An early Holocene crescent and associated technologies at Connley Cave 6, Oregon

In western North America, the Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) is contemporaneous with, but technologically different from, the Clovis Paleoindian Tradition as initially defined from the Great Plains and American Southwest. The foundational principles of WST lithic technology have not been as clearly delineated as those of their fluted and unfluted Paleoindian Tradition technological counterparts, largely due to the paucity of extensive WST lithic assemblages recovered from intact buried contexts. Recent excavations at the Cooper's Ferry site, located in western Idaho, revealed a stratified series of WST components spanning the late Pleistocene to early Holocene periods. The study of these components offers a unique opportunity to evaluate current expectations about WST lithic technology. Here, we describe the discovery, context, and contents of a new cache of 14 WST projectile points from the Cooper's Ferry site that provide clues about WST lithic reduction patterns and the design of early stemmed projectile points. We employ several novel methods of lithic analysis based on three-dimensional digital scanning technology and geometric morphometry and, in doing so, seek to demonstrate new ways of studying stone tools through the use of next-generation methods of lithic analysis applied to exploring the poorly known technological details of the WST.

The discovery of an artifact cache containing Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) projectile points in a clearly defined pit feature at the Cooper’s Ferry site offers a unique perspective on early lithic technology and logistical organization in western North America. A description and analysis of the cache feature reveals several new insights, including: a rocky cairn capped the surface of the pit feature; some of the artifacts were made from cryptocrystalline silicates found 16 km away; debitage analysis, including aggregate and attribute based measures, identified two distinct lithic reduction stages present in the cache; new radiocarbon assays suggest that the cache is probably not early Holocene in age and may date to associated age estimates of 11,410–11,370 radiocarbon years before present (B.P.). Unlike Clovis caches, the Pit Feature A2 cache at Cooper’s Ferry appears to be a generalized toolkit that was probably placed at the site for future use. If the 11,410–11,370 radiocarbon years B.P. assays date the creation of the Pit Feature A2 cache, then its creators were probably not pioneers in the lower Salmon River canyon but possessed local knowledge about the landscape and raw material sources; these patterns suggest greater time depth for WST foragers.

The human colonization of the Southeast Plains of South America: Climatic conditions, technological innovations and the peopling of Uruguay and south of Brazil

During the late Pleistocene, Warner Valley (Oregon, USA) was filled by Lake Warner; however, little is known about its rise and fall and how its changing lake levels effected the distribution of the valley’s earliest occupants. The discovery of Paleoindian projectile points along ancient shorelines of the lake spurred us to examine them for geochronological controls to aid in constructing the lake’s history. We found that Lake Warner filled the valley floor between ca. 30,000 and 10,300 cal yr BP, probably reaching its maximum ca. 17,000–16,100 cal yr BP before it began to recede. People arrived with Clovis and Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) projectile points before ca. 12,800 cal yr BP, around the time the lake stalled in its retreat. When the lake continued its decline, people using WST points followed it southward into the valley floor, where dune-and-slough topography began developing ca. 10,300 cal yr BP in response to episodic wetting and drying during the early Holocene. By the time Mazama tephra fell, ca. 7600 cal yr BP, the once large lake was divided into a series of small lakes, ponds, and sloughs that attracted people to their abundant resources of endemic fish and marsh plants.

Last Supper Cave (LSC) is located in northwestern Nevada. It was excavated by Thomas Layton in the early 1970s. Layton recovered Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) points and other stone tools from the cave’s lower strata suggesting that people visited the site during the early Holocene – a possibility subsequently confirmed by radiocarbon dating. Despite the fact that LSC contained a stratified record of human use spanning the Holocene, the collection was never fully analyzed. Our work with it has proceeded in a piecemeal fashion over the past two decades and focused largely on the WST component. Here, for the first time, we describe that component in detail, bringing together previously reported and new chronological, technological, and spatial data to understand when, how, and why people visited LSC during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene.

A subtropical peat, developed on a costal plain in southern Queensland, has been studied with respect to its morphology, radiocarbon (14C) age, total organic carbon (C) content, stable C isotopic (δ13C) values, and spectroscopic characteristics (13C-NMR and FTIR). The combination of techniques allowed for an interpretation of changes in peat development over time, an assessment of paleoclimatic changes that apparently occurred during peat growth, and a comparison with perched lake sediments on Fraser Island. Geochemical data from the peat showed a relative increase in abundance of aromatic C (which may include charcoal) from the Pleistocene to the early Holocene and much decreased abundances of aromatic C thereafter. This trend may be due to changes in fire frequency from the Pleistocene–early Holocene (high fire frequency) to the early and middle Holocene (relatively low fire frequency). This interpretation is consistent with other published data from this area, showing increased aridity, increased fire frequency and dominance of sclerophyll forest during the late Pleistocene–early Holocene. Another significant geochemical change in the acid peat occurred within the middle to late Holocene. This period is characterised by highly 13C-depleted organic matter and a comparably high alkyl C (lipid) content. These data are interpreted as indicating wetter and year-round waterlogged conditions, possibly associated with poor drainage during the Holocene sea level maximum c. 5500–3000 years BP. By comparison, abundance of alkyl C decreased and δ13C values increased in the latest Holocene. The geochemical data from the acid peat point to the occurrence of a dry phase during the late Pleistocene to early Holocene and a wet phase in the middle to late Holocene, followed by another dry phase. These data correspond well with published data of 2 phases of dune formation (dry periods) in the early to middle Holocene and in the latest Holocene for North Queensland.

