Across the Central Plains: Clovis and Folsom Land Use and Lithic Procurement

Abstract

Clovis and Folsom artifact distributions, particularly projectile points and preforms, are not homogenous throughout the central Plains. Uneven distributions are in part attributed to geomorphic process and site visibility, collector and recording intensity, recognition bias, and diverse prehistoric land use and hunting techniques. Distinct Clovis and Folsom land use strategies are driven by ecological reorganization of floral and faunal resources in response to changing environments of the terminal Pleistocene.

Keywords:

• Clovis
• Folsom
• chipped stone
• central Great Plains

Acknowledgements

This paper builds off of years of artifact recording conducted primarily by Jack Hofman and Steve Holen. As such, this study would not be possible if not for the generosity of the many individuals that have allowed access to their private artifact collections. For reasons of privacy, their names are not included here. A version of this paper was presented at the 80th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology (San Francisco) in a Folsom symposium organized by Brooke Morgan and Brian Andrews. I thank them for the opportunity to participate in that symposium and for the invitation to publish in this special issue of PaleoAmerica. Comments from three anonymous reviewers enhanced the current version of this research. Any omissions or misinterpretations are solely my own.

ORCID

Brendon P. Asher http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5256-2396

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brendon P. Asher

Author biography

Brendon P. Asher received his PhD in anthropology from the University of Kansas in 2015. He is currently a Research Associate with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Kansas and an independent archaeological consultant. His interests include Great Plains chipped stone technologies, faunal analysis, and the early peopling of the Americas.