In the fall of 1990, archeological investigations were conducted at 48TE412
in advance of visitor facility relocation projects in the Jenny Lake
Developed Area, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The site is located at
the outlet of String Lake, which is located north of the much larger Jenny
Lake.
Previous work at the site recovered worked lithics, animal bone, hearths,
and evidence of culturally significant subsurface deposits. The 1990
fieldwork included the mapping and excavation of previously identified
hearth features and documentation of several concentrations of worked
lithics and fired rock. The radiocarbon dates from the excavation reported
here and from earlier work at the site are statistically indistinguishable
and suggest a fairly recent, probably Euroamerican, occupation. Diagnostic
artifacts recovered during survey and excavation, however, suggest that the
site was also occupied during the Late Plains Archaic or the early part of
the Late Prehistoric period.
The evidence of prehistoric activity at 48TE412 suggests short-term,
seasonal occupations by hunters and gatherers moving through the area.
Activities in evidence at the site include the processing of animals for
bone grease and the production, use, and maintenance of stone tools.
The site was recommended as eligible for inclusion on the National Register
of Historic Places on February 27, 1990. While disturbance of the site
will be extensive, portions of the site will remain intact, preserving the
site's eligibility status.