ENIGMATIC TAPHONOMIC FEATURES AND CONTEXTS OF LATE QUATERNARY FOSSILS AT THE HISCOCK SITE, WESTERN NEW YORK

Hiscock is a rich late Quaternary paleontological and archaeological site in Genesee Co., New York. Although it is relatively shallow (<2 meters) and distinctly stratified, it nonetheless displays considerable stratigraphic complexity as well as puzzling modification of some of the fossils. In part, this reflects the fact that the core of the site is a spring-fed basin that was apparently damp during much of its history.

Objects have clearly intruded into moist substrate, becoming encased in older layers. These instances are usually detectable only through radiocarbon dating. More difficult to interpret are Pleistocene objects protruding upward into significantly younger strata. In one case, this may point to a rapid transition from “Pleistocene” to “Holocene” environmental conditions at the site.

Humans were present at the Hiscock site from late Pleistocene times onward, and must be considered potential taphonomic agents. Possible examples of their influence include mastodon and caribou remains that have been modified in ways that seem inexplicable through natural causes.