slope between Stanton's Site and Catherine's Site, but time did not permit the excavation of any sampling units in this sampling stratum. Sampling Stratum 7 is not shown on Figure 10.4.
Test excavations at Stanton's Site took place during the 1989 and 1990 field seasons and included the excavation of 28 probabilistically selected sampling units (Figure 10.4). Tracing wall alignments in the roomblock was difficult; however, the walls of the tower were partly defined by sweeping and troweling. Figure 10.5 illustrates the major cultural units identified during excavation. These include a masonry tower, Structure 1, and a masonry-lined kiva, Structure 2. These two structures are connected by a tunnel. A wall in the masonry roomblock was also discovered; structure numbers were not assigned because excavation in this area was so limited. A deep midden, the deepest midden encountered at any of the tested sites, was found on the talus slope below these architectural features. The types of architectural features encountered, along with the deep midden, indicate that Stanton's Site was used as a year-round habitation. No absolute dates were obtained, but the types of pottery found indicate that the site dates to the A.D. 1200s. Pottery from earlier occupations is rare, and Stanton's Site is interpreted as primarily a single-component site.
The grid at Stanton's Site is oriented roughly to the cliff and the slope of the site. Grid north is 42 degrees east of magnetic north. Directions given in text are based on the site grid orientation rather than on true north. Rebar set on the east-west line makes the grid relatively permanent. Vertical datum A is a nail driven into a crack in the cliff approximately 2 m above the modern ground surface at 105N/100E. The elevation of this vertical datum was arbitrarily set at 100 m.
The following excavation descriptions are organized by sampling stratum. Cultural study units found in these sampling strata are discussed within the sampling stratum where they were found.
Rubble Mounds (Sampling Stratum 1)
Sampling Stratum 1 is the masonry surface architecture sampling stratum. Two rubble mounds were noted when the site was mapped. These rubble mounds displayed no clear wall alignments and the talus that occurs naturally made it difficult to define the boundaries of this architectural rubble. A third area of possible rooms in the northeast corner of the site was noticed after the sampling stratum boundaries were drawn and therefore not included in Sampling Stratum 1 (Figure 10.3 and Figure 10.4).
Sampling Stratum 1 has 38 sampling units. Excavation took place in three of these probabilistically located sampling units (101N/99E, 100N/99E, and 99N/111E) and one 1.0 m by 50 cm judgmentally located unit (101N/100E). Excavation of sampling unit 99N/111E exposed the tower, Structure 1. A room wall is present in sampling units 101N/99E and 100N/99E.
Structure 1
Structure 1 is a masonry tower. Sampling unit 99N/111E lies completely within Structure 1 (Figure 10.6). Excavation in Structure 1 also includes a narrow strip to the south of 99N/111E that exposed the floor and south wall of the tower. The interior diameter of Structure 1 is estimated on the basis of the exposed portion of the wall and the extent of the rubble mound to be about 2.25 m. A subfloor tunnel is also present in Structure 1.
The south half of Structure 1 is constructed on a large boulder perched on the edge of the talus slope (Figure 10.5). This location gives Structure 1 a commanding view of Sand Canyon. The deeply entrenched lower canyon that empties into the McElmo Creek is visible to the south. Looking 1 km to the northwest, on the mesa top on the west canyon rim, you can see the juniper snag on top of the fallen tower at Troy's Tower (5MT3951).
Construction
Walls. Both the walls and floor are poorly preserved. The exposed walls stand a maximum of four courses (19 cm) high. The wall has a double-stone to double-stone-with-core cross section that is 42 cm thick. The masonry is fully coursed, with smaller stones on the inside of the wall and larger stones on the outside of the wall. Tabular sandstone is used in the wall construction and these stones are unshaped. The majority of the upper walls have fallen downslope and are mixed with the talus.
Floor. The Structure 1 floor is present only in a narrow strip adjacent to the south wall. Here it is an easily recognized prepared adobe surface (Figure 10.6). This prepared floor slopes down from the south wall of the tower to the center of the structure. The floor is constructed on top of cultural fill and the slope of the surface may be the result of this fill subsiding after structure abandonment. The Structure 1 floor could not be found in the remainder of the sampling unit due to animal burrows and the subsidence of the stratum of cultural fill that lies below the floor. Also, the tunnel walls have slumped and this has destroyed the floor around the tunnel opening.
A lens of adobe believed to be the floor was found in the tunnel fill. This adobe fill is visible in the north profile of the sampling unit, 21 cm below the level of the intact floor found against the south wall of the tower. The tunnel that links the tower with the kiva is the only feature associated with the exposed portion of the tower floor.
Feature 1 (Tunnel): Figure 10.6 illustrates a plan view of Structure 1, an architectural profile, and the stratigraphic profile. The tunnel opening is a semicircular masonry wall. This opening faces the pit structure, Structure 2. The construction of the tunnel took place before the construction of the tower itself. Tunnel construction consisted of the following steps: (1) excavating the tunnel, (2) lining the tunnel opening with masonry, (3) bracing the lower portion of this masonry lining wall with a second masonry wall, and (4) depositing construction fill outside the tunnel. This construction fill served as the foundation stratum for the tower. The foundation fill lies directly beneath the Structure 1 floor and walls.
The tunnel opening measures 38 cm across, but the walls have slumped and the opening was wider when it was in use. Part of the masonry wall that defines the upper portion of the tunnel is built on top of a boulder and part of the wall is off the top of the boulder and extends down along the side of the boulder. The portion of the wall on the top of the boulder is a single course wide and 22 cm high; the top of this section of wall is 8 cm below the level of the tunnel floor. The segment of the wall off the boulder is at least 90 cm high. The lower portion of this wall incorporates an upright slab and an additional row of horizontally coursed stone, resulting in a double-stone cross section (Figure 10.6).
Fill inside the tunnel was a brown silty sand that was heavily disturbed by rodents (Stratum 4 in Figure 10.6). The disturbance mixed the deposit, giving it a mottled appearance. Sediment color ranges from gray, probably due to ash content, to red brown. Charcoal, unburned wood, small sandstone gravels, and small sandstone rocks are the main inclusions. The tunnel fill may have been deliberately deposited, as none of the wall fall and roof fall from the tower is present in the tunnel fill. There were many artifacts in the tunnel fill, supporting the interpretation that this fill consists of deliberately deposited refuse. Sixteen sherds (including Mesa Verde Corrugated Gray), 20 pieces of chipped-stone debris, a bone awl fragment, a two-hand mano fragment, unmodified animal bone, and small pieces of eggshell were recovered from this fill. Stratigraphy above the tunnel fill is described below.
