Horses Grazing: Point Function and Shape

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Joel D. Gunn, Lecturer (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: The Horses Grazing site was located in the Sandhills near wetlands of the lower Little Crane Creek in eastern Moore County, North Carolina. It contained a full Holocene cultural sequence from Late Paleoindian-Early Archaic to Late Woodland. Of special interest is a component at the base of the cultural deposits that contains Big Sandy-Rowan projectile points. Rowan is one of at least three Big Sandy projectile point variants that occurs along the Atlantic Slope. We suggest that the variants may reflect a long-term northward movement of medium game hunters after the collapse of the megafauna ecology. They may have been following the northward movement of an isotherm associated with elk or bison. Forty-seven projectile points from the site provided limited samples of all of the usual types. A study of variation in the Guilford type indicated that they are scattered through the profile from Early Archaic to Early Woodland. Only the Guilford points with refined workmanship and round bases showed promise of being confined to the Middle Archaic. Projectile points were measured using an automated and bias-free system and analyzed to examine variations in outline shape. As has been found to be the case before, Palmer Corner-Notched and Kirk Corner-Notched were ambiguous in their distributions, but the Big Sandy variants were generally distinguishable.

Additional Information

Publication
North Carolina Archaeology 52:53-100.
Language: English
Date: 2003
Keywords
Prehistory, North America, North Carolina, Projectile points, Hunting, Artifact analysis

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