The Parkhill Phase Middle Paleoindian Hipwater Site, Great Lakes, USA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Hipwater Locale is a small Parkhill Phase Middle Paleoindian (ca. 12,200–11,600 cal yr BP) assemblage from south central lower Michigan, recovered by the property owners and the lead author. Interdisciplinary analysis reveals that the locale is likely a short term but intensive discard location with an assemblage composed of unfinished and broken fluted and unfluted bifaces with almost no associated debitage. There is evidence for a hearth in the form of soil discoloration, fire-cracked rock, color and structural alteration of tool stone, and thermal fractures. Tool-stone sources are local Bayport chert as assessed through hand-specimen characteristics and portable X-ray fluorescence analyses. Microwear and protein residue analyses corroborate the use of one tool fragment for use on rabbit/hare or deer/elk. Implications of the several analyses are discussed and synthesized.