Roof. The only evidence of the Structure 1 roof is the chunks of adobe found in the fill above the Structure 1 floor.
Stratigraphy
Stratum 3 (Figure 10.6) is the fill outside of the tunnel beneath the level of the Structure 3 floor. Stratum 3 is 8 to 30 cm thick on top of the boulder and 90 cm thick where the boulder is not present. Stratum 3 is a mix of materials interpreted as construction fill deposited outside of the tunnel to create a foundation for the Structure 3 floor and walls.
Two types of fill are present within Stratum 3. Just beneath the adobe floor of the tower is a pale brown silty sand with few inclusions. This deposit may have been used to cap the loose construction fill below and to provide a suitable base for the application of the adobe floor. Below this pale brown silty sand is a loose, mottled deposit that ranges between yellow brown and dark brown silty sand. Large pieces of sandstone, ash, charcoal, sandstone gravels, and bits of calcium carbonate are present within Stratum 3. Stratum 3 covers the boulder and goes beneath the tower walls indicating its deposition took place before the construction of the tower walls.
Stratum 2 lies above the Structure 1 floor. This is a mixed deposit that contains a variety of material. The sediment ranges from strong brown fist-size nodules of adobe to gray clay nodules to yellow brown silty sand. The adobe has vegetal impressions and is interpreted as roof fall. The gray clay is similar to the shaley C horizon observed at Stanton's Site. This gray clay may be material unearthed during the tower or pit structure construction and subsequently used as construction material (that is, as mortar and roof-construction sediment). The yellow brown silty sand is interpreted as wind-deposited sediment. Inclusions present in Stratum 2 are angular sandstone pebbles, calcium carbonate flecks, and larger sandstone. The sandstone probably represents wall collapse. Stratum 2 is interpreted as roof fall and wall fall mixed with naturally deposited sediment.
Stratum 1 is a stratum of sandstone that lies in a matrix of yellow brown silty sand. Also present are inclusions of charcoal flecking, calcium carbonate flecks, and smaller sandstone pebbles. This stratum is interpreted as wall fall.
Dating
The only means of dating Structure 1 is the pottery found in the construction fill below the floor. Mesa Verde Corrugated Gray and carbon-painted white ware sherds are present in this fill. Mesa Verde Corrugated Gray is rare before A.D. 1100 and most common after A.D. 1200 (Wilson and Blinman 1991). Thus, the tower clearly dates to the Pueblo III period, probably after A.D. 1200.
Structure 1 Interpretations
Structure 1 is a circular masonry tower. A tunnel on the west side of the tower probably connects the tower with the pit structure, Structure 2. The location of Structure 1 on the edge of the talus slope offers a commanding view of Sand Canyon. To the south, lower Sand Canyon is visible to its confluence with McElmo Creek. Many of the sites that are a part of the lower Sand Canyon settlement cluster would be visible from Structure 1. To the north, the mesa-top site of Troy's Tower on the west rim of Sand Canyon is visible.
The Masonry Roomblock
A wall found in two contiguous sampling units, 100N/99E and 101N/99E, is part of the masonry roomblock (Figure 10.7). Wall tracing beyond the limits of these sampling units did not succeed in defining the outline of individual rooms, and for this reason no structure numbers were assigned. It is not clear if there are rooms on both the east and west sides of the wall, or just on the west side of the wall.
The majority of the rubble mound is located on the west side of the wall, and this area is almost certainly inside a room. A bedrock boulder incorporated into the wall is pecked only on its west face. This suggests that there may be rooms only on the west side of the wall. It is possible, however, that the east side of the wall is also inside a room. Small patches of prepared adobe floors are present on both sides of the wall, supporting the interpretation that rooms are present on both sides of the wall. Additional excavation would be needed to get an accurate ground plan for the roomblock.
Construction
Walls. The exposed wall is 2.08 m long, a maximum of 1.20 m high, and 27 cm thick. Wall construction incorporates boulders, upright slabs, and horizontally coursed masonry. The coursed masonry portion of the wall rests on top of the vertical slabs and the boulders. This upper wall has a compound cross section, and the masonry is semicoursed to fully coursed. Pecking is present on the west face of the boulder incorporated into the base of the wall. Minimal shaping is present on the remainder of the stones used in the wall construction.
Floor. Large animal burrows destroyed most of the floor on both sides of the wall. On both sides, however, there are patches of a prepared, red brown adobe surface. There were no features or artifacts associated with these floors.
Stratigraphy
Fill on the west side of the wall consists of a single stratum of wall fall. This wall fall extends from the floor to the modern ground surface (Figure 10.7). The wall fall lies in a matrix of yellow brown sand, but in the lower half of this stratum there is no sediment present between the stones, apparently the result of animal burrowing. The only portion of the floor that remains is a small strip adjacent to the wall and on the north end of the sampling units.
Two strata are present on the east side of the wall. Stratum 2 covers the floor. This is a loosely compacted sandy sediment with little wall fall. Unburned adobe and patches of gray silt give this stratum a mottled appearance. The adobe inclusions may represent roof fall. Charcoal, calcium carbonate flecks, and sandstone pebbles are also present as inclusions. Animal burrows have left a void with no sediment between the wall and the wall fall. Stratum 1, wall fall in matrix of yellow brown sandy sediment, fills the remainder of this unit up to the modern ground surface.
Dating
Pottery is the only means of dating this roomblock. Mesa Verde Corrugated Gray is present in the 5-cm-to-floor level. Pueblo III White Painted is present in Stratum 2, just above the level of the floor, and Mesa Verde Black-on-white pottery is present in the wall fall stratum. The context in which this pottery was found represents the period after the roomblock was abandoned, and it suggests that the roomblock filled after A.D. 1180.
Masonry Roomblock Interpretations
The wall uncovered in sampling unit 100N/99E and 101N/99E is a part of a masonry roomblock. The number of rooms in the roomblock is not known. Rooms are almost certainly present on the west side of the wall, as the majority of the rubble mound extends in this direction. Traces of prepared adobe surfaces are present on both sides of the wall, indicating that there may be enclosed rooms on the east side of the wall also. Based on the extent of masonry rubble, room counts for this roomblock range between two and six rooms.
Pit Structure Area (Sampling Stratum 2)
Sampling Stratum 2 is the pit structure sampling stratum. Surface indications of a pit structure were not clear, but there was a relatively level area between the roomblock and tower rubble that contained no rubble. This is the area designated Sampling Stratum 2. Sampling Stratum 2 has 22 sampling units; excavation took place in three of these (104N/104E, 102N/105E, and 101N/106E). Structure 2, a deep pit structure, was discovered in sampling units 104N/104E and 102N/105E (Figure 10.8). Sampling unit 101N/106E appears to be just outside the structure.