The late Pleistocene–early Holocene archaeological record of the interior Pacific Northwest is dominated by what has been regionally referred to as the Western Stemmed Tradition (WST). While various efforts have attempted to clarify the chronology of this tradition, these have largely focused on data from the Great Basin and have been disproportionately preoccupied with establishing the beginning of the tradition due to its temporal overlap with Clovis materials. Specifically focusing on the Columbia Plateau, we apply a series of Bayesian chronological models to create concise estimates of the most likely beginning, end, and span of the WST. We then further explore its chronology by modeling its temporal span under various parameters and criteria so as to better identify places in the chronology that need further work and those that are robust regardless of data iteration. Our analysis revealed four major findings: (1) WST conservatively dates between 13,000 and 11,000 cal BP, likely extending to ~13,500 cal BP; (2) the most problematic period for WST is its termination; (3) the WST is incredibly long-lived compared to roughly contemporary Paleoindian traditions; and (4) the WST was seemingly unaffected by the onset of the Younger Dryas.

ABSTRACTWe review some of the current problems and prospects in ongoing Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) studies and highlight recent discoveries at important sites in the Intermountain West. While the region has traditionally not been the focus of peopling of the Americas studies, it has received considerable attention in recent years due to the discovery of WST points and other artifacts in Clovis-aged deposits. Fieldwork at sites in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah has produced WST assemblages dated to the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene and generated new fine-grained datasets capable of addressing longstanding questions about WST technology, chronology, and subsistence. Collectively, these efforts have helped to refocus North American Paleoindian studies on the Intermountain West and the role that it played in the peopling of the Americas.

The chronological and technological relationships between Clovis and Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) projectile points in the Great Basin are unclear. There are no dated and stratified sites containing both point types. We present data from Oregon's Warner Valley, where a rich Paleoindian surface record associated with dated landforms and differences in raw materials represented within each technology allow us to evaluate current hypotheses regarding Clovis and WST points. Our results provide little support for the hypothesis that Clovis and WST points were initially components of the same lithic toolkit in the northern Great Basin. Instead, we suggest that the technologies were separated by a narrow period of time or that two cultural traditions existed during the terminal Pleistocene in the northern Great Basin.

Environmental conditions and the emergence of ceramics in the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene at the Krasnaya Gorka site in the Transbaikal region, Southern Siberia

Paleoclimate records of effective moisture (precipitation minus evaporation, or P–E) show a dry (low effective moisture) period in mid-latitude arid/semi-arid central Asia during the early Holocene (11,000–8,000 years ago) relative to the middle and late Holocene, in contrast to evidence for greater-than-present precipitation at the same time in the south and east Asian monsoonal areas. To investigate the spatial differences in climate response over mid-latitude central Asia and monsoonal Asia we conducted a series of simulations with the Community Climate System Model version 3 coupled climate model for the early, middle and late Holocene. The simulations test the climatic impact of all important forcings for the early Holocene, including changes in orbital parameters, the presence of the remnant Laurentide ice sheet and deglacial freshening of the North Atlantic. Model results clearly show the early Holocene patterns indicated by proxy records, including both the decreased effective moisture in arid central Asia, which occurs in the model primarily during the winter months, and the increase in summer monsoon precipitation in south and east Asia. The model results suggest that dry conditions in the early Holocene in central Asia are closely related to decreased water vapor advection due to reduced westerly wind speed and less evaporation upstream from the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas in boreal winter. As an extra forcing to the early Holocene climate system, the Laurentide ice sheet and meltwater fluxes have a substantial cooling effect over high latitudes, especially just over and downstream of the ice sheets, but contribute only to a small degree to the early Holocene aridity in central Asia. Instead, most of the effective moisture signal can be explained by orbital forcing decreasing the early Holocene latitudinal temperature gradient and wintertime surface temperature. We find little evidence for regional subsidence related to a stronger summer Asian monsoon in forcing early Holocene aridity in central Asia, as has been previously hypothesized.

