Ancient Caves of the Great Salt Lake Region

From 1930 to 1931, the University of Utah and the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnology sponsored archaeological field work in the vicinity of the Great Salt Lake. Particular attention was paid to caves that had once been submerged by Lake Bonneville, a prehistoric lake that was some one thousand feet deeper than the current level of the remnant Great Salt Lake. Previous studies had demonstrated that, as Lake Bonneville subsided, those caves were soon inhabited by ancient peoples; archaeological explorations were aimed at discovering ancient cultures that could be dated by reference to the chronology of the lake. The field work included thorough excavations of two large caves on the western shore of Promontory Point and one large cave on the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake, as well as reconnaissance of a number of smaller caves on Promontory Point and the northern shore of Bear River Bay. The work was led by Julian Steward, who prepared this report.

Julian H. Steward (1902-1972) was the director of the Institute of Social Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution. He taught and conducted archaeological research at the University at Utah from 1930 to 1933. Joel C. Janetski is a professor of anthropology at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. His publications include Indians in Yellowstone National Park and The Ute of Utah Lake.