Structure 2
Sampling unit 104N/104E lies in the center of the pit structure and uncovered a portion of the Structure 2 hearth (Figure 10.8). Sampling unit 102N/105E came down on a pilaster, the top of the masonry bench face, and what is believed to be the tunnel leading to the tower. The masonry construction in 102N/105E indicates that Structure 2 may have the architectural attributes of a Mesa Verde-style kiva.
The lower part of the main chamber of Structure 2 is estimated to be about 4 to 5 m in diameter. This estimate is based on the location of the hearth, the pilaster, and the cliff. Depth from the modern ground surface to the Structure 2 floor is 2.85 m. Structure 2 is constructed adjacent to the base of the cliff. The cliff has a slight overhang in this area, such that the north half of Structure 2 would have been beneath the dripline of the overhang.
Construction
Walls. Excavation of sampling unit 102N/105E uncovered the top of a small portion of the Structure 2 wall, and description of the architectural features encountered is limited. The top of the bench face was uncovered in the northeast corner of the sampling unit. The wall is a single-stone wide. It appears that the bench surface associated with these features has slumped and is not preserved. Several artifacts found in fill near the base of excavation may have been bench-associated items displaced when the surface slumped. These include a partially reconstructible Mesa Verde Black-on-white bowl (PL 7), a metate fragment, a shaped red ware sherd with a broken projectile point lying on it, and a biface. A portion of the bench, a pilaster, and a tunnel opening were found in sampling unit 102N/105E.
Feature 4 (Bench): A small portion of a bench was exposed in sampling unit 102N/105E. This may be the bench segment (Bench 1) adjacent to the southern recess, or it may be the southern recess itself (Bench 6). Further excavation is needed to determine which interpretation is correct. The bench surface was difficult to define; it appears to be built on top of construction fill, and the surface appears to have slumped. This surface is probably at the level of the top of the bench-face masonry, or the surface may have been at the same level as the base of the pilaster, Feature 2, which is 9 cm above the bench-face masonry. The base of the masonry used to construct the tunnel opening is also at the same elevation as the base of the pilaster. The bench surface may be at either elevation, but we could not find a well-defined stratigraphic surface in this sampling unit.
Feature 2 (Pilaster): A corner of a pilaster is present in the northwest corner of the sampling unit. The base of this masonry pilaster rests on construction fill, and it is 9 cm above the top of the bench-face masonry. Four courses of the pilaster remain. The exposed portion of the pilaster measures 50 cm high, 42 cm wide, and 30 cm back from the front of the pilaster. The front of the pilaster is set back 4 cm from the bench face. The stones are pecked-block masonry set in adobe mortar. These pecked blocks rest on smaller sandstone and mortar interpreted as construction fill. This is believed to be pilaster number 6, the pilaster on the east side of the southern recess, but this can only be confirmed with further excavation. One side of the tunnel opening is attached to this pilaster.
Feature 3 (Tunnel): This is interpreted as the other end of the tunnel that exits Structure 1, the tower. An upright slab is set in adobe, and this adobe joins the slab to the southwest corner of the pilaster. Across from the slab is a segment of horizontally coursed masonry, five courses high, and a single-stone wide in cross section. The upright slab and this horizontally coursed masonry frame the tunnel opening which is a maximum of 50 cm wide.
Fill inside the tunnel consists of a mixed deposit. There is structural collapse from the kiva and tunnel walls, as well as washed-in sediment covering the tunnel floor. This indicates that the tunnel was open when Structure 2 was abandoned.
Floors. Two and possibly three floors are present in Structure 2 in sampling unit 104N/104E. The lower floors were exposed in narrow trenches at the edge of the sampling unit so they could be seen in profile. Only Floor 1 was completely exposed.
To build Floor 3, a stratum of construction fill was placed on top of bedrock. This construction fill ranges between a strong brown silt loam and a gray clay with charcoal inclusions. A possible use-compacted surface, Floor 3, lies on top of this fill.
Floor 3 is covered by a 2- to 3-cm layer of red brown adobe. The top of this adobe has a thin (2 mm) gray lens that is Floor 2. Floor 2 is covered by Floor 1.
Floor 1 is constructed with red brown adobe in the majority of the sampling unit, but in places it is constructed with a compact gray brown fill mottled with charcoal flecks. A portion of the Structure 2 hearth is present in the southwest corner of the sampling unit.
Items found on the Structure 2 floor include a ground and polished modified sherd (Pueblo III White Painted, PL 1), a two-hand mano fragment (PL 2), a small piece of raw clay (PL 5), and a baked adobe roof cast (PL 6). Pollen and flotation samples were also collected from the floor (PLs 3, 4, and 7). A one-hand mano was found 5 cm above the floor contact. Excavation of the floor in 104N/104E uncovered a small portion of the hearth.
Feature 1 (Hearth): This adobe-lined hearth was excavated into the floor-construction sediments. The hearth was clearly associated with Floors 1 and 2. Ash from the use of the hearth spilled out onto the Floor 2 surface. The hearth was substantially remodeled when Floor 1 was constructed. This remodeling episode reduced the size of the hearth. The hearth that was last used was 20 cm deep, and the portion exposed by our excavation measures 37 by 20 cm in plan view. We left the majority of the hearth associated with Floor 1 intact so that we could sample it for archaeomagnetic dating. It was not clear if the hearth was associated with Floor 3.
A 12-cm-thick stratum of ash filled the bottom of the hearth. Several stones on top of the ash may be stones that were used as pot rests within the hearth. Two flotation samples were collected from the hearth (see Chapter 16). Juniper and pine charcoal were recovered from the hearth and interpreted as fuel. Corn cupules are interpreted as the remains of corncobs being burned as fuel. Physalis longifolia seeds and a grass seed husk were the only botanical remains recovered from the hearth.
Roof. The Structure 2 roof was supported by masonry pilasters. There was no trace of the roof beams in the pit structure fill. There is evidence that the beams were salvaged at the time of the pit structure abandonment. This is discussed in greater detail below under Stratigraphy.
Stratigraphy
Stratum 4 covers the Structure 2 floor (Figure 10.8). This deposit is highly variable due to mottling. It ranges in color from brown to dark yellow brown and in texture from fine to medium sand. Stratum 4 has inclusions of charcoal up to 4 cm in diameter, calcium carbonate bits, sandstone from 1 to 30 cm long, gray clay, artifacts, and burned and unburned adobe. A discontinuous black lens runs through the middle of Stratum 4. A similar black lens is present in the unburned roof fall stratum that covers the floor of the pit structure at Troy's Tower.
