Middle Archaic Interaction Spheres Interpreted from Toolstone Distributions in the Tahoe Sierra

Abstract

Research in the Tahoe Sierra region has defined regional toolstone distribution patterns that give us a glimpse of how lithic source materials were moved over the landscape and addresses larger issues concerning settlement dynamics, population movement, and resource movement by way of prehistoric travel and exchange. Synthesis of prior archaeological investigations in the region and the compilation of larger data sets have allowed us to further identify intraregional distribution patterns that partition the region into three zones and model local interaction spheres based on dominant toolstone type that have implications for continuity in ancestral Washoe land use. Three key Middle Archaic sites situated within these zones serve as case studies that help illustrate the overall patterns. The model presented in this paper builds a framework for future research in the Tahoe Sierra region and provides an interpretative baseline to explain toolstone distribution patterns and a means to understand economics and social dynamics within and beyond the three local interaction spheres.