The Spectrum of Variation in Folsom-era Projectile Point Technology

Abstract

While researchers acknowledge the presence of projectile point variation in Folsom assemblages, points and preforms that deviate from the usual reduction sequence have received little attention with regard to flintknapping technologies. This research examines 631 Folsom-era points and 278 preforms from across the central portion of the United States to assess their technological variability and to compare their regional distributions. Points are divided into Folsom, unifacially fluted, Midland, pseudo-fluted, and miniature variants. Results indicate some technological similarities, such as the presence of collateral flaking, on all point variants. Differences within Midland, pseudo-fluted, and miniature point reduction highlight variation even within Folsom sub-types. Among the preforms, variation occurs primarily with regard to the fluting process. On a geographic scale, fluting is most prevalent in northern Folsom sites, with unfluted variants more common to the south. This trend may be related to raw material variations, chronology, or stylistic preferences.