Florida Archaeology EXAM 1

Taken from the study guide provided by the professor.

What dates mark the Paleo-Indian time period?

12,000-8,000 BCE

What was the climate like during the Paleo-Indian period?

• arid uplands (cool and dry)

• karstic topography

• fewer rivers

• sinkholes and catchment

What artifacts are most prevalent in the paleo-indian period?

• wood

• shell

• bone

• very little stone used

What faunal (animal) remains are present during the paleo-indian period?

• white-tailed deer

• rabbit

What did paleo-indian’s use the giant tortoise for?

Often associated with a wooden stake or spear. Charred remains suggest it was burned and possibly used for cooking.

What botanical remains were recovered from the paleo-indian period?

• oak trees

• pine trees

• hickory trees

• ferns and grasses

• no aquatic plants

What type of diet did paleo-indian’s have?

subsistence: small to medium mammals, nuts, and shellfish, along with mega-fauna

What types of technologies did the paleo-indian’s have?

• clovis, suwanee, simpson, and bolen arrow/spear points

• wood, some shell, and small, expedient stone tools

Describe the Paleo-indian way of life.

Paleo-indian life consisted of nomadic hunter-gathering. Camp sites were strategically placed near water resources that are now underwater due to sea level rise.

What group of people are recognized as the first people to arrive in North America?

Clovis, generalized hunter-gatherers who used stone-tipped spears

What are some theories of the people of America?

• western & northern European land bridge

• South Asia migration using boats

• South Pacific crossing from Australia to South America- lower sea levels mean more islands to stop at

What three evidence are there for the peopling of America that probably happened in waves?

1. Archaeological evidence points to pre-Clovis settlements

2. Linguistic evidence shows three language families

3. Genetic evidence identifies multiple haplogroups that have unique genetic mutations