Birdshead Cave, a Stratified Site in Wind River Basin, Wyoming

Abstract

Birdshead Cave lies in a fault scarp on the south side of the Owl Creek Mountains about 5 miles west of the entrance to Wind River Canyon, 23 miles north and west of Shoshoni, Wyoming, and 1 mile northwest of the old Burgess ranch buildings. It contained stratified deposits representing seven, perhaps even eight or nine, periods of occupation in six occupation levels covering a wide temporal range. The cave is approached by steep talus slopes broken by limestone rock ledges. It lies about 200 feet above the source of a spring of fresh, potable water emerging near the base of the scarp. The name, Birdshead, is that of an Arapaho Indian who was living at the old Burgess ranch, now part of the Arapaho Indian Reservation.