Archaeological Report
Harney County Oregon, Range Seeding Projects

Webb Spring Creek seeding is the only of these projects outside of the Drewsey Resource Area. This seeding is in the northern part of the Andrews Resource Area, adjacent to the Donner und Blitzen River valley, with a number of springs within its boundaries. The area covers about 3,240 acres or 1,296 hectares. A wildfire burned over the area in the summer of 1980 and the proposed seeding is a rehabilitation measure. The cultural survey was conducted primarily by Goheen, Willig and Todd with occasional help from Parker, Toussaint and Aulbach. An estimted 46 person/days were spent in the field between August 28 and September 26, 1980. There were 24 prehistoric sites, one historic site and 31 isolated artifacts recorded during the survey.

The prehistoric sites included 22 flake scatters, one of which also had a rockshelter. One had a rockshelter and pictogaphs, one had a rockshelter and a rock wall and another also had a rock wall. The other two prehistoric sites were rockshelters; so a total of five rockshelters, two stone walls and one pictograph were found in addition to lithic debris. One of the historic sites was also a rock wall, but its mode of manufacture suggests that it was probably built by sheepherders. The other historic site consists of a scatter of cans, glass and fragments of china.

Thirteen sites were less than a hectare in extent, ranging from .001 to .8 hectares with a mean size of .203 hectare. Tools observed at these sites included 15 projectile points, three bifaces and twelve pieces of groundstone. Eleven of these sites were rated S-3 and two S-2 in significance.

The eleven sites one hectare in extent or larger ranged from one to thirty-two hectares with a mean size of 7.6 hectares. A large number of tools were observed at these sites, including 92 projectile points, 62 bifaces, 13 unifaces and in excess of 90 pieces of groundstone. Three of these sites were rated S-3, six S-2 and two S-l in significance.