scholarly journals The Late Paleoindian Occupation of the Western Ouachita Mountains of Southeast Oklahoma: The Archaeology of Component V at the Quince Site (34AT134)

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy K. Perttula
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Ouachita Mountains ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
Bureau Of Reclamation ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Chipped Stone ◽  
Middle Archaic ◽  
Late Paleoindian

The Quince site (34AT134) is a well-preserved and relatively deeply stratified Ouachita Mountains archaeological site in Atoka County in southeastern Oklahoma. The site’s archaeological deposits are buried in Late Pleistocene and Holocene alluvial terrace deposits of McGee Creek, a tributary to Muddy Boggy Creek, itself a southern-flowing tributary to the Red River, that cuts through the western edge of the mountains. Excavated in 1982 and 1983 prior to the creation of McGee Creek Reservoir by the Bureau of Reclamation, the 3.0 m deep archaeological deposits at the Quince site contained a record of prehistoric occupations spanning most of the Holocene period (from ca. 10,500 B.P to 1000 radiocarbon years B.P., or ca. 12,590 to 927 calibrated years B.P.) Woodland (Component I), Late Archaic (Components II and III), and Middle Archaic (Component IV) period occupational deposits are present in good stratigraphic order within the upper 1 m of McGee Creek alluvium. There are also a series of buried Late Paleoindian occupations (in what is defined as Component V) with features and chipped stone lithic tools recovered in situ that are recognized beginning from about 1.10 m to 3.0 m in depth below the surface. In this article, I discuss the archaeological evidence for use of the Western Ouachita Mountains by Late Paleoindian foragers as seen principally from the micro-scale; that is, from the perspective of this one well-preserved and stratified Late Paleoindian site. Paleoindian occupations with good stratigraphic context are apparently quite rare in the Ouachita Mountains and along the edge of the Southeastern woodlands and the Great Plains in the eastern and eastcentral part of the state of Oklahoma. Much of the archaeological research dealing with Late Paleoindian peoples in this region has dealt primarily with the description and classification of isolated temporally diagnostic projectile points (and the kinds of lithic raw materials employed in projectile point manufacture) found on the surface or in mixed and relatively shallow stratigraphic contexts. The Quince site Late Paleoindian archaeological deposits provide direct and compelling evidence for the long-term and recurrent use of the western Ouachita Mountains by hunter-gatherer groups.

scholarly journals J.T.A.H. Special Publication #3 Appendix to Cover Art, The Journal of Texas Archeology and History Volume 4 (2017/2018): A Visual Guide to the Archaic Points Found at the Gault Site (41BL323) with Clovis Points for Comparison; including Projectile Point Fact Sheets

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Williams
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Central Texas ◽  
Cover Art ◽  
Archaeological Excavations

Archaeological excavations at the Gault Archaeological Site (41BL323) have revealed an almost complete stratigraphic record of the prehistoric occupation of Central Texas (Collins 2002, 2004). Furthermore, ages obtained from Area 15 of the site confirms good stratigraphic agreement between the diagnostic artifacts, cultural horizons, and stratigraphic units (Rodrigues, et al. 2016; Williams, et al. 2018). This includes some of the earliest evidence for a projectile point technology in North America (Williams, et al. 2018). Like many areas in Central Texas, the combination of water, raw materials, and its position along the Balcones Escarpment provided abundant resources essential to survival. The Gault Archaeological Site has a long history. The site takes its name from a previous landowner, Henry Gault, and the first scientific excavations were conducted there in 1929 under the supervision of J. E. Pearce. In 1990, David Olmstead reported a unique find; an Alibates Clovis point sandwiched between two limestone plaques with engraved geometric designs. This led to a site visit by Dr. Tom Hester and Dr. Michael Collins. This finding was followed in 1997 by the discovery of an extremely fragile mandible of a juvenile mammoth by the Lindsey family. These discoveries prompted the recent archaeological excavations at the site, which began in 1999 and lasted until 2002. As many archaeologists will attest, the most interesting findings came at the very end of the 2002 field season, when archaeologist Sam Gardner exposed cultural material stratigraphically below Clovis in a small test unit. This led to negotiations between Michael Collins and the Lindsey family that resulted in the purchase of the property by Dr. Collins and its donation to the Archaeological Conservancy. Between 2007-2014, Area 15 was excavated to expose the cultural materials below. With the cessation of excavations in 2014, research focuses on reporting these findings and how this early archaeological assemblage in Central Texas is redefining the search for the earliest human occupants of the Americas. The front cover of this issue of the Journal of Texas Archeology and History highlights two specific chronological periods in Texas. Firstly, in each corner you will find interactive 3D scans of four Clovis points that have been recovered from the site (Seldon et al. 2018). In between these, you will find and array of Archaic projectile points that have been recovered from the various excavations conducted between 1999-2002 and 2007-2014. This includes Early Archaic points such as the Hoxie and Martindale; Middle Archaic points including, Kinney and Nolan; and Late Archaic points including Pedernales, Marshall, and Bulverde. Clovis artifacts including, projectile points, blade cores, and diagnostic debitage have been recovered from a total of 9 excavation areas. We will expand on these covers in the future to cover specific research projects currently being undertaken by the Gault School of Archaeological Research staff. The Gault School of Archaeological Research is a non-profit, 501(C)3 charitable organization dedicated to innovative, interdisciplinary research archaeology and education focusing on the earliest peoples in the western hemisphere and their cultural antecedents. The reader is encouraged to “click” around on the various cover images comprising the front and back cover border artwork to find and explore the additional rich content hidden there. Click here to open or download an informative “Appendix to the Cover Art containing this article, descriptive attribute data and a larger image of all projectile points shown on the front and back covers.

