Clovis Revisited: New Perspectives on Paleoindian Adaptations from Blackwater Draw, New Mexico

167 Pages·1999·13.69 MB·English

by  Anthony T. Boldurian

CLOVIS REVISITED
New Perspectives on
Paleoindian Adaptations from
Blackwater Draw, New Mexico
Frontispiece. EdgarB. Howard (foreground) excavatingmammothbonesattheClovisgravelpit, summer1933.
University Museum Monograph 103
CLOVIS REVISITED
New Perspectives on
Paleoindian Adaptations from
Blackwater Draw, New Mexico
by
Anthony T. Boldurian
University ofPittsburgh at Greensburg
and
John L. Cotter
The University ofPennsylvania Museum
ofArchaeology and Anthropology
Published by
The University Museum
University ofPennsylvania
Philadelphia
1999
Design, editing, production
Publications Department, UniversityofPennsylvania Museum
Coverillustrations
courtesyofSarah M. Moore
LibraryofCongress Cataloging-in-PublicationData
Boldurian,AnthonyT.
Clovis revisted :newperspectiveson Paleoindian adaptationsfrom BlackwaterDraw, New
Mexico/ byAnthonyT. Boldurian and John L. Cotter.
p. cm. -- (Universitymuseum monograph; 103)
Includesbibliographical references.
ISBN 0-92-417167-7 (hardcover: alk. paper)
ISBN 0-92-417168-5 (pbk. :alk. paper)
1. Clovisculture. 2. Clovispoints--NewMexico. 3.
Paleo-Indians--BlackwaterDraw Formation (Tex. and N.M.) I. Cotter, John L. II.Title. III. Series.
E99.C832 B65 1999
976.418--dc21
99-6020
CIP
Copyright © 1999
UNIVERSITYOF PENNSYLVANIA MUSEUM
Philadelphia
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
Dedication
To Edgar Billings Howard 1887-1943
Pioneer investigator
ofearly humans in North America 1929-1941
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Table of Contents
LISTOFFIGURES ix
LISTOFTABLES xiii
FOREWORD xv
PREFACE xvii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xix
CHAPTER1
EdgarB. Howard'sSouthwestEarlyManProject 1
Background 1
HistoricalSummary 3
StartingOut 3
BurnetCave 7
TheBlackwaterDraw 10
The Crewsand CampLife 13
More Discoveries 15
CHAPTER2
LatePleistoceneEnvironmentsandHumanEcologyofthe SouthernPlains:ASummaryandPerspective 21
Introduction 21
APaleoenvironmentalSketch 21
Stone Resources 23
EdwardsFormationCherts 23
AlibatesAgate 25
TecovasJasper 25
Orthoquartzites 25
InfluencesofPaleoenvironmentonPatternsofLandUse and Group Mobility 25
Broilo'sModel 26
CoreReduction 27
ClovisCore Reduction 28
FolsomCoreReduction 29
ConcludingNote 30
CHAPTER3
Research GoalsandAnalyticalMethods 31
Goalsofthe Study 31
Nature ofthe Collection 32
Vlll CLOVISREVISTED
Subassemblage 32
Context 33
ASample Collection 36
MethodsandProceduresoftheAnalysis 36
UnmodifiedDebitage 37
FormedImplements 40
CHAPTER4
Descriptionofthe Collection 43
Introduction 43
GeneralParametersandLimitations 43
Inventoryofthe Specimens 45
Clovis 56
Folsom 73
ConcludingRemarks 89
CHAPTER5
AnalyticalComparisons 91
Introduction 91
Clovis 92
Blademaking 92
HuntingWeaponry 93
Folsom 105
Well-UsedWeaponTips 105
BrieflyUsed-WorkshopNew 108
MobileBifaceCores 108
RecycledTools 110
UltrathinBifaces 110
ParallelFlakedHorizon 111
Non-FlutedBifaces: Uses 111
SpecializedBifacialTools 112
CHAPTER6
ConcludingObservations 113
Introduction 113
ClovisAdaptations 113
Pan-ClovisToolKit:APerspective 113
Water: TheKeyResource 115
Clovis-FolsomRelationships 116
ClovisOrigins 117
Antecedents:AWestwardView 118
TheEasternWoodlands 118
OldWorldOrigins 119
Access: WestandEast 120
REFERENCESCITED 125
INDEX 139
List of Figures
Figure 1. Folsom pointand associatedfossil bison ribsimbeddedin matrix 3
Figure 2. E. B. Howardin 1937,shownwith the Clovisbeveledbone artifactandmammothulnain situ 4
Figure 3. Guadalupe Peakand the Guadalupe Mountains, Culberson County,Texas, in 1930 4
Figure 4a. BasketMakerexcavationinLastChance Canyon, N.M., 1933 6
Figure4b. BasketMakerexcavationinLastChance Canyon, N.M., 1933 6
Figure5.The 1930CarlsbadExpeditionfield crew 7
Figure 6. BurnetCave, EddyCounty, N.M., in 1930 8
Figure 7. FolsomandFolsom-likepoints 9
Figure8. StratigraphicprofileofBurnetCave excavation 10
Figure 9. RidgelyWhiteman on the SouthernPlainsnearthe PecosRiver, NewMexico, ca. 1929 11
Figure 10.Flutedandunflutedprojectilepointsfrom the BlackwaterDraw 12
Figure 11.Typicalbasin site nearClovis, N.M., showingmammoth tuskweatheringoutofbluish-graysands 13
Figure 12. Excavation ofmammothbonesatthe ClovisgravelpitbyE. B. Howard, summer 1933 14
Figure 13.Artifactandbone associationsatthe Clovisgravelpit,summer1933 15
Figure 14. BlackwaterDrawLocalityNo.1, nearClovis, N.M., in 1933 16
Figure 15.MammothPitasseenfrom above, Clovisgravelpitexcavation, 1936 16
Figure 16.The 1936ClovisExpeditionfield crew 17
Figure 17.Type-Specimen Clovispointsandside scraperwith mammothbonesatMammothPit 17
Figure 18.The ClovisMammothPitexhibit,AcademyofNaturalSciences, Philadelphia 18
Figure 19.E. B. Howardatthe entranceofanunknown cavein the Guadalupe Mountains 19
Figure 20. Basemapofthe SouthernPlainswithselectPaleoindiansitesandstoneresource locations 24