1. From Formal to Efficient: Variation in Projectile Point Manufacture and Morphology from the Late Woodland to Fort Ancient Period in the Middle Ohio River Valley
- Author
-
Hinkelman, Sarah Ann, Hinkelman
- Subjects
- Archaeology, Middle Ohio River Valley, Fort Ancient, Late Woodland, Lithic Technology, Projectile Points, Raw Material, Morphology, Bipolar Reduction, Cultural Transmission
- Abstract
From the late Late Woodland period (AD 700-1000) to the Early Fort Ancient period (AD 1000 - 1300) multiple social and economic changes occurred. Small seasonally mobile groups focused on hunting and gathering and low-level domesticate plant usage transitioned to sedentary village life focused on maize agriculture. Accompanying these life style changes is a prominent shift in lithic technology, which is evident in the morphology of projectile points as well as raw material usage. Late Woodland projectile points are generally manufactured from high quality exotic raw materials and are formally shaped. In comparison Fort Ancient projectile points are expediently produced from low quality local materials. It is hypothesized that the difference in lithic technology is a result of a shift in the manufacturing process from free-hand reduction to bipolar reduction. Learning strategies, specifically guided variation and indirect bias, are thought to influence production and morphology of stone tools and may have differed between two cultural periods. This research investigates the variability in lithic assemblages between the late Late Woodland and Early Fort Ancient periods using two sites from the Middle Ohio River Valley, Clark (33WA124), a late Late Woodland site, and Guard (12D29), an Early Fort Ancient site. The analytical methods conducted are used to identify the presence of high quality raw materials, bipolar reduction, and variability in projectile point morphology. My conclusion is that there are prominent differences in projectile point manufacture and morphological variability between Clark and Guard which indicate a major shift in learning strategy and techniques from the Late Woodland to Fort Ancient periods which relate to changes in settlement structure, mobility, and subsistence.
- Published
- 2018