EARLIEST AMERICANS

The presence of early man south of Canada during Valderan time has been demonstrated repeatedly by discoveries of sites where artifacts, including lanceolate projectile points, have been found in association with bones of extinct animals in geological deposits dated by the radiocarbon technique. During the first millennium of Valderan time, fluted projectile points predominate in archeological horizons throughout much of North America. Evidence for horizons characterized by earlier projectile points is limited to two cave deposits and possibly the Hueyatlaco site in Mexico. The seemingly abrupt appearance of the relatively sophisticated fluted point tradition throughout much of North America during late glacial time has led to the hypothesis that it may have stemmed from a separate migration through central Canada during one of the intraglacial retreats of the ice near the end of deglaciation. According to another hypothesis, all early-man industries derive from a common non-projectile-point industry that had its origin in the Old World but made its way to the New World in early or even pre-Wisconsinan time. It remains to be determined whether either or both of these hypotheses, or parts of them, are valid. For establishing man's presence, the minimum requirements met for the Folsom site still apply for future excavations. The primary requirement is a human skeleton, or an assemblage of artifacts that are clearly the work of man. Next, this evidence must lie in situ within undisturbed geological deposits in order to clearly demonstrate the primary association of artifacts with stratigraphy. Lastly, the minimum age of the site must be demonstrable by primary association with fossils of known age or with material suitable for reliable isotopic age dating. These requirements have now been met repeatedly for the late Paleo-Indian period, but they have not yet been satisfactorily met for the middle Paleo-Indian period, and our knowledge of the early Paleo-Indian period is still hypothetical. In the future, and because of the importance of such data, the evidence must be witnessed and verified in situ by several authorities, just as it was at Folsom. This is particularly important in archeology, where, as in no other science, the evidence is partly destroyed in the recovery of data and can be duplicated only by the chance discovery of a similar situation. Note added in proof: Pebble tools are known to occur in artifact assemblages of the late Paleo-Indian stage, and Borden (38) suggests that a distinct pot industry may have existed in British Columbia during the middle Paleo-Indian period. However, some geologists working in the area believe that the deposits postdate the last glaciation in that area.