Science in Practice Portal

The Calderwood Rockshelters and Bitterroot Rockshelter occur in east facing basalt
rimrock at the south end of Warner Valley, Oregon. The shelters have petroglyphs and also
pictograph designs colored red and black. We found few surface artifacts, except the rock art,
during several visits to these sites. The question arose as to the function of these mid-elevation
sites. The sites lie in the transition area between lowland lake/marsh edge occupation sites and
upland root gathering and hunting locales. What association do they have with regional subsistence
practices? Test excavation revealed little groundstone, a lithic assemblage represented by
late stage tool manufacturing and Rosespring series projectile points, a faunal assemblage dominated
by intrusive rodent and rabbit remains, four hearths, and a singed tule textile fragment.
Analysis of the excavated material suggest that the Calderwood Rockshelters and Bitterroot
Rockshelter served as temporary camps. However, the association of these mid-elevation sites
with proposed lowland/upland subsistence models remains uncertain.