Projectile points, people, and Plains Paleoindian perambulations

Neutron activation analysis of 12,900-year-old stone artifacts confirms 450–510+ km Clovis tool-stone acquisition at Paleo Crossing (33ME274), northeast Ohio, U.S.A.

“…Whereas there exists archaeological equifinality for all the material correlates of these distinct possibilities (Bamforth, 2009;Burke, 2006;Meltzer, 1989;Speth et al, 2013), empirically validating the long-distance acquisition of stone by Clovis foragersdwhatever the acquisition proceduredhas implications for the rapid expansion of Clovis culture. Given the low density of Clovis sites across North America, and thus presumably low population densities, empirical validation of long-distance acquisition of stone provides a unique opportunity for inferring geographically widespread social contact and territorial permeability among mobile hunteregatherer populations (Bamforth, 2009;Burke, 2006;Ellis, 1989;Kelly and Todd, 1988;Pearce, 2014;Pearce and Moutsiou, 2014;Speth et al, 2013).…”

Measuring Paleoindian range mobility and land-use in the Great Lakes/Northeast

“…However, these ideas have not been universally accepted. For example, Bamforth (2009) questions the idea of a high mobility amongst later Post-Clovis assemblages on the High Plains. In the Northeast, Custer and Stewart (1990) argued the ranges exploited are no different in scale than those seen amongst modern eastern sub-arctic hunter-gatherers of the boreal forest zone (see also Speth et al, in press).…”

Paleoindian archaeology of the Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado Rocky Mountains

“…Indeed, if higher elevation Folsom sites are eventually documented in the UGB, I see it as likely that they, like Black Mountain, will show evidence for big-game-perhaps including bison-hunting). Although we know that Folsom adaptations vary regionally (e.g., Andrews et al, 2008;Bamforth, 2009;LaBelle, 2005LaBelle, , 2012Surovell, 2009), it remains clear that Folsom is first and foremost a bison-hunting technology-a characterization not contradicted by the UGB evidence. As Jodry (1999a: 329) put it, in recent years it has been de rigeur to state that Folsom groups "did not live by bison alone."…”