Hematite beads from the Frost Clovis site, Logan County, Colorado

Abstract

In the early 1890s, Logan County, Colorado farmer John Frost was digging a lateral line from an irrigation ditch to his field when he encountered probable human bones. Associated with these skeletal remains were three large Clovis chipped stone preforms or projectile points, and at minimum five hematite beads. We report on the portion of the private collection that was available for study over a century later in 1999, including four hematite beads and one large projectile point preform. The history and significance of the discovery are outlined, and comparisons are made with other Paleoindian localities containing beads or hematite.