See more from this Division: Topical Sessions
See more from this Session: From Quaternary Geology and Physical Volcanology to Geoarchaeology and Paleoanthropology: A Memorial to Harold E. Malde
Abstract:
Malde planned to date the archaeological sites indirectly using geological evidence. This included detailed mapping of much of the basin, then essentially a geological unknown, and attempts to match dated tephra layers (volcanic ash and pumice) in the 8-24 kyr range on nearby La Malinche volcano with those that occurred at the sites. No match was ever found.
Meanwhile, uranium-series dates on a mastodon tooth fragment and a butchered camel pelvis from the El Horno and Hueyatlaco sites gave dates of ca 250 - 350 kyr. Additional excavation at Hueyatlaco in 1973 confirmed the stratigraphy originally reported by the Irwin-Williams group. Zircon fission-track dates from two tephra layers stratigraphically above the artifact-bearing units were roughly similar to that for the tooth and bone (Steen-McIntyre et al., 1981, Quat. Res. 16, 1-17; http://www.valsequilloclassic.net/nuke/). The unexpected great age for the samples created a deep rift between the project archaeologist and the geologists. Work was suspended for over two decades.
Research at Hueyatlaco began again in 1997. Hal's last visit to the site was in 2004, when at age 80 he filmed the new excavations, assisted in preparing the trench profile, and entered into lively dialogue with the project scientists.
See more from this Division: Topical Sessions
See more from this Session: From Quaternary Geology and Physical Volcanology to Geoarchaeology and Paleoanthropology: A Memorial to Harold E. Malde