Territorial perspective on lithic caching: Insights from Garza Protohistoric (1450–1650 CE) caching strategies on the Southern Plains, USA

Abstract

Lithic caching was a common strategy to provide a surplus of flaked stone in areas devoid of high quality lithic sources. A territorial perspective was used to investigate the Southern Plains Garza Protohistoric-age (1450–1650 CE) Post Wallace lithic cache. Garza hunter-gatherers placed the 575 piece cache along the Southern High Plains eastern escarpment near Post, Texas. Based on ethnohistorical accounts and the archaeological record, this region was a persistently occupied Garza core territory area. Results indicated that Post Wallace was a continuance cache used and replenished several times. Garza hunter-gatherers carried large pieces of flaked stone rather than minimize transportation cost. A territorial perspective provided new insights into Garza hunter-gatherer landscape-use strategies and lithic caching.