PEOPLES
OF THE FLUTE
"This is a major effort of experimentation, observation, and analysis of lithic technology. It should be of interest to all persons, professional archaeologists, students, and avocationals with a serious interest in lithic technology. I recommend it."
—Dr George Frison, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming.
Chapter 1- INTRODUCTION
Deciphering fluting technology is not easy, but a start has already been made.
Chapter 2- EVIDENCE
Archaeological evidence from the end of the Pleistocene era leads to controversial interpretations.
Chapter 3- TRANSFORMING TECHNOLOGY
Tradition resists change, but inevitable transformations are forced by nature’s vagaries. Patterns of incremental innovation lead us to appreciate that every change had a reason.
Chapter 4- BASICS OF FRACTURE
Broken stone records how people changed their technology through time. Knowing which variables are most important allows us to understand which knapping behaviors are most useful.
Chapter 5- LITHIC FORENSICS
Each piece of rock recovered from an archeological site contains clues to the behavior and intent of the occupants. Characteristics of lithic materials allow ancient processes of stoneworking to be deciphered.
Chapter 6- DETAILS OF FLUTING
Explicit steps required to make Folsom points are contrasted with other fluting traditions. Experiments confirm that controlling each step of work minimized errors and standardized the artifacts.
Chapter 7- LIFE CYCLE OF STONE TOOLS
Accounting for the disposition of each portion of each quarry blank as rock progresses from quarry to site litter, shows that projectiles are not nearly as important for survival as are camp tools.
Chapter 8- LANGUAGE OF FLAKES
Debitage has a story to tell, if we can listen. Unique expressions of technology identify specific strategies of lithic reduction, habits of tool use, and standards of production.
Chapter 9- LINEAGE OF FLUTED POINTS
Simple questions focus on why fluting traditions appeared, how they served their purpose, and why they vanished. Adaptations to challenges posed by nature follow a logical and often necessary progression.
Chapter 10- REPLICATION
Just what method was used to flute projectiles? After all, almost any method of fluting produces nearly the same result.
Chapter 11- CONCLUDING REMARKS
Fluting was an intelligent solution to unique challenges. Here is one interpretation.
Bibliography
Annotated references.
Glossary
Understanding the lingo.
