Fenn Cache Analysis

The Fenn Cache is one of the most compelling Clovis features ever to surface— a collection of 56 Clovis artifacts reportedly discovered in a field Photo of a Clovis point from the Fenn Cache somewhere near the juncture of the Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho borders. In 2007 we began a multi-faceted analysis of the Fenn Cache artifacts. The artifacts are made on two kinds of chert, "Pigeon Blood" chert presumably from southeast Utah and "oil" chert from southwest Wyoming. Following leads from Bruce Bradley, we have visited potential sources of both cherts, collecting samples for geochemical analyses (INAA, XRF), to see if we can discern the two sources and match them with the Clovis artifacts. We are also using replicas of Clovis points and bifaces made on both materials in a series of experiments, so that we can conduct high-power microscopic use-wear analysis of the points and bifaces, and interpret possible traces of edge, hafting, and bag wear. We are also measuring each artifact, conducting technological as well as morphometric analyses of them, for comparisons with other Clovis artifacts from interior western North America.

Article