PROTON MAGNETOMETER INVESTIGATIONS OF BURNED ROCK MIDDENS IN WEST-CENTRAL TEXAS - CLUES TO FORMATION PROCESSES

Burned rock middens are a common type of archaeological feature in Texas west of the Balcones Fault zone, and occur in several different morphologic variants with overlapping spatial and temporal ranges. Although these features are generally recognized as the remains of aboriginal food processing activities, many questions remain regarding the specifics of burned rock midden functions and formation processes. Proton magnetometer investigations of four extant burned rock middens in west-central Texas demonstrate that variations in physical midden morphology are accompanied by consistent differences in the morphology of magnetic anomalies generated by the features. It is argued that this consistent variation reflects differences in the cultural formation processes responsible for the various midden types. The nature of this variation is documented and tentative interpretations of respective formation processes are advanced for specific examples of two different morphologic types of burned rock middens. © 1990.