Here are some photos of my high school classmate Nancy Littlefield (pictured above) and some of her colleagues working at the Gault site in Texas. As we discussed in class, sometimes archeologists in the field actually fabricate their own versions of the weapons and tools they are studying, to see if their theories about how these Paleolithic cultures lived stands up to reality. Looks like fun, doesn't it?
Following the link in the title above will take you to a website and article sponsored by the University of Texas in Austin's College of Liberal Arts. The article describes the place where thousands of artifacts like the one at left are being found. Hopefully, these remains will tell us more about the humans who lived in North America over 13,000 years ago.
One of the big controversies in this area of study revolves around whether the Clovis culture arrived in North America around 14,000 years ago by crossing the Bering Land Bridge, or whether it had been established much earlier. These scholars are attempting to find out if the timing of North America's growing and receding ice sheets coincides with the particular history of this valley in Texas, (which is lower than the surrounding limestone plateau, has deeper soil, and often flooded, burying the artifacts of earlier times in deeper layers.)
If they can find the very earliest evidence of carbon-bearing material, like plants or animals, that are conclusively tied to one of the many stone tools and spear-points of this site, then perhaps they can prove for certain just how long humans have been inhabiting the western hemisphere.
I think more research into this topic would make an excellent social studies fair entry, by-the-way. We'll talk more this week about the requirements and deadlines for those who are interested in competing this year.
Here are some questions you can answer from the article linked above for extra-credit: (2 pts each)
1) what is an ecotone?
2) what are Clovis points?
3) what does a look under a microscope reveal about these objects?
4) what is a Folsom point?
5) what does "Clovis-first" mean?
6) what might be "the earliest form of representational art in North America"?
