Bison Jump Sites in the Northwestern Plains of North America: A locational Analysis

ABSTRACT

BISON JUMP SITES IN THE NORTHWESTERN PLAINS OF NORTH AMERICA: A LOCATIONAL ANALYSIS

BY

Michael Robert Polk

This study is a locational analysis of bison jump sites in the northwestern plains of North America. One hundred forty-six sites from Alberta, Montana and Wyoming were examined in an attempt to identify cultural preferences and environmental constraints which affected the site location decisions of prehistoric hunters.

Bison Jump site data and associated environmental information including various soil types, geology, topography, vegetation and water source associations were partitioned into a set of quantified variables and subjected to a series of statistical procedures. The most critical environmental and cultural variables identified for site location through various tests for degrees of significance were water source association and jump face direction.

An interpretive framework provides evidence that jump face direction is strongly associated with prevailing wind direction. This knowledge may provide information relevant to seasonal site use, subsistence strategies and population movements. It is suggested that site proximity to permanent water sources reflects the use of associated broken topography for bison jumping, or the water needs of human groups and/or bison herds.