There is no evidence that Stratum 4 was deposited by natural processes. Instead, Stratum 4 appears to be sediment that was culturally deposited as dry aggregates. The adobe may be from the Structure 2 roof. The black lens in the pit structure at Troy's Tower was associated with adobe nodules and appeared to be soot blackening on the unburned roof fall. The black lens in Stratum 4 may also be associated with the fallen roof. The top of Stratum 4 was virtually solid sandstone. Some of the sandstone was shaped and may be from the masonry surface rooms. Some of the sandstone is not shaped and may or may not be building rubble. Regardless, the sandstone is material that was deposited by either gravity or cultural deposition. There is no evidence of roof timbers, either rotting beams or dislocation structures where sediments had moved into the space left by completely rotted timbers. Therefore, the roof timbers were probably salvaged when Structure 2 was abandoned. Stratum 4 may have been roof construction sediments deposited when these roof timbers were salvaged.
A series of laminated deposits lie on top of Stratum 4. These well-sorted laminae represent many distinct depositional events, but for the purpose of this description they are grouped together as Stratum 3. Figure 10.8 distinguishes between the coarse and fine laminae. The coarse materials range from granule material (2 to 4 mm) to fine sand. The fine materials range from fine sand to clay lenses. Stratum 3 is dominated by coarse material. This coarse material is not a single massive deposit. Rather, it represents many distinct episodes of sediment being washed over the cliff and into the abandoned pit structure below. The sediments deposited during each of these events "fine upward," such that the coarsest material is at the bottom of the lens, and the finer sediment is at the top of the lens. In the case of the coarse lenses, there are granule to coarse sand particles at the bottom of each lens and medium to fine sand at the top of the lens. Clay lenses do not cap every deposit. The sediment present in each deposit is a product of both the source of the sediment being transported and the velocity at which it is transported. At least 20 distinct depositional events appear to be represented within Stratum 3.
Also present within Stratum 3 is a large sandstone boulder. This boulder apparently fell into the structure from the top of the cliff. This occurred shortly after the deposition of Stratum 4. Other Stratum 3 inclusions are rare. Charcoal flecks are present only in the lower 80 cm of Stratum 3. No artifacts were found in Stratum 3, and even charcoal flecks were rare.
Stratum 2 is a brown to dark brown silt loam. Stratum 2 has sediment sorted by particle size, but the laminae are not as clearly defined as the Stratum 3 deposits. No cultural inclusions are present in Stratum 2. Stratum 1 is a brown medium to fine sand that completes the Structure 2 fill sequence.
Dating
An archaeomagnetic date from the hearth produced possible dates of A.D. 600-700, 900-950, and 1550-1800. These date ranges are not consistent with the Structure 2 architecture or the pottery found on the floor. A single Pueblo III White Painted sherd was found on the floor of Structure 2. Mesa Verde Black-on-white pottery, including a partially reconstructible bowl, is present in the fill just above the bench surface. This pottery suggests that Structure 2 dates to sometime after A.D. 1180 and probably after A.D. 1200 (Wilson 1991).
Structure 2 Interpretations
Structure 2 is a deep pit structure constructed at the base of a sandstone cliff. The north half of Structure 2 is protected by a slight overhang. Two sampling units exposed different portions of Structure 2. One lies in the center of the pit structure. Excavation in this sampling unit exposed two (and possibly three) surfaces and a portion of the hearth. The other sampling unit exposed a portion of a masonry pilaster and the tunnel opening. This tunnel is believed to lead to the tower, Structure 1.
There are no absolute dates for Structure 2. Pottery indicates that Structure 2 dates to the late Pueblo III period, probably after A.D. 1200. The multiple surfaces in Structure 2 indicate that the length of occupation of Structure 2 is relatively long.
Courtyard (Sampling Stratum 3)
Sampling Stratum 3 is the sampling stratum adjacent to the architectural units. This area is interpreted as a small courtyard. Sampling Stratum 3 has 37 sampling units. Excavation took place in three of these sampling units (103N/111E, 102N/108E, and 100N/106E). There were no features or well-defined surfaces documented in these sampling units.
Sampling Unit 103N/111E
This sampling unit was excavated in one stratum down to bedrock. Stratum 1 was a brown sandy silt. Artifacts were virtually absent in this stratum.
Sampling Unit 102N/108E
Excavation uncovered two strata in this sampling unit. Stratum 1 is a 16-cm-thick layer of brown sandy silt. This is a postabandonment natural deposit, with only one sherd present. Stratum 2 is a dark gray brown silty clay. Sandstone, calcium carbonate flecks, and charcoal flecks occur as inclusions. Artifacts are scarce in Stratum 2, but two bifaces and seven corrugated sherds were found. Stratum 2 is 62 cm thick at its deepest point. At the base of Stratum 2, sandstone boulders cover the entire sampling unit.
The boundary between Strata 1 and 2 is abrupt and may be a surface. If this is the case, Stratum 2 would be construction fill. This construction fill may have been deposited to create a level surface in the courtyard area. This courtyard, located in the center of the site and surrounded by architectural features, may have been the location of many outdoor activities.
Sampling Unit 100N/106E
A large boulder covered the modern ground surface in the south half of this sampling unit. The boulder was moved to permit excavation in this unit. Excavation removed Stratum 1, a 7- to 14-cm-thick deposit of brown sandy silt. This is interpreted as a postabandonment, naturally deposited sediment. Beneath Stratum 1 is Stratum 2, a darker gray brown sediment with charcoal flecks and sandstone inclusions. Like the other Sampling Stratum 3 sampling units, artifacts were scarce in both strata.
Inner Periphery (Sampling Stratum 4)
Sampling Stratum 4 is the inner periphery sampling stratum. This is the area that surrounds the main cultural units on the site. Sampling Stratum 4 has 280 sampling units. Seven sampling units (97N/114E, 90N/98E, 87N/102E, 85N/111E, 84N/100E, 82N/101E, and 78N/104E) were excavated. There were no features discovered in these sampling units. Some of the sampling units were on the edge of the midden, Sampling Stratum 5. These units did not have the surface attributes associated with the midden, as the surface was covered by postabandonment erosional deposits that originated from the slope above. In some of the Sampling Stratum 4 sampling units, deep, stratified trash deposits were found below the postabandonment deposits. The sampling units on the edge of the midden are discussed first, followed by descriptions of the remainder of the Sampling Stratum 4 sampling units.
