Publication: The Archaeological History of an American Treasure
Author: Jerry Spangler
Date of Publication: 2012
PDF File: JerryDSpangler_2012_Chapter6RockArtSettle_NineMileCanyonTheArch.pdf
Description
The publication of John Gillin’s Archaeological Investigations in Nine Mile Canyon, Utah (During the Year 1936) first brought Nine Mile Canyon’s rich and perplexing archaeological resources to the attention of the archaeological world. And it could have been—should have been—the impetus for a new generation of archaeologists to follow in his footsteps, exploring the many questions raised by Gillin’s work. The questions are myriad: Are Valley Village and Sky House truly representative of settlement patterns in the canyon as a whole or are they anomalies? Do they represent occupations at the same point in time by identical groups of people? Or did the ancients once live on the valley floor next to fields and water, only to shift to defensible positions high above the valley floor in response to a perceived threat? What was this threat? Were these groups really Fremont farmers akin to those living in the San Rafael Swell and Uinta Basin, or were they immigrants from distant regions bringing with them new ideas and approaches to farming in harsh climates? Most fundamental, when did these events occur?