Ceramics from the Firehole Basin Site and Firehole Phase in the Wyoming Basin

The Firehole Basin site (48SW1217), excavated in 1976 and 1977, is the type site for the Firehole phase proposed by Metcalf for the Wyoming Basin of central and western Wyoming. Given the dearth of excavated sites for the period from 700-300 B.P, and dated ceramics in Wyoming Basin in general, the Firehole Basin assemblage is an important indicator of material culture in this time period, but the artifacts have never been analyzed or reported in detail. Most researchers have characterized the Firehole Basin ceramics as Intermountain ware, but the ceramics have few affinities with this type, and this label should not be applied. Likewise, the Firehole Basin ceramics do not fit the definition of Boars Tusk Gray ware, a proposed southwest Wyoming type. The closest stylistic and technological affinities may be with Uncompahgre Brown ware or the recently proposed Waltman Brown ware