Stratigraphy
The decade of excavations from 1970 to 1978 exposed a remarkable stratigraphic sequence at Gatecliff Rockshelter. The lack of erosion and episodic deposits of sediments due to water provided a well-defined and intact cultural sequence that could be applied to the Great Basin area. The deposits consisted of 56 geological strata with 16 cultural horizons; 23 strata contained rubble and 33 contained fine silt material. The deposits also include a 0.79 inches (2 cm) layer of tephra from Mt. Mazama’s eruption about 6600 to 7000 B.P. The stratigraphy can also be divided into eight stages to reflect a specific climatic regime. Forty-seven radiocarbon dates were obtained and thoroughly ground the chronological sequence of Gatecliff Rockshelter.
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