Paleoindians (Other Keyword)
1-13 (13 Records)
Research on the Paleoindian colonization of the northeastern US suffers from numerous chronological problems. These problems are exacerbated by the use of summed probability distributions, which do not take into account the unique sampling issues and specific probability distributions of individual dates and their particular relationships to archaeological contexts. This paper introduces a Bayesian statistical approach to clarify some of these problems and raise new questions about early...
Between Party Lines: A Bipartisan Reevaluation of the Early Paleoindian Zooarchaeological Record (2015)
The debate regarding early Paleoindians as megafaunal specialists or subsistence generalists has had a long and contentious history in Americanist archaeology. A quantitative reanalysis of the early Paleoindian zooarchaeological record in the continental United States is presented. Previous analyses of the faunal record focused only on taxonomic richness and have not utilized other measurements of taxonomic diversity. My analyses of the faunal record include measurements of taxonomic richness,...
Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene Adaptations in the Lower Mid-South, United States (2016)
The Lower Mid-South has a rich history of archaeological research and provides a valuable dataset for exploring the relationships between climate and culture. Here, we provide an overview of the available paleo-environmental and archaeological data in this area, and argue that there were significant changes in diet, landscape use, and technological organization. The possibility that localized territories are established in the Southeast prior to the onset of the Holocene is critically evaluated....
Mammoth Bone from Hell Gap (2015)
Mammoths and thus mammoth bones are associated with Clovis occupation of North America, while subsequent cultures are associated with Bison antiquus (Paleoindians) or various Holocene faunal species. However, this simple scenario is complicated by occasional occurrences of extinct species in later period assemblages. The Hell Gap site joins this exclusive club with a recent discovery of a mammoth tusk in deposits at Locality I. The Hell Gap site in eastern Wyoming is a stratified Paleoindian...
Mobility of Folsom and Late Paleoindian Occupations at the South Bank Portion of Blackwater Draw Locality No. 1 (2017)
Research and excavations conducted at the Blackwater Draw Site have largely contributed to our understanding of Paleoindian era life. This study focuses on the lithic artifacts recovered from the South Bank portion of the Blackwater Draw Site to understand the mobility of Folsom and Late Paleoindian occupations. Although there has been extensive fieldwork conducted at the South Bank, the lithic artifacts from these excavations have not been studied as one cohesive assemblage. The entirety of the...
New Investigations into a Late Paleoindian Bison Kill and Terminal Pleistocene Environmental Change at Blackwater Draw Locality 1 (2015)
Intensive investigation of an area of Blackwater Draw Locality 1 known as "Isequilla’s Pit" has revealed a well-preserved stratigraphic sequence and the remains of a Late Paleoindian-age bison kill. The work constitutes a resumption of excavation in this area of the South Bank, as Alberto Isequilla abruptly abandoned his fieldwork in 1969, leaving behind an open excavation pit and few field records. Over the past 6 years, the ENMU Archaeological Field School has successfully relocated and mapped...
Paleoindian Archaeology in the Little Missouri Badlands: An Update on Research in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands, North Dakota (2015)
In 2012 the Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Southern Methodist University, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota began a multi-year research project investigating Paleoindian land use, Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene environments, and archaeological preservation potential in the Little Missouri National Grasslands (LMNG) and surrounding areas. Field research in 2013 and 2014 included resurvey and test excavation at known or suspected Paleoindian localities to determine the nature and...
Paleoindian uses of Maritime Environments in the Far Northeast (2016)
This paper explores the Paleoindian uses of the Champlain Sea (an inland arm of the Atlantic Ocean) over the course of the Paleoindian period. Environmental Changes that may have precipitated changes in subsistence and settlement patterns will also be discussed. Finally, scant but intriguing information from the Atlantic Continental shelf in the Far Northeastern region will be used as a proxy to explore and evaluate the settlement patterns demonstrated farther inland.
Paleoindians and Rockshelters in the Middle Rocky Mountains (2015)
Since at least the 1980s the University of Wyoming has conducted Paleoindian and rockshelter studies on BLM administered properties from northern Colorado to southern Montana. The cooperative and assistance agreements have benefited both the agency and the University. An enormous amount of research effort contributed by the faculty and enhanced by volunteers and avaocationals, have produced results far beyond what could have been accomplished without the cooperation. The results include students...
Pre-Clovis Archaeology in the Frontiers of Research:Page-Ladson and the Importance of Submerged Sites to Understanding the First Americans (2017)
Dr. Gruhn has spent her career working in locations that most Paleoindian archaeologists consider to be inaccessible and difficult, maintaining that the story of the First Americans can best be found in well-preserved localities on the geographical and chronological frontiers. Our recent work at the Page-Ladson site in Florida fits well within the spirit of her investigations. Page-Ladson is an inundated terrestrial site with sediments containing lithic artifacts associated with a butchered...
Radiocarbon Dating at the Gault Site – A Case Study in Collaboration Between AMS and ZooMS to Analyze Promising Faunal Samples (2017)
The Gault site is a lithic procurement site and campsite in Central Texas with components ranging from earlier than Clovis to the Late Prehistoric. For the most part, absolute dating at Gault has relied on optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), which has a high standard error. AMS dating on sparse charcoal samples has been conducted as well, but with mixed results. In particular, the charcoal from the Clovis and lower strata failed to yield viable radiocarbon dates. While faunal preservation...
Using Sourcing Studies to Examine Paleoindian Lithic Technological and Socioeconomic Organization in the Great Basin (2017)
In many regions of the world, archaeologists use sourcing studies to document patterns of toolstone procurement and conveyance that, in turn, inform their understanding of prehistoric lithic technological and socioeconomic organization. This is certainly true of Charlotte Beck and George T. Jones’s research in eastern Nevada, where the sourcing of obsidian, andesite, and dacite artifacts has figured prominently in their study of Paleoindian lifeways. In this paper, I briefly reflect on Beck and...
Weaponry Standardization and the Potential for Sharing at the Agate Basin Site (2017)
This study explores the potential for sharing of weaponry elements during communal hunts, and the implications of sharing pertaining to the overall technological organization of Agate Basin hunting groups. K-means cluster analysis was utilized to determine whether hafted-area morphologies on Agate Basin points were standardized and displayed properties consistent with expectations we might have if sharing of weaponry elements incorporated into the preparation for a communal hunt. I argue two...