A changing perspective on Paleoindian chronology and typology: A view from the northwestern plains

The stone projectile point is one of the most readily recognizable implements of lithic assemblages. Archaeological studies have, therefore, traditionally focused on projectile point typologies to establish the chrono-cultural framework needed to assess archaeological diversity in a particular region. The following paper discusses the value of point types in establishing chrono-cultural histories. The two case studies chosen here-the Hell Gap site in Wyoming and the Jim Pitts site in South Dakota-illustrate early Paleoindian interactions on the North American Plains. The analysis of the stratigraphic context of the projectile points recovered at these two sites demonstrates that several Paleoindian point types overlapped in space and time. The study, thus, questions the traditional unilineal models of culture changes based on an assumed isomorphic relationship between points and people, suggesting that the approach is fundamentally flawed.