Signal Butte
Description
The eponymous Signal Butte rises about 120 feet (37 m) above the plains in the watershed of the North Platte River in westernmost Nebraska. The butte is covered by a layer of gravel and windblown soil, in which there are three distinct layers of cultural material. The oldest layers have been dated to 5,000 years ago, in the Middle Archaic Period. Finds at the site include stone projectile points and drills, and bone tools such as awls.
The butte first came to the notice of professional archaeologists in 1931, when a local amateur notified William Duncan Strong of materials found there. Strong led investigations of the butte in 1931 and 1932, during which numerous artifacts were found, as well as features such as storage pits, fireplace hearths, and other signs of repeated habitation. The site is one of the first from which a radiocarbon date was obtained, although the exact dates of habitation have been the subject of some controversy and ongoing debate. The site was investigated further in the 1940s and 1950s, at which time it was established that the sites probably represented seasonal hunting camps.
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Signal Butte". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
- ^ "Signal Butte". National Park Service. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "Behind the 2016 Poster – Signal Butte". Nebraska Archaeology. Retrieved February 28, 2018.