GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF LATE PLEISTOCENE AND EARLY HOLOCENE OCCUPATION AT THE CONNLEY CAVES, NORTHERN GREAT BASIN, OREGON

The Connley Caves (35LK50) consist of eight caves and rock shelters eroded by pluvial Fort Rock Lake at the end of the Pleistocene. The caves preserve nearly 4 m of stratified sediments bearing stone tools characteristic of the Western Stemmed Tradition (WST). This paper provides an overview of ongoing geoarchaeological research at the Connley Caves, paying particular attention to application of soil and sediment micromorphology of late LP/EH deposits. This research integrates geomorphological, pedological, mineralogical data to 1) critically evaluate the stratigraphic integrity of the site’s deposits, 2) reconstruct the site's natural and cultural site formation processes, and 3) shed light on human-environment dynamics during the LP/EH transition. The results of this research will provide key data for constraining diachronic human occupation in the northern Great Basin.