The Influence of Lithic Raw Material Selection on Regional Morphological Variability of Clovis Fluted Points

Description

Clovis was once considered to be the first universal lithic technology to evolve in North America, occurring between 11,050 to 10,800 radiocarbon years before present (14C yr BP). These early hunter-gatherers left behind a sparse material record of their occupation that consists primarily of stone tools and the manufacturing debris associated with their production. The trademark tool of this earliest lithic technology to evolve in North America is a fluted point named after its type site discovery in a quarry at Blackwater Draw Locality No. 1, near Clovis, a town in New Mexico. These artefacts were made by widely separated groups throughout North America. The fluted points from Nova Scotia are much the same as those from New Mexico, not identical, but the similarities outweigh the differences. Not only are the fluted points similar across North America, but other technological aspects of the Clovis culture, i.e. blades, unifacial tools, and osseous tools, appear to be equally similar and widespread. In this study, the author identifies a number of Clovis and Clovis variants from seven environmentally different regions across North America. This monograph analyses the variability of Clovis fluted points and the lithic raw materials that they were produced on from a continental perspective. Complementing the research is a digital photographic dataset of the Clovis fluted points discussed, available online. Cover Title page Copyright page Of Related Interest Abstract Dedication Acknowledgements Contents List of figures List of tables Foreword 1. Introduction 1.1 Clovis: an investigation into an early Paleoindian culture 1.2 Aims and objectives 1.3 Outline of research 2. Clovis: type description, dating, regional distribution, and site types 2.1 The archaeological record 2.2 Dating: what is the age of Clovis? 2.3 Regional distribution of Clovis fluted points 2.3.1 Region 1: Northeast 2.3.2 Region 2: Middle-Atlantic and Southeast 2.3.3 Region 3: Midcontinent and Great Lakes 2.3.4 Region 4: Northern Plains 2.3.5 Region 5: Southern Plains and Desert Southwest 2.3.6 Region. 6: Southwest, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau 2.3.7 Region 7: Northwest 2.4 Clovis site types 2.4.1 Clovis kill sites 2.4.2 Campsites 2.4.3 Source-area / Workshop sites 2.4.4 Clovis caches 2.4.5 Isolates and surface-collected Clovis points 2.5 Summary and discussion 3. Methods: samples, site selection criterion, and methodologies 3.1 Aims and objectives 3.2 The samples 3.2.1 Selection criteria: sample 1), M 3.2.2 Selection criteria: sample 2), C 3.2.3 Selection criteria: sample 3), S 3.3 Methods: quantative variables and geometric morphometrics 3.4 Clovis point and site selection 3.5 Data collection: artefact assemblages, replica casts and collections 3.6 Testing the methodology 3.7 Discussion: early conclusions and implications 4. Clovis lithic raw materials: regional variability, sourcing and procurement 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Regional analysis of the raw material 4.2.1 Region 1: Northeast 4.2.2 Region 2: Middle-Atlantic and Southeast 4.2.3 Region 3: Midcontinent and Great Lakes 4.2.4 Region 4: Northern Plains 4.2.5 Region 5: Southern Plains and Desert Southwest 4.2.6 Region 6: Southwest and Great Basin 4.2.7 Region 7: Northwest 4.3 Interpretation of regional and intraregional patterns 4.4 Recognition and identification of raw material sources 4.5 Summary: questions and early conclusions 5. Analysis: procedures and results 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Analysis of the samples and initial results 5.2.1 Region 1: Northeast 5.2.2 Region 2: Middle-Atlantic and Southeast 5.2.3 Region 3: Midcontinent and Great Lakes 5.2.4 Region 4: Northern Plains 5.2.5 Southern Plains and Desert Southwest 5.2.6 Southwest and Great Basin 5.2.7 Northwest 5.3 Synopsis: brief overview of the results 5.4 Summary: observations and implications 6. Conclusions: interpretations, discussion, and future research 6.1 Restating the research questions 6.2 Interpretation of regional results 6.2.1 Region 1: Northeast 6.2.2 Region 2: Middle-Atlantic and Southeast 6.2.3 Region 3: Midcontinent and Great Lakes 6.2.4 Region 4: Northern Plains 6.2.5 Region 5: Southern Plains and Desert Southwest 6.2.6 Region 6: Southwest and Great Basin 6.2.7 Region 7: Northwest 6.3 Discussion: Clovis points, people, and places 6.3.1 Discussion Pt. 1: Clovis in the North American landscape 6.3.2 Discussion Pt. 2: Clovis a human behavioural perspective 6.4 Directions for future research 6.5 Concluding comments 6.6 Endnote Bibliography Appendix A. Supporting information: regional association of Clovis-aged and related sites in North America A.1 Introduction A.2 Regional association of Clovis-aged sites and assemblages A.3 Comment: further north and farthest south Appendix B. Data collection: list of institutions and collections of Clovis points accessed for this research B.1 Institutions B.2 Private collections B3 Miscellaneous collections Appendix C. Clovis point data collection methodologies C.1 Clovis point record sheet C.2 Photographic record: digital photographic database C.3 Clovis point sample: caliper-based metrics and visual observations C.4 Recording methodology C.4 Recording methodology Appendix D. U.S state abbreviations and Smithsonian Institution trinomial index D.1 State abbreviation and associated region D.2 Smithsonian Institution trinomial Clovis site index Appendix E. Dating: calibrated and radiocarbon age ranges E.1 Conversion tables: radiocarbon ages (14C yr BP) roughly calibrated to calendar-year ages (Cal yr BP)