The Spectrum of Variation in Folsom-era Projectile Point Technology

Abstract

While researchers acknowledge the presence of projectile point variation in Folsom assemblages, points and preforms that deviate from the usual reduction sequence have received little attention with regard to flintknapping technologies. This research examines 631 Folsom-era points and 278 preforms from across the central portion of the United States to assess their technological variability and to compare their regional distributions. Points are divided into Folsom, unifacially fluted, Midland, pseudo-fluted, and miniature variants. Results indicate some technological similarities, such as the presence of collateral flaking, on all point variants. Differences within Midland, pseudo-fluted, and miniature point reduction highlight variation even within Folsom sub-types. Among the preforms, variation occurs primarily with regard to the fluting process. On a geographic scale, fluting is most prevalent in northern Folsom sites, with unfluted variants more common to the south. This trend may be related to raw material variations, chronology, or stylistic preferences.

Keywords:

• Folsom
• Midland
• technology
• lithics
• Paleoindians

Acknowledgements

This research would have been impossible without the aid of numerous people across the United States who opened their homes and research facilities to me. Michael Collins and the Gault School of Archaeological Research, Laura Nightengale, Richard Rose, Bruce Huckell, Sue Weissinger, Steve Holen, Isabel Tovar, Tom Westfall, Marcel Kornfeld, Nicole Waguespack, Wendi Murray, Jim Cox, Dennis Stanford, and Pegi Jodry all helped make this data collection a reality. David Anderson deserves thanks for his consistent support and advice during this research. My appreciation goes to Tom Williams for his comments and suggestions. Finally, three unnamed reviewers deserve thanks for their helpful recommendations.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robert Lassen

Author biography

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.