Sampling Unit 97N/114E
This sampling unit lies on the boundary between Sampling Stratum 4, the inner periphery, and Sampling Stratum 5, the midden sampling stratum. A large boulder on the modern ground surface covered a portion of the sampling unit. The boulder was moved to permit the excavation of the sampling unit. Surface artifact density was not high in this sampling unit (only one corrugated sherd was found), and the ashy sediments that characterize the surface of the midden were absent. Ashy secondary refuse was found beneath the surface, however, and excavation demonstrated that this sampling unit was a part of the midden.
This sampling unit was excavated in three strata (Figure 10.9). Stratum 1 is a brown sandy silt. Sandstone was the main inclusion, but charcoal flecks and calcium carbonate flecks are also present. Artifacts were scarce in Stratum 1. Stratum 1 is interpreted as a postabandonment natural deposit.
Stratum 2 is a 1.24-m-thick deposit of secondary refuse. The sediments are dark gray brown and the texture is a sandy silt. Inclusions are present throughout the stratum; ash, charcoal, calcium carbonates, burned and unburned adobe, and sandstone are the most common inclusions. Pure ash and charcoal lenses are present. These lenses apparently are distinct deposits of refuse. Pockets of laminated sands are also present. These laminae indicate that some water-deposited sediment is mixed with the secondary refuse. A total of 876 sherds was recovered from this secondary refuse deposit. The decorated white wares recovered from this refuse are almost exclusively Pueblo III types. Only eight of the 229 decorated sherds have mineral-paint decoration; the remainder of the decorated white wares have carbon paint. Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds are present in each level of this refuse deposit, including the very bottom, from which six Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds were recovered. Two Mancos Black-on-white sherds were also found in this lowest level of the refuse deposit. Complete and fragmentary tools present include one metate, three two-hand manos, one one-hand mano, three peckingstones, two polishing stones, three cores, three projectile points, two bone awls, four pieces of modified bone, five modified flakes, seven modified sherds, and one modified cobble. A bird bone pendant fragment, a stone bead, a bone tube, shell fragments, eggshell, gizzard stones, and mineral samples were also found in this secondary refuse.
Stratum 3 is a red brown sandy silt. Charcoal flecks, calcium carbonate flecks, and sandstone are present as inclusions. Artifacts are present, but not as common as in Stratum 2. The ashy sediment associated with Stratum 2 is absent. Stratum 3 is interpreted as the ground surface at the beginning of the site occupation, and the artifacts found in this stratum are interpreted as secondary refuse associated with the initial use of the site. Thirty-six sherds were found in Stratum 3. All of the decorated white wares in Stratum 3 have carbon paint, including a Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherd. This indicates that the initial phase of site occupation and refuse disposal took place during the Mesa Verde Phase, sometime after A.D. 1180 (Wilson 1991).
The postabandonment overburden that covers sampling unit 97N/114E resulted in the placement of this sampling unit in the inner periphery instead of the midden sampling stratum. Excavation of the sampling unit indicates that it is a part of the midden, and the boundary of the midden extends further to the east than indicated by the surface remains. Excavation units in Sampling Stratum 6 on the 120E grid line were outside of the midden. Therefore, the east boundary of the midden falls somewhere between 115E and 120E.
This single sampling unit contains a large proportion of the material found in the inner periphery. For example, 50 percent of the sherds found in the inner periphery come from this sampling unit.
Sampling Unit 90N/98E
This sampling unit lies near the west edge of the midden. The ashy sediments that characterize the midden were not present in this 1-×-1-m unit. Sediments containing cultural material occurred in a single stratum that ranged from 30 cm thick on the downslope edge of the sampling unit to 50 cm thick in the northwest corner of the sampling unit. This stratum was excavated in two levels. Artifact density was low in the upper 10 cm, highest between 20 to 30 cm below the modern ground surface, and dropped off to zero near the bottom of the unit. Sterile sediments encountered at the base of the unit are red brown sandy silt with many small, angular sandstone inclusions. Erosion from the midden probably deposited the artifacts in this sampling unit.
Sampling Unit 87N/102E
This sampling unit lies just south of the southwest corner of the midden. Three strata are present. Stratum 1 is a 14-cm-thick stratum that begins at the modern ground surface. Stratum 1 sediments are a brown silt with small (less than 5 cm) pieces of sandstone. Artifact density is high. This is interpreted as material that has eroded down from the midden.
Stratum 2 is a dark gray brown ashy silt. These sediments are similar to sediments found inside the midden. Charcoal, calcium carbonate flecks, and sandstone are common inclusions. Distinct deposits of material, such as basketloads of pure ash, are not present; nevertheless, this stratum is believed to be secondary refuse.
Stratum 3 is a red brown sandy silt. The large sandstone inclusions present in Stratum 2 are not as common in Stratum 3. Small sandstone, charcoal flecks, and calcium carbonate flecks are present. Artifacts are less frequent in Stratum 3. A large bedrock boulder lies at the base of this sampling unit.
Sampling Unit 85N/111E
This sampling unit lies mostly on top of a boulder. There is some sediment around the edges of the boulder. Sediment removed from around the boulder was a strong brown sand with many sandstone inclusions. Artifacts recovered are interpreted as erosion from the midden above.
Sampling Unit 84N/100E
This sampling unit lies between boulders. Stratum 1 is a brown sandy loam, ranging from 20 to 30 cm deep. Sandstone is the main inclusion present. Artifacts found in this stratum are interpreted as erosion from the midden. A red brown sediment interpreted as sterile, Stratum 2, was found just above bedrock at the base of the unit.
Sampling Unit 82N/101E
A single, thin stratum of fill covered bedrock in this sampling unit. Stratum 1 is a brown sand that was 5 to 30 cm thick. Just above the contact with bedrock, the sediment was more red brown. This red brown sediment was similar to the sediment interpreted as sterile elsewhere on the site.
Sampling Unit 78N/104E
This sampling unit lies on relatively level terrain directly in front of a large boulder at the downslope end of Sampling Stratum 4. A thin (2-cm) layer of red brown sediment covered the surface, but this gave way to a more gray brown sandy sediment; both were excavated as Stratum 1. Stratum 1 contained a relatively high concentration of artifacts along with some charcoal flecks and many pieces of unmodified sandstone. Artifact density was highest near the modern ground surface and decreased with depth. Level 2 of Stratum 1 contained few cultural items, but sterile sediment, a red brown sand, was not found until 40 cm below the modern ground surface. Stratum 1 is interpreted as erosion from the midden.
