CLEANING OUT THE FREEZER: FAUNAL ANALYSIS AND PALEOECOLOGY OF THE ALPHA CAVE COLD STORAGE SITE, SOUTHERN IDAHO

The Alpha Cave cold storage facility at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho, USA is one in a complex of four collapsed lava tubes located in a central portion of the monument known as the Great Rift. The site was excavated in 2005 as part of a field school through the University of Oregon. Initial investigations mapped and recovered articles within the cave including animal remains, burnt sagebrush and various lithic and ceramic artifacts. Previous research thoroughly recorded and evaluated both non-animal based artifacts and cave geography; however no formal investigation of faunal specimen was carried out.

The goal of this research project was to complete the analysis of the faunal assemblage from the site and to evaluate new and previously collected data to comparable other cold storage caves in southern Idaho. Three newly acquired AMS radiocarbon dates were taken from bison specimens within the Alpha Cave collection. These dates were then added to previously obtained data in order to create an age model depicting use periods for four cold storage facilities: Tomcat, Bobcat, Scaredy Cat and Alpha caves. This model illustrates both the overlap in site use periods as well as possible hiatuses in storage activity at two of the cave sites (Alpha and Scaredy Cat). Comparison of this age model to the timing of local geologic events has shown a correlation between geologic activity and temporary cessation of cave use. These links, however, are tenuous at best and require more research to finalize any conclusions. Analysis of the Alpha Cave faunal assemblage has revealed an increased number of bison remains when compared to the three other cave sites. Analysis was also carried out to compare which portions of the animal were being stored at each cave site, as well as what percentages of the assemblage each portion comprised (leg, arm, trunk, cranial, etc). Finally, remains from each site were sampled for stable isotope analysis (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O and δ¹⁵N). Results of this analysis were then compared between sites in order to identify possible differences in the origin and environment of the faunal remains.