From the Pleistocene to the Holocene: Human Organization and Cultural Transformations in Prehistoric North America (Volume 17) (Texas A&M University Anthropology Series)

The end of the Pleistocene era brought dramatic environmental changes to small bands of humans living in North America: changes that affected subsistence, mobility, demography, technology, and social relations. The transition they made from Paleoindian (Pleistocene) to Archaic (Early Holocene) societies represents the first major cultural shift that took place solely in the Americas. This event—which manifested in ways and at times much more varied than often supposed—set the stage for the unique developments of behavioral complexity that distinguish later Native American prehistoric societies. Using localized studies and broad regional syntheses, the contributors to this volume demonstrate the diversity of adaptations to the dynamic and changing environmental and cultural landscapes that occurred between the Pleistocene and early portion of the Holocene. The authors' research areas range from Northern Mexico to Alaska and across the continent to the American Northeast, synthesizing the copious available evidence from well-known and recent excavations.With its methodologically and geographically diverse approach, From the Pleistocene to the Holocene: Human Organization and Cultural Transformations in Prehistoric North America provides an overview of the present state of knowledge regarding this crucial transformative period in Native North America. It offers a large-scale synthesis of human adaptation, reflects the range of ideas and concepts in current archaeological theoretical approaches, and acts as a springboard for future explanations and models of prehistoric change. Authors: C. Britt Bousman, Bradley J. Vierra, James M Adovasio, Charlotte Beck, Michael Bever, John Carpenter, Kurt W. Carr, James C. Chatters, Michael J. Dilley, Boyce Driskell, Richard T. Fitzgerald, Steven Hackenberger, Margaret A. Jodry, George T. Jones, Marvin Kay, Mary Lou Larson, Scott C. Meeks, Eric Oksanen, Anna M. Prentiss, Jeffrey S. Rosenthal, Guadalupe Sanchez, M. Steven Shackley, Sarah C. Sherwood, Jayne-Leigh Thomas Chronology, Environmental Setting, And Views Of The Terminal Pleistocene And Early Holocene Cultural Transitions In North America / C. Britt Bousman And Bradley J. Vierra -- Environmental Change And Archaeological Transitions In Early Post-glacial Alaska / Michael R. Bever -- The Paleoindian To Archaic Transition In The Pacific Northwest: In Situ Development Or Ethnic Replacement? / James C. Chatters, Steven Hackenberger, Anna M. Prentiss, And Jayne-leigh Thomas -- The Paleo-archaic Transition In Western California / Jeffrey S. Rosenthal And Richard T. Fitzgerald -- The Emergence Of The Desert Archaic In The Great Basin / George T. Jones And Charlotte Beck -- Paleoindian And Archaic Traditions In Sonora, Mexico / Guadalupe Sanchez And John Carpenter -- The Paleoindian To Archaic Transition: The Northwestern Plains And Central Rocky Mountains / Mary Lou Larson -- Ancient Foragers Of The Northern Rio Grande Valley / Bradley J. Vierra, Margaret A. Jodry, M. Steven Shackley, And Michael J. Dilley -- The Protoarchaic In Central Texas And Surrounding Areas / C. Britt Bousman And Eric Oksanen -- The Ozark Highland Paleoarchaic / Marvin Kay -- The Transition From Paleoindian To Archaic In The Middle Tennessee Valley / Boyce N. Driskell, Scott C. Meeks, And Sarah C. Sherwood -- Shades Of Gray Redux: The Paleoindian/early Archaic Transition In The Northeast / Kurt W. Carr And J.m. Adovasio. Edited By C. Britt Bousman And Bradley J. Vierra. Most Chapters Began As Papers For A Symposium On Paleoindian-archaic Transitions In North America, Given At The Society For American Archaeology Meetings In Salt Lake City In 2005. Not All Presenters Submitted A Chapter, So Others Were Solicited To Expand The Geographic Coverage Of The Volume.--chapter 1. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The end of the Pleistocene era brought dramatic environmental changes to small bands of humans living in North America: changes that affected subsistence, mobility, demography, technology, and social relations. The transition they made from Paleoindian (Pleistocene) to Archaic (Early Holocene) societies represents the first major cultural shift that took place solely in the Americas. This event-which manifested in ways and at times much more varied than often supposed-set the stage for the unique developments of behavioral complexity that distinguish later Native American prehistoric societies. Using localized studies and broad regional syntheses, the contributors to this volume demonstrate the diversity of adaptations to the dynamic and changing environmental and cultural landscapes that occurred between the Pleistocene and early portion of the Holocene. The authors' research areas range from Northern Mexico to Alaska and across the continent to the American Northeast, synthesizing the copious available evidence from well-known and recent excavations. With its methodologically and geographically diverse approach, From the Pleistocene to the Holocene: Human Organization and Cultural Transformations in Prehistoric North America provides an overview of the present state of knowledge regarding this crucial transformative period in Native North America. It offers a large-scale synthesis of human adaptation, reflects the range of ideas and concepts in current archaeological theoretical approaches, and acts as a springboard for future explanations and models of prehistoric change Cover 1 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 1. Chronology, Environmental Setting, and Views of the 12 2. Environmental Change and 28 3. The Paleo indian to Archaic Transition in the Pacifi c Northwest: 48 4. The Paleo - Archaic Transition in Western California, 67 78 5. The Emergence of the Desert Archaic in the Great Basin, 105 116 6. Paleo indian and Archaic Traditions in Sonora, Mexico, 125 136 7. The Paleo indian to Archaic Transition: 160 8. Late Paleoindian and Early Archaic Foragers in the Northern 182 9. The Protoarchaic in Central Texas and Surrounding Areas, 197 208 10. The Ozark Highland Paleo archaic, 233 244 11. The Transition from Paleo indian 264 12. Shades of Gray Redux: 284 Contributors 330 Index 332 Back Cover 346 The end of the Pleistocene era brought dramatic environmental changes to small bands of humans living in North America: changes that affected subsistence, mobility, demography, technology, and social relations. The transition they made from Paleoindian (Pleistocene) to Archaic (Early Holocene) societies represents the first major cultural shift that took place solely in the Americas. This event - which manifested in ways and at times much more varied than often supposed - set the stage for the unique developments of behavioral complexity that distinguish later Native American prehistoric societies