Inner Periphery Artifacts
The inner periphery accounts for a large portion of the artifacts recovered from Stanton's Site. The pottery found in the inner periphery accounts for 29 percent of the total pottery recovered from the site. The decorated white wares include only a few sherds that predate the Pueblo III occupation: three Mancos Black-on-white, one Pueblo II Painted, and nine Late White Painted sherds with mineral paint. Pueblo III pottery includes 99 Pueblo III White Painted, 35 Mesa Verde Black-on-white, and 292 Late White Painted sherds with carbon paint. Thus, artifacts recovered from the inner periphery were deposited during the Pueblo III occupation of the site.
Complete and fragmentary tools include three metates, four manos, two abraders, one hammerstone, six peckingstones, six cores, one maul, seven projectile points, three bifaces, two polishing stones, seven modified flakes, five other modified stones, 15 modified sherds, and two bone awls. In addition, a bird bone pendant fragment, a stone bead, four bone tubes, shell fragments, four pieces of modified bone, eggshell, gizzard stones, and mineral samples were recovered from inner periphery sampling units. A total of 698 pieces of chipped-stone debris was also found.
Inner Periphery Interpretations
A large proportion of the artifacts recovered from the inner periphery sampling stratum were found in a single sampling unit; approximately half the pottery and over two-thirds of the tools were found in 97N/114E. The secondary refuse in this sampling unit was covered with a postabandonment deposit, so it was not included in the midden sampling stratum. The remaining sampling units are located around the edge of the midden. Some of these sampling units contain secondary refuse strata, but most of the artifacts found in these sampling units are material that has eroded out of the midden.
Midden (Sampling Stratum 5)
This is the midden sampling stratum. All Sampling Stratum 5 sampling units are provenienced as Nonstructure 1. There are 133 sampling units in Nonstructure 1; excavation took place in eight of these (96N/111E, 95N/104E, 95N/103E, 94N/111E, 92N/109E, 92N/101E, 90N/109E, and 89N/102E). An important goal of the 1989 Site Testing Program was to determine the depth of midden deposits on talus sites. Despite the steep slope, Stanton's Site midden was as deep as 1.25 m in places. Figure 10.9 illustrates the stratigraphic profile of 97N/114E. This sampling unit was excavated as a part of Sampling Stratum 4 because an upper stratum of slopewash covered the secondary refuse. The stratigraphy below Stratum 1 in 97N/114E is a good example of the stratigraphy of the midden sampling units.
Sampling Unit 96N/111E
This sampling unit lies just beneath the tower, Structure 1; the large boulder that the tower is built upon is the north edge of this sampling unit. Excavation in this sampling unit consists of a single stratum subdivided into levels, but three strata were identified when the profile was cleaned and drawn. Figure 10.10 shows a view of the stratigraphy of this unit.
The uppermost stratum was a brown sandy silt 25 cm thick on the north edge of the test pit and 6 cm thick on the south, downslope, side. This stratum is a postabandonment deposit that originated from upslope. Sandstone wall fall, probably from the tower, was the main inclusion.
Stratum 2 is a deposit of secondary refuse that ranges between 80 and 90 cm thick. Stratum 2 is a gray brown sandy silt; the grayish color is due to high ash content. Charcoal is present throughout Stratum 2, and lenses of pure ash are also present. These lenses are interpreted as distinct dumping episodes. Sandstone inclusions are present, but less common than the sandstone in both Strata 1 and 3. Stratum 2 extends 18 cm below the base of the boulder on the north side of the sampling unit. Artifacts mapped in place in Stratum 2 include a mano and a projectile point.
Stratum 3 is a red brown sandy silt with sandstone inclusions. This stratum is interpreted as the ground surface that was exposed when occupation of the site began. Excavation of this sampling unit stopped after excavating 10 cm into this stratum where the deposits were interpreted as sterile.
Sampling Units 95N/104E and 95N/103E
These two contiguous sampling units lay between two boulders, one upslope and the other down slope. These boulders have slowed the midden erosion in this area. The roomblock and pit structure, Structure 2, are just above these midden squares. Three strata were identified when these units were excavated.
Stratum 1 in these sampling units is a mixed deposit that contains both postabandonment colluvial deposition and some secondary refuse. The mixing may be due to rodent activity and root disturbance which was extensive. Sandstone, probably wall fall from the roomblock, is the main inclusion, and charcoal flecks are also present.
Stratum 2 is a deposit of secondary refuse as thick as 90 cm. Sediments are gray brown sandy silt with a high ash content. Sandstone, charcoal, and calcium carbonate flecks are present throughout the stratum. Distinct lenses of pure ash were also present. These represent distinct dumping events into the midden.
Stratum 3 is a loosely compacted, yellow brown sandy silt. There is an abrupt boundary with the secondary refuse above. Charcoal flecks are present in the upper portion of this stratum, but artifacts were virtually absent. Stratum 3 was the prehistoric ground surface at the time the site occupation began. Stratum 3 excavation was stopped after 20 cm because sterile sediments were reached at this depth.
Complete artifacts point-located in this sampling unit include two bifacial worked tools, four whole or fragmentary projectile points, a bone awl, and a metate.
Sampling Unit 94N/111E
This sampling unit is located in the center of the midden. A large boulder is located in the northwest portion of the square. Excavation in this sampling unit exposed a single stratum of secondary refuse that has a maximum thickness of 1 m. The sediment consisted of gray brown sandy silt with high ash content, charcoal, calcium carbonate flecks, and abundant sandstone inclusions. The sandstone was particularly dense at 30 to 35 cm below where tabular slabs covered the entire unit. There was no shaping on these slabs so it is not clear if they are wall fall or simply talus.
The refuse deposits extend 30 cm below the base of the boulder. A complete Mesa Verde Black-on-white mug lay in the refuse deposits near the base of the boulder. Some disarticulated human bone was found in the level below the mug, and it is possible that the mug is associated with a burial tucked under the boulder just outside of the sampling unit. A projectile point was found near the scattered bone.
Sampling Unit 92N/101E
This sampling unit lies on the west edge of the midden, below the masonry roomblock. The ash-rich deposits that characterize the rest of the midden were not present in this sampling unit. Instead, excavation exposed a single stratum, subdivided into three arbitrary levels, that went down 50 to 60 cm to the contact with sterile sediments. Stratum 1 was a brown to gray brown sandy silt with sandstone and charcoal flecks as the main inclusions. Artifact density was not as great as the midden squares to the east. Stratum 1 is interpreted as a mixed deposit consisting of both postabandonment erosion and secondary refuse. Excavation of this sampling unit indicates that the midden does not extend further to the west.
