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PALEO-INDIAN & ARCHAIC
ERAS
Although the timing of the initial occupation of the Americas remains
a matter of considerable discussion among archaeologists, it is
clear that southern Arizona was occupied by bands of hunter-gatherers
by the end of the Pleistocene, ca.9000 B.C. These nomadic populations
hunted large mammals such as the Mastodon, Bison, and Great Ground
Sloth. Several locales where these animals were killed and butchered
by early hunters have been identified in southern Arizona, particularly
in the San Pedro River valley.
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| Clovis
points from Southern Arizona sites. »Enlarge |
A distinctive style of spear point known as a Clovis Point and
other stone tools used for butchering are typically associated with
these “kill sites.” Among the best known of these kill
sites are the Naco and Lehner Sites in the San Pedro River valley
near the modern border with Mexico. Two ranchers discovered mammoth
remains at Naco in 1952 and alerted archaeologists, whose excavations
uncovered eight points, some embedded and others mixed among the
butchered mammoth bones. The Lehner Site, located on the west side
of the San Pedro River valley along Mammoth Kill Creek, showed evidence
of repeated hunting episodes and a campsite where the hunters probably
processed and cooked the meat. The remains of nine mammoths and
horse, bison, and tapir were present in the area. Similar kill sites
have not been found in the Santa Cruz River valley, although several
isolated spear points have been recovered. Archaeologists refer
to this era as the Paleo-Indian Period.
As the environment became drier at the end of the Pleistocene,
bands of hunter-gathers began to hunt smaller game such as deer
and rabbit, and increasingly relied on plant resources such as mesquite
and cactus fruits. These changes are marked by the use of smaller
styles of projectile points , and an increasing number of grinding
stones for crushing and milling seeds and pods. Archaeologists call
this era of nomadic hunting and gathering the Archaic Period.
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Selected projectile
points representing the middle and late phases of the Archaic
Period. »Enlarge
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Basin Metate with a handstone
mano. »Enlarge
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Next: Development of Agriculture |
