PROVENANCE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE GENEVIEVE LYKES DUNCAN SITE (41BS2615)

The Genevieve Lykes Duncan Site (41BS2615) is a multi-component site located at the confluence of Terlingua Creek and Davenport Draw in West Texas. Given the scarcity of water in this region, this particular location would have been a commodity to humans throughout time and regularly reoccupied. By investigating the processes that caused the sediments at Genevieve Lykes Duncan to be deposited it is possible to determine which water source dominated deposition therefore giving us insight on how humans were interacting with the environment around them. Preliminary research at the site confirmed that the gravel within Terlingua Creek and Davenport Draw have unique, distinguishable compositions. This information was then used to identify gravel deposits within the excavation units. With this in mind, fine-grained samples from both Terlingua Creek and Davenport Draw were taken along with a sediment column from the block excavations. The sand from these samples was then subsequently analyzed to determine if 1) the sand from Terlingua and Davenport have unique compositional signatures and 2) whether sand from within the site could be used to determine source contribution through time. By point counting single grain mount thin sections distinct differences were observed between Terlingua and Davenport draw. These data were then used to determine the provenance of sediment from within the site. This was then used to infer which water source dominated deposition and how it changed throughout time.