Excavations at Aspen Shelter: A Deer Hunting Camp on the Old Woman Plateau

Aspen Shelter on the Old Woman Plateau in central Utah was a hub of deer hunting activity from 4,000 years ago until the end of the Fremont era, about AD 1200. Thousands of deer bones discarded at the site are evidence of these early hunters’ success. In addition to the faunal remains, excavators uncovered two small house basins with central hearths and reflector stones dating to the Late Archaic period. Projectile points and miscellaneous butchering tools are common, as are milling tools and plant macrophytes. The Aspen Shelter occupation complements Sudden Shelter, a few miles south, where use ceased by the Late Archaic.