syllabus archaeological dating methods introduction to...

Last Class……

• Syllabus

• Archaeological Dating Methods

• Introduction to the Earliest

Americans Image retrieved from: http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/gastudiesimages/Paleo%20Indians%20Hunting%204.htm

Today’s Class…

• Models of Migration

• Pre-Clovis Sites

• Introducing the Clovis Culture

Image retrieved from: https://www-

tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/assets/img/ancient-

clovis-cache/image-01-large.jpg

Native American Cosmology

- In-Situ Model

- Encoded in oral tradition

and ceremony

- Vary from group to groupImage retrieved from: https://www.indigenouspeople.net/images/storyteller1.gif

Image retrieved from: http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Native-American-Indians-and-pilgrims670.jpg

Early European Ideas

- Origin explanations centered

around the Bible

- Pope determines native people

of the New World were people

- Early Origin Ideas

- Lost Tribes of Israel

- Lost Continents

- Migration

Image retrieved from: https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--1E6Uiect--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/19fldudzmrw9vjpg.jpg

Archaeological Migration

Theories

- Beringia and the Ice Free

Corridor

- Coastal Migration

- Solutrean Hypothesis

Image retrieved from: http://perfscience.com/sites/default/files/styles/nodeimg/public/field/image/DNA_Glaciers.JPG?itok=JzijjZoz

Interior Route

- Last major sea level drop ~25,000

BP

- Exposed Beringia until ~11,000 BP

- Climate colder and drier than today

- Cold adapted climates in

northeastern Asia by 15,000 BP

- No trees until ~14,000 BP

- Glaciers in eastern Alaska

Image retrieved from:

http://cponline.thecanadianpress.com/graphics/2014/static/cp-aboriginals-

beringia.jpg


http://www.history.com/images/media/video/history_early_humans_origins_of_clovis_people_sf_1219979/History_Early_H

umans_Origins_of_Clovis_People_SF_still_624x352.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://www.crystalinks.com/clovismammoth.jpg

Clovis First Hypothesis

- Most widespread Paleoindian

culture

- Type site is in New Mexico

- Sites date between 11,500-

10,900 rcybp

- Diagnostic artifact is the Clovis

Point

- Unique fluting technology

- Frequently associated with

mammoth and mastodon remains

- Found throughout North

America

Image retrieved from: http://csasi.org/2005_april_journal/images/a_knife_river_flint_clovis_point_from_st_charles_county_2.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://asaa-

persimmonpress.com/images/clovis_point_from_upper_cross_creek_figure_5.jpg

Image retrieved from: https://www-

tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/assets/img/ancient-clovis-cache/image-01-

large.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://www.stonebreaker-fsc.net/sitebuilder/images/DSCF6521-cropped-600x310.jpg


http://pidba.org/content/flute

d.JPG


http://web.utk.edu/~dander19/clovis_c

ontinent_647kb.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/ice-free-corridor-north-americans-1.3715397

Pre-Clovis

- Refers to sites that date before

the earliest generally accepted

age of Clovis (~12,500 BP)

- Occupations took place when

Ice Free Corridor was

unavailable

- Several sites in North America

dated to between 20,000-

13,000 BP

- Several sites in South America

date from earlier than 12,000

BP

Image retrieved from: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1206/images/tbl3_1.jpg

Schaefer and Hebior Kill Sites (Wisconsin)

• Schaefer Mammoth

• Discovered in 1964

• Cut Marks noticed on bones while in the museum

• Relocated in 1992

• 80% of a mammoth recovered

• “V” Shaped cutmarks

• Fragments of two stone blades

• Dates to ~14,500 BP

Image retrieved from: http://www.archaeology.org/images/SO2014/Americans/Wisconsin-Schaefer-Mammoth-Site.jpg

• Hebior Mammoth

• Discovered in 1994

• Located ¾ of a mile

from Schaefer

Mammoth

• 90% of a butchered

mammoth

• More butchering tools

• Dated to 150-200 years

before Schaefer

mammoth

Manis Mastodon Site, Washington

Image retrieved from: http://donsmaps.com/images25/mastodon4.jpg

• Located in 1977

• Rib bone with what appeared to be

a spear point

• Point made from the bone of a

different mastodon

• Bone growth suggests mastodon

did not die from point

• Suggests earliest evidence of

humans hunting in the region

• Dated to 13,800 BP

Image retrieved from: http://kingofwallpapers.com/mammoth/mammoth-027.jpg


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastodon#/media/File:Mammut_americanum_Sergiodlarosa.jpg

