Early Paleoindians in the Upper Midcontinent of North America: Lithic Procurement, Settlement Mobility, and Social Interaction

Based on decades of research centered on the earliest known fluted-point producing groups in the North American midcontinent, Early Paleoindians in the Upper Midcontinent of North America: Lithic Procurement, Settlement Mobility, and Social Interaction brings together a broad array of case studies from the United States and Canada that offers fresh perspectives on how early populations utilized the land and its resources, how and when they settled in particular locations, and how they interacted. With a focus on Clovis and Clovis-related sites dating from 11,500–10,800 years ago, the case studies encompass the lower Great Lakes region, the upper and middle Mississippi River valleys, and portions of the Middle South. By documenting the movement and distribution of chipped-stone artifacts from various sites, volume editors Brad H. Koldehoff and Henry T. Wright and their contributors discern patterns of long-distance settlement mobility. The case studies in most regions document movements of several hundred kilometers. These patterns of movement are not anomalous but represent routine and likely seasonal relocations. Early Paleoindians in the Upper Midcontinent of North America adds significant nuance and new information to our understanding of the early human populations of North America.