The Narrow Point Tradition and Long-Term Continuity in the Northeast

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Narrow Point tradition extends across a wide area of eastern North America and its signature point type is one of the most frequently found in Archaic contexts in New England. Decades of research on the relationship between Narrow Points and other types of the Late Archaic Period has not yet produced a consensus regarding their use and origins. However, data collected in recent years add significantly to this discussion, in relation to associations with features and dated contexts. This paper looks at radiocarbon dating of Narrow Point or Small Stemmed features across southern New England to document the connections between this point type and others during this complex time period. The onset of the Narrow Point tradition is increasingly being linked with Middle Archaic sites and technology, indicating long-term continuity of settlement across the Late Archaic and into the Woodland period. Other Late Archaic tradition types occur only as additions to a Narrow Point base, and likely represent technological supplements, not incursions of people. These data address questions as to the origins of Algonquians in New England and their relationships to the greater Northeast during the Archaic.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33070