Archaeology, Alluvium, and Cave Stratigraphy: The Record from Bechan Cave, Utah

Abstract

Excavations for paleontological remains in Bechan Cave, Utah, also have produced significant cultural information. Episodes of cultural activity during the past 8,000 years, preserved within the cave, are correlated with alluvial events in an adjacent canyon. Preliminary analyses indicate that human occupation of both the canyon floor and the cave was determined by changing fluvial regimes. No cultural evidence was found in either the canyon or the cave during intervals of rapid aggradation and degradation, such as 600–900, 3,500–4,000, 6,300–5,000 and +8,300 b.p. These conclusions are tentative, but suggest a model for further research in the canyon country of the Colorado Plateau.