Understanding Early Archaic Stone Tool Production Practices: A Pilot Study

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Through Funk’s (1993) research into the Upper Susquehanna Valley Region in New York, several important Early Archaic (10,000-8,000BP) archaeological sites were uncovered from Wells Bridge, New York. One of these Early Archaic sites named the Johnsen #3 site contains multiple Kirk horizon occupations in stratified deposits. Early Archaic sites are still rare in the Northeast; thus, the Northeastern Early Archaic is based on the cultural historical taxa developed in southeastern sites (such as Broyles, 1971; Coe, 1964; Chapman 1980). However, there is considerable variation within the Early Archaic (Kirk occupation) sites in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions (Bursey, 2012). The analysis of the Johnsen #3 collection will focus on the communities of practice among the flintknappers who occupied this site. My overall goal is to examine the social mechanisms for the lithic technological system of the Early Archaic. This pilot study will present the results of a lithic attribute analysis, collecting data on the following attributes: characteristics of dorsal scars, thickness, platform preparation, and platform angle. These attributes will be statistically tested using PCA analysis. The patterns revealed from the analysis will extend our understanding of the maintenance of tradition and changes within the community occupying this site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25919