A bison jump (also called a buffalo jump) is a prehistoric hunting technique used by Indigenous peoples of North America, in which herds of bison were driven over cliffs or steep embankments to kill or disable them in large numbers. This practice reflects both ecological adaptation and complex social organization.

🌍 Definition

• Bison Jump: A communal hunting method where bison were herded toward a precipice, causing them to fall and die or be incapacitated.
• Key Feature: Relies on mass movement and herd behavior rather than individual hunting.

🔑 Archaeological Contexts

• Geography:
  • Found across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain foothills.
  • Famous sites include Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (Alberta, Canada) and Madison Buffalo Jump (Montana, USA).
• Chronology:
  • Used for thousands of years, from the Paleoindian period through the late pre-contact era.
• Material Evidence:
  • Bone beds at cliff bases.
  • Drive lines marked by cairns or rock alignments guiding herds.
  • Butchering sites nearby with tools, fire pits, and storage features.

📚 Importance in Anthropology

• Subsistence Strategy: Allowed efficient harvesting of large numbers of bison, providing meat, hides, and bone for tools.
• Social Organization: Required coordinated effort, planning, and knowledge of animal behavior.
• Cultural Identity: Central to Plains Indigenous lifeways, ceremonies, and seasonal cycles.
• Material Culture Link: Resulted in mass processing of bison, influencing toolkits, storage, and trade networks.

In short: A bison jump is a communal hunting technique where herds were driven over cliffs, yielding mass harvests of bison and reflecting both ecological adaptation and complex social organization.