Clovis Age Western Stemmed Projectile Points and Human Coprolites at the Paisley Caves

People first settled the Americas before Clovis.

“It is largely, but not entirely, accepted by the archaeological community that people first settled the Americas before Clovis (1–3)”

Three coprolites identified as human were dated this way but showed agreement between the macroflora and solute dates.

“Three coprolites identified as human were also dated this way but showed an agreement between the macroflora and solute dates.”

The Paisley Caves contain coprolites dating to 12,400 14C yr B.P. identified as human on the basis that they contain human DNA.

“The Paisley Caves contain additional evidence for pre-Clovis occupation in the form of coprolites dating to 12,400 14C yr B.P. identified as human on the basis that they contain human DNA (3, 5).”

Sites such as Coopers Ferry, Idaho and Paisley Caves, Oregon provide evidence that Western Stemmed Tradition technology predates Clovis, establishing it as the oldest well-defined technological tradition in North America, with links to late Pleistocene sites in East Asia and Siberia.

“Sites like Coopers Ferry, Idaho and Paisley Caves, Oregon provide evidence that WST technology predates Clovis, establishing this as the oldest well-defined technological tradition in North America, with links to late Pleistocene sites in East Asia and Siberia (3, 4).”

In one sample, the dates obtained on macrofossils and water-soluble extracts from a Camelidae coprolite were 12,125 ± 30 14C yr B.P. for the macrofossil and 11,315 ± 25 14C yr B.P. for the water-soluble extract.

“The results presented by Jenkins et al. (3) showed that, in one sample, the dates obtained on macrofossils and water-soluble extracts from a Camelidae coprolite were 12,125 ± 30 14C yr B.P. for the macrofossil and 11,315 ± 25 14C yr B.P. for the water-soluble extract.”

Fecal biomarker interpretations for 13 of 21 coprolites analyzed agree with mtDNA classifications reported previously.

“Fecal biomarker interpretations for 13 of 21 coprolites analyzed agree with mtDNA classifications reported previously (Table 1) (3, 5).”

The first recognizable and widespread North American archaeological traditions appeared ~13 ka ago, with people making lanceolate fluted points in central and eastern North America (Clovis Tradition) and others using stemmed projectile points in unglaciated western North America (Western Stemmed Tradition).

“It was not until ~13 ka ago that the first recognizable and widespread North American archaeological traditions appeared, with people making lanceolate fluted points in central and eastern North America (Clovis Tradition) and others using stemmed projectile points in unglaciated western North America (Western Stemmed Tradition) (9, 10).”

Western Stemmed Tradition projectile points are at least contemporaneous with Clovis, dated to ~12.7 to ~13 ka ago.

“These Western Stemmed Tradition projectile points are at least contemporaneous with Clovis, dated to ~12.7 to ~13 ka ago (9).”

Stemmed points may date to the earliest occupation at Paisley Caves.

“This, combined with the lack of diagnostic Clovis technology in the site assemblage, suggests that stemmed points may date to the earliest occupation at Paisley Caves (9).”