<p><span>In this study, we studied palynomorphs from the alpine record from Laguna Seca in Sierra Nevada, southern Spain to investigate the response of forests and lake environments in the western Mediterranean area to climate changes and to human impact during the latest Pleistocene and Holocene. Xerophyte herbs such as </span><em><span>Artemisia</span></em><span>, <em>Ephedra</em>, and Amaranthaceae are highest during the late Bölling-Allerod (BA) and Younger Dryas (YD) indicating aridity. Poaceae (grasses) are maximum in the BA and Early Holocene, probably indicating expansion in the barren areas left by glaciers after deglaciation. </span><span>Forest abundance and composition, in particular of deciduous </span><em><span>Quercus </span></em><span>and <em>Pinus </em>species indicates maximum humidity during the Early Holocene and aridification in the Middle and Late Holocene. Microcharcoal analysis done on the palynological preparations agrees with the vegetation changes, showing maxima in the Early and Middle Holocene and a decrease in the Late Holocene when the Mediterranean vegetation, and thus fuel availability, diminished. The record of Laguna Seca is particularly interesting with respect to the algae and other aquatic microscopic remains. <span><em>Pediastrum </em>algae only occurred and showed very high abundances </span>during the end of Heinrich Stadial 1 and <span>beginning of the BA</span>, probably indicating deepest lake conditions with deglaciation. <span><em>Botryococcus, Debarya</em>, <em>Spirogyra </em>and <em>Zygnema </em>algae also peaked at that climate transition, also supporting lake conditions. <em>Botryococcus </em>increased during the Early Holocene, while the rest of the algae almost vanished, which could indicate that the lake became shallower but very productive until 8200 cal yr BP. From then on, the lake level lowered and became a seasonal lake in the Middle-Late Holocene transition.</span></span></p>

Diagnostic artifacts collected from the surface of the Barker site in southeastern Kansas indicate the site was repeatedly occupied throughout the Holocene. The narrow range of lithic artifact categories from the site suggests a correspondingly narrow range of economic activities. Climatic changes during the Holocene apparently did not have a drastic effect on the life-style of the ancient inhabitants of the site. The Barker site, 14NO28, is located on the 1st Terrace of the Neosho River in the tall grass prairie region of southeastern Kansas. The site is north of Chanute, Kansas. A meander scar of the Neosho River lies northeast of the site on a dissected floodplain. The artifacts from this site were recovered from the surface by Mr. William Barker who generously donated them to the University of Kansas. DIAGNOSTIC ARTIFACTS AND DATING OF THE SITE The Barker site yielded numerous projectile points that could serve as index fossils. The early Archaic period was represented by five projectile points, including a Meserve or Dalton projectile point (Fig. 1A), an Alberta projectile point (Fig. 1B), a Scottsbluff projectile point (Fig. 1 C) and two Rice Lobed projectile points (Fig. 1D, E). These projectile point styles date as early as seven or eight thousand years B.C. Alberta (Frison, 1978), Meserve, and Scottsbluff projectile points (Wormington, 1957) have been found associated with early Holocene bison kills in the Central Plains. Rice Lobed projectile points are estimated by Chapman (1957:254) to range in age from 7500 to 5000 B.C. The archaeology of the early Holocene of Kansas is largely unknown. Some of the projectile points from the Barker site are similar to those found in sites in Nebraska (the Scottsbluff and Alberta projectile points), and some are similar to projectile points found in early Holocene sites in Missouri This content downloaded from 157.55.39.27 on Mon, 05 Sep 2016 05:14:25 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms VOLUME 88, NUMBERS 1-2 15

Variations in monsoonal rainfall over the last 21 kyr inferred from sedimentary organic matter in Tung-Yuan Pond, southern Taiwan

This paper presents geochemical and grain-size records since the early Holocene in core ECS0702 with a fine chronology frame obtained from the Yangtze River subaqueous delta front. Since ~9500 cal yr BP, the proxy records of chemical weathering from the Yangtze River basin generally exhibit a Holocene optimum in the early Holocene, a weak East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) period during the middle Holocene, and a relatively strong EASM period in the late Holocene. The ~8.2 and ~4.4 cal ka BP cooling events are recorded in core ECS0702. The flooding events reconstructed by the grain-size parameters since the early Holocene suggest that the floods mainly occurred during strong EASM periods and the Yangtze River mouth sandbar caused by the floods mainly formed in the early and late Holocene. The Yangtze River-mouth sandbars since the early Holocene shifted from north to south, affected by tidal currents and the Coriolis force, and more importantly, controlled by the EASM. Our results are of great significance for enriching both the record of Holocene climate change in the Yangtze River basin and knowledge about the formation and evolution progress of the deltas located in monsoon regions.