Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

Lithic analysis of a large artifact collection from the Grove Ranch in Pueblo Valley, Oregon, contributes new insights involving a relatively understudied area of the northern Great Basin. The diversity and density of artifacts from the Grove Ranch indicate a consistent use of the site throughout the Holocene, and source provenance analysis elucidates diachronic conveyance patterns. The overall suite of raw materials suggests a localized conveyance zone that included the southern Alvord Basin and areas to the southwest. Late Holocene arrow points from Grove Ranch were made from more diverse sources than middle Holocene dart points. A single Desert Side-notched point is made from Bear Gulch obsidian from 600 km. away in eastern Idaho, and may be related to an influx of people from the Snake River Plain during the latest Holocene. This research demonstrates the value of donated collections and the impact they can have on areas where little previous archaeological research has been conducted.