Sampling Units 92N/109E and 90N/109E
These two sampling units lie near the center of the midden. Their excavation exposed three strata. Stratum 1, the uppermost stratum, consists of a loosely compacted, brown silty sand. Inclusions of sandstone, charcoal, and calcium carbonate flecks are also present. The thickness of Stratum 1 varies between 12 and 20 cm. Stratum 1 is a mixed deposit of postabandonment erosion and secondary refuse.
Stratum 2 is a loosely compacted, gray brown silty sand. The grayish color is due to the high ash content. Sandstone, charcoal, and calcium carbonate flecks are the most common inclusions. Artifact density was highest in this stratum. Stratum 2 thickness varies between 60 and 90 cm in these two units. Stratum 2 is interpreted as secondary refuse based on the high ash and artifact content.
Stratum 3 is a red brown sandy silt. Artifacts and charcoal flecks are present in the top of this stratum but absent at the base. Sandstone covered with calcium carbonate is also present. The top of this stratum is interpreted as the prehistoric ground surface when the occupation of the site began, and the base of this stratum is interpreted as sterile.
Sampling unit 92N/109E excavation stopped at a maximum depth of 1.20 m below modern ground surface; the excavation of 90N/109E stopped at 1.00 m below modern ground surface. Artifacts point-located in these two sampling units include eight whole or fragmentary projectile points, three bone awls or bone awl fragments, and a polished bone bead.
Sampling Unit 89N/102E
This sampling unit lies in the southwest corner of the midden. Excavation exposed three strata. The uppermost stratum is a brown silty sand with sandstone, calcium carbonate flecks, and a few charcoal flecks. This stratum was 12 cm thick and interpreted as postabandonment erosion. Stratum 2 was a dark gray brown sandy silt; the grayish color is due to high ash content. Charcoal and sandstone are more abundant in Stratum 2 than in either of the other two strata. Artifact density was highest in this stratum as well. This stratum is interpreted as secondary refuse based on the presence of the ash and artifacts.
Stratum 3 was a red brown sandy silt. Charcoal flecks were present on the top of the stratum but disappeared at the base of the excavation. The top of Stratum 3 was the prehistoric ground surface at the time that occupation of the site began; the base of the stratum consists of sterile sediments. Artifacts point-located in this stratum include a shaped bone and an obsidian projectile point.
Midden Artifacts
The majority of artifacts collected from the site were recovered from the midden sampling units. A total of 3,973 sherds, 63 percent of all the pottery recovered from the site, came from the midden sampling stratum. This pottery is predominantly Pueblo III pottery. The only earlier decorated white wares present are one Early White Painted sherd, one Pueblo II White Painted, and nine Late White Painted with mineral paint designs. Pueblo III pottery includes Pueblo III White Painted (N = 240), McElmo Black-on-white (N = 5), Mesa Verde Black-on-white (N = 75), and Late White Painted with carbon-paint designs (N = 714). Mesa Verde Black-on-white is present in all levels of the midden, including strata interpreted as the prehistoric ground surface when Stanton's Site occupation began. The predominance of Pueblo III pottery and the presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white at the base of the midden indicate that the midden accumulated during the late Pueblo III occupation of Stanton's Site.
Just over 60 percent of the tools recovered from Stanton's Site came from the midden sampling stratum. Complete and fragmentary tools include 10 metates, seven manos, three abraders, three hammerstones, six peckingstones, 19 cores, nine bifaces, 15 projectile points, five drills, three other chipped-stone tools, 11 other modified stones, eight bone awls, 22 pieces of modified bone, 16 modified flakes, and 35 modified sherds. In addition, three stone pendants, two sherd pendants, three shaped sherds, two bone tubes, eggshell, gizzard stones, and several mineral samples were recovered from the Stanton's Site excavations. A total of 1,999 pieces of chipped-stone debris was also found in the midden sampling units.
Twelve flotation samples were analyzed from the midden. Juniper, pine, serviceberry/squawbush, cottonwood/willow, sagebrush, and bitterbrush/cliffrose charcoal were found in these samples. Corn cupules were also present and interpreted as evidence that corncobs were also burned as fuel. Cheno-am, corn kernels, and Indian ricegrass seeds were also recovered from the midden and interpreted as food. In addition to the material from the flotation samples, corncobs and beans were recovered from the midden deposits during excavation.
Midden Interpretations
Eight probability units were excavated in the midden. These test pits documented that, despite the steep slope, there are deposits as deep as 1.25 m in the midden. Refuse deposits are thickest near the top of the midden and in the center of the midden. Testing indicates that the approximate west boundary of the midden lies along the 101E grid line. Postabandonment deposition has obscured the east boundary of the midden. Excavations in Sampling Stratum 4 indicate that the east boundary of the midden lies between the 115E and 120E grid line. The size and depth of the midden indicate that the occupation span at Stanton's Site was lengthy.
Testing discovered no burials in the midden. Excavation did uncover a complete Mesa Verde Black-on-white mug. This mug may be associated with a burial located just outside of the sampling unit. Many complete tools were found in the midden, including five complete projectile points. It is unclear why these complete tools were discarded. It may relate to the use of middens as cemeteries as well as areas where refuse is discarded. Projectile points may be discarded as offerings, instead of being discarded as items that were no longer functional.
Outer Periphery (Sampling Stratum 6)
This is the outer periphery sampling stratum. There are 195 sampling units in this stratum, and excavation took place in four of these (90N/95E, 87N/120E, 85N/120E, and 84N/97E). There were no features discovered in these sampling units.
Sampling Unit 90N/95E
This sampling unit lies near the west edge of the site. A single stratum was removed down to the contact with sterile sediments. Stratum 1 was a brown sandy loam. Artifacts were most common near the top of the stratum and decreased in frequency with depth. Stratum 1 excavation continued to a depth of 37 to 45 cm. Stratum 1 sediments became gradually more red and more fine grained with depth. Stratum 1 is interpreted as a deposit that has washed down from upslope. This erosion probably took place both during and after the occupation of the site.
Excavation exposed Stratum 2 at the base of the sampling unit. This stratum, a red brown silty clay with calcium-carbonate-covered sandstone inclusions, is interpreted as sterile.
Sampling Units 87N/120E and 85N/120E
These two sampling units lie near the east edge of the site. Both sampling units were excavated down to the contact with a gray shale. This shale lens is a part of the Dakota Formation, and it is exposed on the modern ground surface on the west edge of the site. The shale is a sterile C horizon.
