Dating the Western Stemmed Tradition in the Northern Great Basin

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Current Perspectives on the Western Stemmed Tradition-Clovis Debate in the Far West" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Recent University of Oregon investigations at the Paisley and Connley Caves have resulted in 300+ radiocarbon ages including coprolites with human DNA. Earliest human occupations have been established at the Paisley Caves by stone tool cut marks on bone dated to 12,380 ± 70 14C yr B.P. Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) points are present in deposits dated between 12,760 ± 35 14C yr B.P. and 10,200 ± 35 14C yr B.P. Obsidian hydration dating of WST points supports the radiometric assessment that they are likely 14,000 years old at the site. New radiocarbon dates associated with WST points at the Connley Caves range from 11,104 ± 45 14C yr B.P. to 9171 ± 40 14C yr B.P. WST points are the only types found in the oldest deposits at both the Paisley and Connley Caves.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Current Perspectives on the Western Stemmed Tradition-Clovis Debate in the Far West   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23096