A Comparative Study of Overshot Flaking Between Clovis and Other Components From the Gault Site, Texas

ABSTRACT

This study utilizes data from the Gault site (41BL323) to address intentionality in Clovis overshot flaking. Most research in recent decades considers overshot flakes a purposeful part of Clovis biface reduction. However, recent research by Eren et al. has questioned this interpretation, experimentally demonstrating that overshot flakes may represent failed attempts at removing large overface flakes. The present study compares overshot flake counts from Clovis and other components in Area 15, as well as comparing edge removal measurements from Clovis and non-Clovis overshots from Areas 8 and 15. Results indicate that overshots are proportionally more common in the Clovis component than in any other stratum, and Clovis overshot flakes consistently remove less mass from the opposite edge than those from other components. Therefore, it appears that overshots are removed more consistently and with more precision in Clovis than in any other component, making them more likely to be intentional.

KEYWORDS:

• Clovis
• overshot
• Paleoindian
• Gault
• flint knapping

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank members and friends of the Gault School of Archaeological Research for their encouragement in the publication of this article. In particular, Michael Collins, Nancy Velchoff Littlefield, and Tom Williams deserve ample thanks for their comments and suggestions. Two anonymous reviewers also deserve thanks for their constructive critiques. However, any errors in this article are strictly the fault of the author.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on Contributor

Dr Robert D. Lassen is a post-doctoral researcher with the Prehistory Research Project at Texas State University. He received his PhD from the University of Tennessee in 2013. His research interests include North American Paleoindian archaeology, lithic technology, and the peopling of the Americas.