scholarly journals Appendix to Cover Art, The Journal of Texas Archeology and History Volume 4 (2017/2018): A Visual Guide to the Archaic Points Found at the Gault Site (41BL323) with Clovis Points for Comparison

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Williams
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Central Texas ◽  
Cover Art ◽  
Archaeological Excavations

Archaeological excavations at the Gault Archaeological Site (41BL323) have revealed an almost complete stratigraphic record of the prehistoric occupation of Central Texas (Collins 2002, 2004). Furthermore, ages obtained from Area 15 of the site confirms good stratigraphic agreement between the diagnostic artifacts, cultural horizons, and stratigraphic units (Rodrigues, et al. 2016; Williams, et al. 2018). This includes some of the earliest evidence for a projectile point technology in North America (Williams, et al. 2018). Like many areas in Central Texas, the combination of water, raw materials, and its position along the Balcones Escarpment provided abundant resources essential to survival. The Gault Archaeological Site has a long history. The site takes its name from a previous landowner, Henry Gault, and the first scientific excavations were conducted there in 1929 under the supervision of J. E. Pearce. In 1990, David Olmstead reported a unique find; an Alibates Clovis point sandwiched between two limestone plaques with engraved geometric designs. This led to a site visit by Dr. Tom Hester and Dr. Michael Collins. This finding was followed in 1997 by the discovery of an extremely fragile mandible of a juvenile mammoth by the Lindsey family. These discoveries prompted the recent archaeological excavations at the site, which began in 1999 and lasted until 2002. As many archaeologists will attest, the most interesting findings came at the very end of the 2002 field season, when archaeologist Sam Gardner exposed cultural material stratigraphically below Clovis in a small test unit. This led to negotiations between Michael Collins and the Lindsey family that resulted in the purchase of the property by Dr. Collins and its donation to the Archaeological Conservancy. Between 2007-2014, Area 15 was excavated to expose the cultural materials below. With the cessation of excavations in 2014, research focuses on reporting these findings and how this early archaeological assemblage in Central Texas is redefining the search for the earliest human occupants of the Americas. The front cover of this issue of the Journal of Texas Archeology and History highlights two specific chronological periods in Texas. Firstly, in each corner you will find interactive 3D scans of four Clovis points that have been recovered from the site (Seldon et al. 2018). In between these, you will find and array of Archaic projectile points that have been recovered from the various excavations conducted between 1999-2002 and 2007-2014. This includes Early Archaic points such as the Hoxie and Martindale; Middle Archaic points including, Kinney and Nolan; and Late Archaic points including Pedernales, Marshall, and Bulverde. Clovis artifacts including, projectile points, blade cores, and diagnostic debitage have been recovered from a total of 9 excavation areas. We will expand on these covers in the future to cover specific research projects currently being undertaken by the Gault School of Archaeological Research staff. The Gault School of Archaeological Research is a non-profit, 501(C)3 charitable organization dedicated to innovative, interdisciplinary research archaeology and education focusing on the earliest peoples in the western hemisphere and their cultural antecedents. The reader is encouraged to “click” around on the various cover images comprising the front and back cover border artwork to find and explore the additional rich content hidden there. Click here to open or download an informative “Appendix to the Cover Art containing this article, descriptive attribute data and a larger image of all projectile points shown on the front and back covers.

