REINVESTIGATION OF THE PERRY-RANCH PLAINVIEW BISON BONEBED, SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA

Reinvestigation of the Perry Ranch site (34JK81) in Jackson County Okl ahoma was conducted during the summers of 1989 and 1990. The goals wer e to relocate the site, place a permanent datum, evaluate the possibil ity of additional deposits, and to collect bone samples for chemical a nalysis and possible dating. In addition, the bone assemblage from the 1974 excavation was restudied to facilitate taphonomic analysis, a se ason of death estimate, and detailed comparison with other bison boneb ed assemblages. Bone chemistry indicates that the original radiocarbon date on bone is not a reliable measure of the age of the Ferry Ranch deposit. The problem of whether Plainview or Golandrina points are rep resented is reconsidered and the original assessment-that the points c ompare most favorably with those from the Plainview type site-is suppo rted. The MNI and season of death have also been reassessed. The anima ls died in winter, perhaps mid January, based on tooth eruption and we ar comparison with modern bison. A minimum of two animals was identifi ed The formational history of the deposit based on bone condition and element representation is reviewed. The possibility remains that there are additional significant deposits at the Ferry Ranch site.