GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL MODELING OF THE PALEOINDIAN RECORD IN SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO AND NORTHERN UTAH

Utah State University archaeologists have worked for the past several years to identify and document Paleoindian (8,000 - 12,000 year-old) sites in the ecotone region of southeastern Idaho and northern Utah. In an area spanning nine counties and four converging environmental zones, what began as a handful of documented Paleoindian localities has blossomed to over 90 thanks to collaborations with local landowners.

We now have a sufficiently robust sample of Paleoindian sites to create a preliminary predictive model to guide systematic survey to locate additional sites representing First Americans. Here we overview the variables invoked to create the model, which include archaeological site distribution, geomorphological and soils data, and OSL-dated landforms in the project region. We conclude with the identification of areas where we will test the model through summer 2011 field reconnaissance.