JOHN ALBANESE AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF EARLY HOLOCENE LANDSCAPES AND PALEOINDIAN OCCUPATIONS ON ELM CREEK, FALL RIVER COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA

John Albanese, with Brian Carter and the author, conducted geoarchaeological investigations of sites at Elm Creek, Fall River County, South Dakota in 2003. Rich Holocene archaeological landscapes with considerable time depth were documented. Identified landscapes include four terraces (T-1, T-2, T-3, and T-4) with multiple paleosols buried in the fill of the T-1, T-2 and T-3. Paleoindian occupations associated with paleosols are found at depths from 1 m to over 3 m below the T-3 surface and date to 7920 +/- 80 B.P., 8530 +/- 120 B.P., 9290 +/-40 B.P. and 10,320 +/70 B.P. These data suggest that the upper drainage of Elm Creek near the Black Hills was intensively utilized by Goshen, Folsom and later Paleoindian groups.