Meadowcroft Rockshelter

• Located in Pennsylvania

• Excavations began in 1973

• Dated to ~16,000 BP and possibly as early as

~19,000 BP

• Dates controversial due to carbon contamination

from coal bearing strata

• Remains of over 149 species of animals

• Evidence of fauna gathering including corn,

squash, fruits, nuts, and seeds

• Miller Laneolate projectile point recovered from

site


https://gypsyroadtrip.files.wordpress.com/20

14/08/rockshelf-shelter.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://www.archaeology.org/issues/150-features/americans/2369-peopling-the-americas-meadowcroft-rockshelter

Image retrieved from: http://science-spectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Miller-Point-0011.jpg

Cactus Hill Virginia

• Located on a sand hill consisting of wind

deposited sand and silt

• Testing began in 1988

• Artifacts recovered included blade like flakes

and two reworked points

• Site was dated to between ~15,000- ~18,000

BP

• Integrity of the site is questioned due to its

location on a sand dune.

Image retrieved from: http://www.virginiaplaces.org/nativeamerican/graphics/cactushill2.png

Image retrieved from: http://lithiccastinglab.com/gallery-pages/cactushillcoresandbladessm.jpg

Image retrieved from: https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/gault/images/MB23-lg.jpg


http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=349783&d=13324

10207


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Arp%C3%B3n_c

on_microlitos.png/150px-Arp%C3%B3n_con_microlitos.png


http://s819.photobucket.com/user/paleoarts/media/spear

s/bone%20implements/100_2448480x640.jpg.html

Image retrieved from: https://www.nps.gov/gaar/learn/historyculture/images/AMR-

186Microblades_360605_3.jpg


http://lithiccastinglab.com/images/c

hindadnpointcasthand.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://science-spectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Miller-Point-0011.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://lithiccastinglab.com/gallery-pages/cactushill2earlypointshand.jpg

Buttermilk Creek / Friedkin Site, Texas

• First identified in the 1920’s

• Excavations began in 1990s

• Very large Clovis component

• Located ~1 m below Clovis, Pre-Clovis

Level

• Dated to between 16,700-13,200 BP

• Over 100 Stone tools, 160,000 pieces of

debitage

• Pile of limestone rocks with four teeth

from a young adult female

Image retrieved from: http://westerndigs.org/16000-year-old-tools-discovered-in-texas-among-the-oldest-yet-

found-in-the-west/

http://westerndigs.org/16000-year-old-tools-discovered-in-texas-among-the-oldest-yet-found-in-the-west/

http://westerndigs.org/16000-year-old-tools-discovered-in-texas-among-the-oldest-yet-found-in-the-west/

Parsons Island Maryland

• Four lithic artifacts

recovered 225 cm below

surface

• Dated to 17,133+/- 88 14C

BP

• Four artifacts recovered

including two bipoint

bifaces and two utilized

blades

• Over 40 additional

artifacts found since 2013

Image retrieved from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20555563.2016.1212178

Image retrieved from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20555563.2016.1212178

Figure 16 Examples of artifacts found at the Parson's Island site: A: Bipoint biface, Cretaceous Magothy Formation quartzite; B: Bipoint biface, quartzite; C:

Bipoint biface, chert (found in situ); D: Bipoint biface, meta-rhyolite (patinated); E: Small lanceolate, chalcedony (with rounded cobble cortex); F: Small

lanceolate, quartz; G: Small End scraper, jasper (made on a true blade); H: Utilized Flake, quartz; I: Utilized Flake,quartzite; J: Utilized Flake quartz; K:

Shouldered Uniface, chert; L: Shouldered Uniface, chalcedony; M: Utilized Blade, cobble chert (note cortex). Note: Specimen C was found in situ within the

4Ab1 paleosol (see Figure 14B). Charcoal collected above this in-situ biface produced an age estimate of 17,133 ± 88 14C yr BP or 20,525 ± 341 cal yr

BP.

Published in: Jonathan C. Lothrop; Darrin L. Lowery; Arthur E. Spiess; Christopher J. Ellis; PaleoAmerica 2016, 2, 192-251.

