The Role of Groundstone Artifacts in Ancient North American Cultural Adaptation: Insights from the Hell Gap Site

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Digitizing the Past: Studying Ancient Ground Stone Toolkits Using Modern Technology" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Hell Gap site, primarily known for its extensive chipped stone tool assemblages, also produces a significant yet understudied collection of ground stone artifacts. This analysis focuses on the technological attributes, material selection, and use-wear patterns of a Hell Gap ground stone artifact, aspiring to explore their production and functional roles within ancient North American lifeways. Using a combination of macroscopic and microscopic analysis, this study examines the morphology, surface wear, and potential functions of a ground stone artifact. Ground stone tools from Hell Gap were likely used for processing plant materials, pigments, and small animal bones for use in daily activities. The selection of raw materials used for ground stone indicates an intentional use of specific lithic properties suited for grinding tasks. Understanding the parent material of the artifact provides valuable insights into economic practices and the movement of materials across the landscape. This analysis of a Hell Gap artifact will offer insights into ancient North American lifeways.

This research contributes to a better understanding of how early inhabitants of the North American Plains adapted to their environment.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Digitizing the Past: Studying Ancient Ground Stone Toolkits Using Modern Technology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51568