Kentucky Archaeology /The Paleoindian (12,500-8,000 B.C)

The Paleoindian (12,500-8,000 B.C)

The Paleoindian period ranges from 12,500-8,000 B.C. We call it the Paleoindian since “Paleo” comes from the Greek word for “old” or “ancient”. It is during this era that people first came to Kentucky. Archaeologists believe that people arrived from the west at the end of the last Ice Age. The climate was much colder than it is today, but slowly warmed throughout the Paleoindian.

People during this period lived in small, mobile groups of 20-25 people. These groups were likely made up of a family unit. They interacted with other local and non-local groups and traded and inter-married with them. Due to their mobility, their camps were short-term, and they could travel large distances throughout the year. Houses were likely made from nearby branches for support and covered with hides from hunting expeditions. This type of house would be quick to build, potentially only taking a few hours, and would be easy to disassemble when the camp was abandoned. This would be important when considering their highly mobile way of life. People during the Paleoindian period did not participate in plant domestication or farming that we are aware of, nor did they make pottery. Since they did not have pottery, people during this time relied on weaved baskets for storage.

Paleoindian tools range from small, unfluted points and blades to the easily recognizable “fluted” projectile points of the Clovis culture. These Clovis points were attached to a spear and were versatile in their use, though they were mainly used for hunting. Clovis points were often manufactured from high quality non-local stone, meaning that widespread trade networks existed, or that people had a highly mobile way of life to access different types of stone.In addition to projectile points, items such as bone awls and needles, as well as groundstone tools like mortars and pestles to process foods were important tools in everyday life.

 

                                     

People living in the Paleoindian period are commonly considered big game hunters due to their hunting of megafauna. Remains of animals such as mastodons have been found at kill sites, one of which is Big Bone Lick in Boone County, Kentucky. The idea that people during the Paleoindian only hunted large game like mastodons is exaggerated, with small game hunting and the gathering of local fauna like nuts, acorns, and fruits also being important parts of their diet. In fact, the gathering of plants would become more important than hunting as time passed. 

 

For more information about the Adena, please see the resources listed below: 

(All images from Culture History of Kentucky Coloring Book)