Determining Hearth Location Through Spatial Distribution of Flotation and Piece-Plotted Carbon from the La Prele Mammoth Site, Wyoming

The spatial distribution of charcoal recovered in situ and from floatation samples provides evidence of a hearth’s location in Block D at the Clovis La Prele Mammoth kill/scavenge site (48CO1401) in eastern Wyoming. Hearth features at La Prele are virtually invisible during excavation and are identified based on the distribution of charcoal, calcined bone, and burned lithic artifacts. Here, I test the spatial distribution of the floated charcoal to determine if it is randomly distributed, and if the distribution significantly differs from the in situ charcoal. I find a non-random distribution that suggests a hearth location. I also find a significant difference in the floated and in situ charcoal distribution, but this could be the result of excavator bias and in situ charcoal collection procedures, and taphonomic conditions.