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Coordinates: 29°49′N 101°33′W / 29.817°N 101.550°W / 29.817; -101.550
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{{Short description|Archaeological Site}}
{{linkless-date|June 2006}}
'''Bonfire Shelter''' is an archaeological site located in a southwest Texas rock shelter. This archaeological site contains evidence of mass bison hunts, a phenomenon that is usually associated with the Great Plains hundreds of miles to the north. This site is the southernmost site where mass bison hunts have taken place. These hunts were "bison jumps" which involved stampeding a herd of bison over a cliff, and then butchering the dead animals. In the shelter, there are two distinct zones of bison bones. Each zone represents several bison jumps over relatively little time, perhaps no more than 50-100 years, but the two zones occurred nearly 7500 years apart. The earlier bones are dated to Paleo-Indian period hunts, while the later occurred in around 500 BC. The site was originally investigated by legendary Texas archaeologist David S. Dibble.
'''Bonfire Shelter''' is an [[archaeological]] site located in a southwest [[Texas]] rock shelter, near [[Langtry, Texas]]. This archaeological site contains evidence of mass [[American bison|American buffalo]] hunts, a phenomenon that is usually associated with the [[Great Plains]] hundreds of miles to the north. This site is the southernmost site that has been located in [[North America]] where mass bison hunts have taken place, and also the earliest known.<ref>Dibble,David S. and [[Dessamae Lorrain]]: 1968 Bonfire Shelter: A Stratified Bison Kill Site, Val Verde County, Texas. Miscellaneous Papers No.1. Texas Memorial Museum Publications, University of Texas, Austin.</ref>


==History==
⚫
Archaeologist Vaughn Bryant has investigated this strange lack of intermediate hunts. Using pollen samples, he discovered that the area had only seen good grass cover for grazing two times since 10,000 BC, and that each time coincided with a deposit of bones. At other times, this area was to inhospitable to support large herds of grazing animals. Bonfire Shelter demonstrates the corrolation between climatic changes and the archaeological evidence we can find today.
[[Image:TXMap-doton-Langtry.PNG|200px|thumb|right|Bonfire Shelter is located in Texas]]


[[Bison hunting]] was performed as "[[Buffalo jump|bison jumps]]" which involved stampeding a herd of bison over a cliff, and then butchering the dead animals. In the shelter, there are two distinct zones of bison bones. Each zone represents several bison jumps over relatively little time, perhaps no more than 50–100 years, but the two zones occurred nearly 7500 years apart. The earlier bones are dated to [[Paleo-Indian]] period hunts, while the later occurred in around 500 BC. The site was originally investigated by legendary Texas archaeologist [[David S. Dibble]].

[[Image:Sunset Route, Mile Creek Canyon, Texas.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Mile Canyon bison jump site]]

⚫
Archaeologist [[Vaughn Bryant]] has investigated this strange lack of intermediate hunts. Using [[pollen]] samples, he discovered that the area had seen good grass cover for grazing only twice since 10,000 BC, and that each time coincided with a deposit of bones. At other times, this area was too inhospitable to support large herds of grazing animals. Bonfire Shelter demonstrates the correlation between [[Climate change (general concept)|climatic change]]s and the archaeological evidence we can find today.

[[Mile Canyon]], where Bonfire Shelter is located, was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1970 AD. The historic district comprises a 1,500 acre (6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) area which is entirely on privately owned land.

==References==
{{reflist}}
Fagan, Brian. ''Ancient North America''. Thames & Hudson, London. 2005, p 125.
Fagan, Brian. ''Ancient North America''. Thames & Hudson, London. 2005, p 125.


==External links==
* {{cite web |url=http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/bonfire/index.html |title=Bonfire Shelter |website=Texas Beyond History |publisher=University of Texas at Austin}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.utep.edu/leb/PleistNM/sites/bonfireshelter.htm |title=Bonfire Shelter |website=Pleistocene Vertebrates of Southwestern USA and Northwestern Mexico |publisher=University of Texas at El Paso}}
* {{cite Handbook of Texas |id=bbb02 |title=Bonfire Shelter |last=Turpin |first=Solveig A. |date=June 12, 2010}}

{{coord|29|49|N|101|33|W|type:landmark_region:TX|display=title}}
{{Navbox prehistoric caves}}

[[Category:Buffalo jumps]]
[[Category:Rock shelters in the United States]]
[[Category:Landforms of Val Verde County, Texas]]


{{archaeology-stub}}
{{US-archaeology-stub}}
{{ValVerdeCountyTX-geo-stub}}
{{hunting-stub}}

Latest revision as of 22:43, 14 October 2024

Bonfire Shelter is an archaeological site located in a southwest Texas rock shelter, near Langtry, Texas. This archaeological site contains evidence of mass American buffalo hunts, a phenomenon that is usually associated with the Great Plains hundreds of miles to the north. This site is the southernmost site that has been located in North America where mass bison hunts have taken place, and also the earliest known.[1]

History

[edit]
Bonfire Shelter is located in Texas

Bison hunting was performed as "bison jumps" which involved stampeding a herd of bison over a cliff, and then butchering the dead animals. In the shelter, there are two distinct zones of bison bones. Each zone represents several bison jumps over relatively little time, perhaps no more than 50–100 years, but the two zones occurred nearly 7500 years apart. The earlier bones are dated to Paleo-Indian period hunts, while the later occurred in around 500 BC. The site was originally investigated by legendary Texas archaeologist David S. Dibble.

Mile Canyon bison jump site

Archaeologist Vaughn Bryant has investigated this strange lack of intermediate hunts. Using pollen samples, he discovered that the area had seen good grass cover for grazing only twice since 10,000 BC, and that each time coincided with a deposit of bones. At other times, this area was too inhospitable to support large herds of grazing animals. Bonfire Shelter demonstrates the correlation between climatic changes and the archaeological evidence we can find today.

Mile Canyon, where Bonfire Shelter is located, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 AD. The historic district comprises a 1,500 acre (6 km2) area which is entirely on privately owned land.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dibble,David S. and Dessamae Lorrain: 1968 Bonfire Shelter: A Stratified Bison Kill Site, Val Verde County, Texas. Miscellaneous Papers No.1. Texas Memorial Museum Publications, University of Texas, Austin.

Fagan, Brian. Ancient North America. Thames & Hudson, London. 2005, p 125.

[edit]
  • "Bonfire Shelter". Texas Beyond History. University of Texas at Austin.
  • "Bonfire Shelter". Pleistocene Vertebrates of Southwestern USA and Northwestern Mexico. University of Texas at El Paso.
  • Turpin, Solveig A. (June 12, 2010). "Bonfire Shelter". Handbook of Texas (online ed.). Texas State Historical Association.

29°49′N 101°33′W / 29.817°N 101.550°W / 29.817; -101.550

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