DOI: 10.1080/20555563.2016.1212178

Copyright © 2016 The Author(s)Figure 16 Examples of artifacts found at the Parson's Island site: A: Bipoint biface, Cretaceous Magothy Formation quartzite; B: Bipoint biface, quartzite; C: Bipoint biface, chert (found in situ); D: Bipoint biface, meta-rhyolite (patinated); E: Small lanceolate, chalcedony (with rounded cobble cortex); F: Small lanceolate, quartz; G: Small End scraper, jasper (made on a true blade); H: Utilized Flake, quartz; I: Utilized Flake,quartzite; J: Utilized Flake quartz; K: Shouldered Uniface, chert; L: Shouldered Uniface, chalcedony; M: Utilized Blade, cobble chert (note cortex). Note: Specimen C was found in situ within the 4Ab1 paleosol (see Figure 14B). Charcoal collected above this in-situ bifaceproduced an age estimate of 17,133 ± 88 14C yr BP or 20,525 ± 341 cal yr BP

Retrieved from:

http://www.tandfonline.co

m/doi/full/10.1080/20555

563.2016.1212178

Page Ladson, Florida

• Dated to ~14,550 cal BP

• Submerged under 9 m of water along the

Aucilla River

• First investigated from 1983-1997

• Initial excavations found stone artifacts

with butchered mastodon remains

• Returned in 2012-2014

• Recovered six stone artifacts in deposits

with remains of mastodon, camelid, and

bison Image retrieved from: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/halligan8HR.jpg

Image retrieved from: https://i2.wp.com/www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/aucilla/auc12.JPG


http://d3a5ak6v9sb99l.clou

dfront.net/content/advances/

2/5/e1600375/F2.large.jpg

Image retrieved from: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-

content/uploads/2016/05/halligan11HR.jpg

Vero Man, Florida

Image retrieved from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Vero_man_and_bear.jpg

• Human remains found in association with

Pleistocene animal remains in 1915 and

1916

• Engraved mammoth tusk found nearby

• Set of human remains is the largest from any

Pleistocene age site in North America

• 2014 excavations reported a possible

“human living surface” at least 12,000 years

old.

• 2015 excavations recovered burned bones

from a dire wolf and a horse in a possible

hearth

Paisley Caves, Oregon

Image retrieved from: http://donsmaps.com/images10/paisleycavelookingin.jpg

• First Studied in 1930s

• University of Oregon returned in 2002

• Dated to 14,500 BP

• Evidence of baskets and rope

• Plant Fibers and wooden artifacts

• Bones of Pleistocene camel, horse, bison,

and waterfowl

• Bone Pit with remains of camel, horse,

mountain sheep, waterfowl, and fish

bones covered by stone slab

Image retrieved from: http://www.archaeology.org/issues/150-features/americans/2370-peopling-the-americas-paisely-caves

Image retrieved from: http://www.theallineed.com/paleontology/12072711g.jpg

Image retrieved from: https://uonews.uoregon.edu/sites/uonews2.uoregon.edu/files/uploads/images/WS-bases-UOsite_0.jpg

Haida Gwaii

• Formerly known as the Queen Charlotte

Islands

• Archipelago on the North Coast of British

Columbia.

• Researchers used underwater vehicles to

probe ocean

• Potential fishing weir on the bottom of

Juan Perez Sound under 122 meters (~400

ft) of water

• Depressions may indicate occupation areas

• Oldest artifact in Canada came from the

area, dated to 12,700 BP

Image retrieved from: http://lh5.ggpht.com/-X7Oi_uUW3UE/VGIulbEBLcI/AAAAAAAA82A/2JjkotQUB3g/twin-heart-stone-weir-

2%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800

A Coastal Route

• Coast was free of glacial ice as early as 17,000

BP

• Australia Colonized as early as 50,000 BP

• Maritime foodways practiced by the Jomon in

southern Japan by 15,500 BP

• Sea levels currently much higher than they

were at the Last Glacial Maximum

• Sites along the coastline are inundated by

rising sea levels

SOLUTREAN HYPOTHESIS

• First proposed in 1998

• Claims earliest settlers may have come

from Europe ~18,500 BP

• Solutrean Culture dated to between

21,000 and 17,000 BP in Europe

• Solutrean people migrated along the

pack ice of the north Atlantic

• Based on similarities between Solutrean

tools and Clovis tools

• Refer to tools from Cactus Hill and

Meadowcroft as transitional phaseImage retrieved from: http://thealternativehypothesis.org/index.php/2016/04/16/the-solutrean-hypothesis/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solutrean_hypothesis#/media/File:Solutrean_tools_22000_17000_Crot_du_Charnier_Solutr

e_Pouilly_Saone_et_Loire_France.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://lithiccastinglab.com/gallery-

pages/solutrean2volgucachelarge.jpg

Image retrieved from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-

sWVNqhBbbH8/UERFTxWjsbI/AAAAAAAAFok/-9OXgA-

3dfI/s1600/2.%2BClovis%2Bpoint.png

Which is Right?

Next Class:

• A Detailed Look at Clovis in the

Plains and Southwest

• Paleoindians in the Northwest

• Stemmed Points in the Great

Basin

Image retrieved from: http://www.unr.edu/Images/liberal-arts/anthropology/replica-gb-

stemmed-points459x294.jpg

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