On the northern and eastern shores of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, there are a dozen or so dry caves that were inhabited by ancient Indigenous people. From 1930 to 1931, Utah archaeologist Julian Steward recovered hundreds of well-worn moccasins, mittens, buffalo robe fragments, weapons, pottery, bone and stone tools, cordage, gaming pieces and faunal remains from the Promontory Caves. Dating to the 13th century A.D., this collection of hunter-gatherer artifacts is one of the most comprehensive and remarkable collections in western North America.
Stewart recognized that the material culture collection he recovered was different from typical Great Basin artifact collections. It was instead characteristic of the Canadian Subarctic and northern Plains, home to Athabascan-speaking people. This volume connects Stewart’s work in the 1930s to new excavations in Promontory Caves 1 and 2 on the northern shore of the lake. Scholars contribute 16 essays on a wide variety of topics relating to the Athabascan lifeway and dispersals from Alaska through the Pacific Northwest, the Great Plains, and the American Southwest. Modern Apaches and Navajos in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah speak Athabaskan dialects similar to people in Alaska and Canada.
The authors start their examination of this culture in the Promontory Caves and expand to other related topics including linguistic history and migration patterns that connect this widely dispersed culture and people. The book also provides insights into the interaction of Athabascan speakers with neighboring tribes over many centuries.
With 75 illustrations and 25 maps, this volume presents an impressive amount of information in an easy-to-follow format. It is an important addition to the literature on one of the largest and most important segments of Native America.