The Earliest Cultures in the Western United States

1962 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex D. Krieger
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Chipped Stone ◽  
Point Types ◽  
Geological Position

AbstractNearly all writers on the antiquity of man in America assume that the oldest archaeological sites contain chipped-stone projectile points and therefore cannot exceed an age of some 12,000 to 15,000 years, the estimates usually given to such projectile-point types as Sandia and Clovis. Suggestions of older sites, with radiocarbon dates ranging from some 21,000 years to as much as “greater than 37,000 years,” with simpler artifacts and an absence of stone projectile points, are generally viewed with suspicion if not abhorrence.A recent paper by E. H. Sellards considers seven localities in the western United States and Baja California which, because of geological position and radiocarbon dates, are probably too old to contain stone projectile points. The writer agrees with Sellards that these localities are archaeological (except for that at Texas Street in San Diego, California), but disagrees that those in coastal locations are different from those in inland locations for “ecological” reasons such as food supply and availability of stone. The differences may be explained in that those sites on the shores of extinct lakes were never covered by overburden, whereas those which were covered by alluvium or sand are known to us now only by varying amounts of exposure by erosion or excavation (or both).

Clovis Paleoecology and Lithic Technology in the Central Rio Grande Rift Region, New Mexico

2013 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus J. Hamilton ◽  
Briggs Buchanan ◽  
Bruce B. Huckell ◽  
Vance T. Holliday ◽  
M. Steven Shackley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Rio Grande Rift ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Northwestern Mexico

AbstractClovis sites occur throughout the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, but are poorly documented in the central Rio Grande rift region. Here, we present data from two relatively unknown Clovis projectile point assemblages from this region: the first is from the Mockingbird Gap Clovis site and the second is from a survey of the surrounding region. Our goals are to reconstruct general features of the paleoecological adaptation of Clovis populations in the region using raw material sourcing and then to compare the point technology in the region to other Clovis assemblages in the Southwest and across the continent. Our results show that both assemblages were manufactured from similar suites of raw materials that come almost exclusively from the central Rio Grande rift region and the adjacent mountains of New Mexico. Additionally, we show that Clovis projectile points in the study region are significantly smaller than the continental average. Our results suggest that Clovis populations in this region operated within a large, well-known, and relatively high-elevation territory encompassing much of northern and western New Mexico.

Functional Interpretations from Microscopic Analysis

1971 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Nance
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Functional Significance ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
Central California ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Late Horizon ◽  
Binocular Microscope

AbstractFor many years, small, serrated, obsidian artifacts characteristic of late central California cultural manifestations (Late Horizon), have been regarded as projectile points (arrow and dart points). A functional analysis of a number of these tools based on examination with a binocular microscope revealed evidence of wear patterns including striations which makes it quite clear that these artifacts were used for other purposes. This brings the projectile point interpretation up for serious questioning, at least for the area under consideration. It is suggested that further investigation of artifact assemblages, using similar methods, will in all likelihood alter many existing ideas regarding the functional significance of many artifact types. It is further pointed out that many times discrepancies exist between ethnographic accounts and other sources of data relative to the functional significance of artifacts.

Points in Time: Direct Radiocarbon Dates on Great Basin Projectile Points

2013 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 580-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey M. Smith ◽  
Pat Barker ◽  
Eugene M. Hattori ◽  
Anan Raymond ◽  
Ted Goebel
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
Point Types ◽  
Cross Dating ◽  
Age Estimates

AbstractTypological cross-dating is the primary means by which archaeological sites are placed into chronological frameworks. This approach relies on the assumption that artifacts at undated sites—usually projectile points—are coeval with similar artifacts found at Other, dated sites. While typological cross-dating is necessary in regions dominated by open-air lithic scatters, the approach can be problematic when undated and dated sites are separated by significant distances. Here, we present radiocarbon dates on projectile points with organic hafting material still attached or found within organic storage bags. Our results provide unequivocal ages for various morphological projectile point types at several Great Basin locales and should be useful to researchers seeking local age estimates for those point types, which often involves relying on chronological data from more distant sites. The results also highlight potential issues with uncritically applying typological cross-dating using typologies based on metric attributes, and in two cases, suggest the need to revise the age ranges for certain point styles in the western Great Basin.

scholarly journals Archaeopetrological approximation to the lithic procurement of the neolithic axes and adzes from Can Sadurní’s cave (Begues, NE Iberian Peninsula)