Above the shale, Stratum 1 is a brown sandy silt. The contact with the shale is abrupt, but wavy, so the depth of Stratum 1 varies in each corner of the sampling unit. Variation in the depth to sterile is also caused by boulders near the edges of the sampling units; sediments are trapped by the boulders and the depth to sterile is greater nearest the boulders. In 87N/120E, contact with the shale varied between 20 and 68 cm below the modern ground surface. Depth to sterile in 85N/120E varies between 28 and 70 cm. Stratum 1 is interpreted as erosional deposition that took place during and after the occupation of the site.
Sampling Unit 84N/97E
This sampling unit is located in the southwest corner of the site. Most of the sampling unit landed on a large boulder. Sediment is present in the southwest corner of the sampling unit. This sediment, a brown sandy loam, was removed to a depth of 13 cm, exposing the boulder in the entire sampling unit.
Outer Periphery (Sampling Stratum 6) Interpretations
The outer periphery is the artifact scatter around the edges of the site. Deposition of these artifacts is believed to be primarily due to erosion from the main portion of the site. This erosion probably occurred both during and after the site occupation. Artifact density is relatively light; one metate, two cores, 51 pieces of chipped-stone debris, and 316 sherds were recovered from this sampling stratum. Artifacts continue downslope beyond the south boundary of Sampling Stratum 6.
Outer Periphery, Slopewash (Sampling Stratum 7)
This is the slope below Sampling Stratum 6. A surface artifact scatter was mapped. The artifact density was more sparse than Sampling Stratum 6, but artifacts could be found on the slope down to the terrace where Catherine's site is located. This artifact scatter runs into the east edge of Catherine's Site. A total of 1,301 sampling units was present in Sampling Stratum 7; time did not permit the excavation of any of these sampling units. Testing the slopewash areas of other talus sites shows that the artifacts are present primarily on the surface and that buried deposits are not present.
Stanton's Site Artifacts
The artifacts recovered from Stanton's Site are reported in tables at the end of this chapter (Table 10.1, Table 10.2, Table 10.3, Table 10.4, and Table 10.5). The Stanton's Site pottery assemblage totals 6,298 sherds that are predominantly late Pueblo III pottery. The presence of earlier pottery is limited. Earlier pottery includes 44 Indeterminate Plain Gray, two Early White Painted, seven Early White Unpainted, three Mancos Black-on-white, two Pueblo II White Painted, and 19 Late White Painted with mineral-paint designs. Together this relatively early pottery makes up 1.2 percent of the total assemblage. This may have been deposited during limited use of the site before the late Pueblo III habitation, but the amount of earlier pottery is so small that it may have been incorporated into the Stanton's Site assemblage by processes other than an early occupation.
Pueblo III pottery includes 117 Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds, by far the most common decorated white ware that could be assigned to a traditional type. Mesa Verde Black-on-white at Stanton's Site is 1.8 percent of the total pottery assemblage, higher than the percentage of Mesa Verde Black-on-white at the mesa-top unit pueblos and most of the tested sites. This indicates that Stanton's Site may postdate the mesa-top unit pueblos which were abandoned in the early half of the A.D. 1200s. Thus, the Stanton's Site occupation probably dates to sometime after A.D. 1230, and the occupation may have continued into the late 1200s.
Complete and fragmentary tools include 17 metates, 16 manos, five abraders, four hammerstones, 12 peckingstones, 29 cores, one maul, 14 bifaces, 24 projectile points, five drills, three other chipped-stone tools, 17 pieces of other modified stone/mineral, two polishing stones, 11 bone awls, 24 modified flakes, and 59 modified sherds. Also found were 27 pieces of modified bone fragments, four stone pendants, two sherd pendants, one bird bone pendant, four shaped sherds, six bone tubes, five pieces of shell, eggshell, gizzard stones, and numerous mineral samples. A total of 2,862 pieces of chipped-stone debris was also recovered.
Nonlocal materials are present but not common. A single Deadmans Black-on-red sherd, three pieces of unpainted San Juan Red Ware, and six pieces of nonlocal red ware were definitely not made in the locality. Four of these nonlocal red ware sherds could be more specifically identified as Tsegi Orange Ware. There is also a Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherd decorated with mineral paint, a style common in the Hovenweep area (Wilson 1991). Only 17 of the 175 stone tools (9.7 percent) recovered from the site are made of nonlocal material; this includes two projectile points and three modified flakes made of agate/chalcedony, one biface made of Washington Pass chert, one petrified wood core, and nine projectile points and one biface made of nonlocal chert/siltstone. Of the chipped-stone debris, 3.1 percent of the total (89 pieces) are nonlocal material. Nonlocal material includes agate/chalcedony, obsidian, jet, and nonlocal chert/siltstone.
Stanton's Site Summary and Conclusions
Stanton's Site was the first of three talus-slope sites excavated as part of the Testing Program (Lester's Site and Lookout House were the other two). The locations of architectural units on these sites do not conform to the standard unit-pueblo layout documented at mesa-top sites. Postabandonment deposition and erosion make the interpretation of surface remains difficult, which in turn hinders attempts to assign a general site function to these sites during survey. One reason for testing talus-slope sites was to determine what type of architectural features were present and to clarify site layout. Testing at Stanton's Site resulted in the discovery of a masonry tower, a masonry-lined pit structure, a masonry roomblock, and a deep midden. These features indicate that Stanton's Site was used as a habitation.
Mesa Verde-region surveys also suggest that there was a move off the mesa tops and onto the talus slopes during the A.D. 1200s (Fetterman and Honeycutt 1987; Neily 1983). The Testing Program was designed to test this hypothesis. No absolute dates were obtained for Stanton's Site, so assigning a precise date is not possible. However, the percentage of Mesa Verde Black-on-white pottery at Stanton's Site is among the highest of any of the tested sites, suggesting that Stanton's postdates the occupations of the mesa-top sites. The fact that roof timbers were salvaged from Structure 2 at Stanton's Site indicates that it was abandoned before the abandonment of the Sand Canyon locality and the Mesa Verde region as a whole. Regional abandonment took place between A.D. 1280 and 1300. Pottery and stratigraphy suggest that the Stanton's Site occupation dates between A.D. 1230 and 1270. Earlier pottery is scarce at Stanton's Site, indicating that it is essentially a single-component site.
The length and season of site occupation is an important question addressed by the Testing Program. The Stanton's Site midden is deeper than the midden at any other tested site, which indicates that Stanton's Site was occupied for a relatively long time. Stratigraphy in the midden shows no evidence of repeated occupations and abandonments of the site. The accumulation of cooking-pot sherds, discussed in greater detail in Chapter 22, indicates that Stanton's Site was occupied for about 75 years.