Evidence for Paleoindians in Wisconsin and at the Skare Site

Abstract

The Skare site, situated along the Yahara River in southern Wisconsin, has produced evidence of human activity spanning from Paleoindian times to the early Euro-American settlement of Wisconsin. During recent excavations at the site, two Paleoindian artifacts, the base of a Folsom biface and a heavily reworked Dalton biface, were found below the plow zone. Inventories of Paleoindian sites and fluted biface distributions primarily documented in the surface archaeology of Wisconsin are examined to establish a regional settlement context for the Skare site and to investigate the nature of Paleoindian exploration and colonization of the state. Areas with the highest numbers of known Paleoindian sites and reported fluted bifaces correspond with resource-rich habitats, unique lithic raw material sources, and regions that have been the focus of Paleoindian research and fluted biface collecting. Clovis bifaces are found across the state, while Folsom bifaces are largely restricted to the southern half of the state. A comparison of Early and Late Paleoindian site distributions indicates that Paleoindian exploration of the state occurred relatively rapidly following the last glacial retreat.