Stone Tool-making at Two Sixteenth Century Cayuga Sites

Summary

Cowan’s (1999, 2003) research on small Iroquoian camp sites in New York State demonstrated that analyses of stone tools and debitage assemblages enable archaeologists to investigate which type of stone tool industry was emphasized at a site (core flaking versus biface reduction) and to draw inferences about site function. This study illustrates the broader applicability of Cowan’s approach for conducting micro-scalar analyses of technological organization. We compared debitage assemblages from one house at each of two 16th-century Cayuga sites in NY State, Parker Farm and Carman. Our analyses revealed a combination of core flaking and biface reduction within both houses, thereby indicating at least seasonal occupation and longer term use. Comparison of flake attributes from different areas within the structures showed more evidence of core flaking and/or early-stage biface reduction in the vestibule areas, and more evidence of late-stage reduction within family compartments. This finding suggests that task sequencing of tool production might have taken place inside these houses. Overall, this study demonstrates that coupling flake attribute analysis with typologically-based approaches to tool production (e.g., core flaking versus biface reduction) and site function can enhance our understanding of site role and the organization of stone tool production within Iroquoian households.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

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