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mar Rey-Solé ◽  
Gemma Alías ◽  
Mireia Ache ◽  
Elicinia Fierro ◽  
Manel Edo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Source Area ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Igneous Rocks ◽  
Contact Aureole ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Granodiorite Porphyry ◽  
Ne Iberian Peninsula

Can Sadurní’s cave, located in Begues (NE Iberian Peninsula), in the Baix Llobregat region, is an archaeological site with a wide stratigraphic sequence covering from the Epipaleolithic hunter-gatherers societies at the beginning of the Holocene to Roman times. During the excavations of the last years a large number of different raw materials used for the manufacture of axes have been recovered.The present study is focused on the Neolithic sequence. 31 axes and adzes have been characterised petrographically with the aid of a binocular microscope and transmission microscope. A great variety of rocks constitute the raw materials of these stone tools, ranging from contact and regional metamorphic rocks to plutonic and porphyric igneous rocks. The formers are the most abundant (up to 78%) and include hornfels, spotted phyllites, marbles, quartzites, slates and phyllites. The igneous rocks consist of granodiorite, porphyry and aplites. Such a great assemblage of rocks matches in a geological context representative of a plutonic intrusion and its metamorphic contact aureole. Following that scenario we suggest that the most likely source area for all these materials occur at the Collserola hills, at 27 km far to the east from the cave, at the other side of the Llobregat River, where an Hercynian granodiorite and related igneous rocks intruding Ordovician metasedimentary materials are presented. 

scholarly journals Mesolithic and later activity at North Barr River, Morvern

2019 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Gavin MacGregor ◽  
Alistair Beckett ◽  
Ann Clarke ◽  
Nyree Finlay ◽  
David Sneddon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Regional Networks ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Chipped Stone ◽  
Lithic Assemblage ◽  
Forestry Commission

At North Barr River, Morvern, inspection of forestry planting mounds on a raised beach terrace identified a chipped stone assemblage associated with upcast deposits containing charcoal. An archaeological evaluation of the site, funded by Forestry Commission Scotland, sought to better understand the extent and character of this Mesolithic and later prehistoric lithic scatter. The lithic assemblage is predominantly debitage with some microliths and scrapers. The range of raw materials including flint, Rùm bloodstone and baked mudstone highlights wider regional networks. Other elements, including a barbed and tanged arrowhead, belong to later depositional episodes. Two mid-second millennium bc radiocarbon dates were obtained from soil associated with some lithics recovered from a mixed soil beneath colluvial deposits. The chronology of a putative stone bank or revetment is uncertain but the arrangement of stone may also date to the second millennium bc.

Stone Artifacts

1949 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 152-178
Author(s):  
Alex D. Krieger
Keyword(s):  
Projectile Point ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Stone Artifacts ◽  
Stratigraphic Position ◽  
Point Types ◽  
Three Phases

With some exceptions, notably the projectile points, the various artifacts of stone, flint, and pigment are simple in nature and will be but briefly described. Figures 53-61 provide illustrations of nearly every descriptive grouping, specimens having been selected to show ranges of variation; the more variation —as in projectile point types—the more specimens are shown.Tables 17-18 show the stratigraphic position of all stone artifacts and pigments found. Ordinary household artifacts such as milling stones, hammerstones, hones, knives, scrapers, and gravers were but sparsely represented in the mound, as might be expected. But since the mound provides our only sure stratigraphic control, the general dearth of utilitarian artifacts in it renders their occurrence in the three phases of occupation uncertain. That is, absence from one or more of the mound phases could be due to chance where only ten or a dozen (or fewer) specimens of a particular group came from the mound.

Mapping Clovis: Projectile Points, Behavior, and Bias

2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary M. Prasciunas
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Patterning ◽  
County Level ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Projectile Point ◽  
Point Distribution ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Colonization Process ◽  
Modern Population ◽  
Point Visibility

The distribution of Clovis projectile points across North America demonstrates distinct spatial patterning that has the potential to inform on many aspects of the colonization process. However, before accurate inferences regarding prehistoric behavior can be drawn from projectile point distributional databases, it is necessary to account for biases potentially affecting point visibility. Using county-level data for a sample of states from the western and southeastern U.S., this paper demonstrates that Clovis projectile point distribution is significantly related to modern population density, cultivated acreage, intensity of archaeological research, and measures of environmental productivity. Interpreting Clovis projectile point distribution is therefore more complex than frequently assumed.

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