Occupation chronology of Housepit 7 at the Keatley Creek site| An analysis of stratigraphy and dating

During the spring of2001 the University of Montana conducted excavations at the Keatley Creek site, a large winter pithouse village on the Canadian Plateau.One goal of the research was to continue to refine the occupation chronology of Housepit 7. Testing a sub-housepit located beneath the northwestern floor and rim deposits of Housepit 7 would do this.Based on findings fi-om the 1999 excavations the sub-housepit was confirmed and was assumed to be the remains of a pre-Housepit 7 occupations at Keatley Creek.Further testing of the sub-housepit was needed to fiirther refine the occupation chronology.The 2001 field school continued the excavations of the 1999 field season.Previously identified sub-housepits that were located stratigraphically beneath the floor of Housepit 7 were re-opened and excavation of the sub-housepits was expanded.The expansion allowed fiirther testing and a more complete data set.The sub-housepits are chronologically older than Housepit 7 and date to late Plateau and early Kamloops horizons.As a result of the new excavations a refined stratum legend was developed.The new data allow for a more precise occupation chronology of Housepit 7 to be developed, I examine the stratigraphy and the radiocarbon dates produced fi-om previous published and un-published manuscripts along with the new data from 2001 field season to create a new occupation chronology of Housepit 7. A summary of my research and its implications concludes my study.