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NUMBER 30 207
of butchering. Among the unquestionable artifacts
are antler wedges, a caribou antler flaking
tool, which is nearly identical to specimens from
Upper Paleolithic sites of Eurasia (Shovkoplyas,
1965; Mochanov, 1977), a broken antler projectile
point, and evidence of a bone-flaking technology
including bone cores and utilized bone flakes. A
human mandible and possibly domestic dog remains
also were found (Irving et al., 1977; Beebe,
1978).
Unfortunately, no in situ reliably dated sites
have been found, but there is little question that
most of the specimens are of Pleistocene age.
Based on stratigraphic correlation with glacial
sequences and lake basin sediments, Irving and
Morlan estimate that some of these localities
would have had human occupations by at least
40,000 years ago, if not earlier (Morlan, 1978,
1980). Morlan (1980:22) reports butchered bone
from a stratigraphic unit bracketed between
80,000 years old (date on underlying ash) and
50,000 years old (^'^C date on overlying peat).
Bluefish Cave I (Cing-Mars, 1979) was occupied
several times between 10,000 and 13,000
years ago. While the upper level (containing microblades
and burins) is related to the American
Paleo-Arctic tradition, the earlier occupation contained
chert flakes in association with horses,
proboscideans, bison, and other faunal remains,
some of which may have been butchered and
burned.
One important but controversial site in North
America is Meadowcroft, in southwestern Pennsylvania
(Adovasio et al., 1975, 1977; Adovasio,
Gunn, et al., 1980). In a deeply stratified rock
shelter, the lowest suggested occupation level contained
a number of small flakes and flake tools
and a bifacially flaked projectile point reputedly
more that 16,000 years old. The charcoal used in
dating, however, appears to have been contaminated
by "dead" carbon carried in the ground
water (Haynes, 1980). Puzzling, too, is the fact
that faunal species are all recent forms, although
they extend back to the Pleistocene in that area
(Adovasio, Gunn, et al., 1980).
The Shriver site, in northwestern Missouri,
could be significant (Reagan et al., 1978). A
fluted point associated with end scrapers was
found at 30-40 cm below the ground surface.
Attribute analysis suggested that the point is
closer to Folsom than Clovis in form, although,
in my opinion, it could be related to some of the
eastern fluted points, which may be later in age
than Folsom. The lowest (Peorian) level contained
burins, end scrapers, tortoise and tabular
cores, and unifacial flake tools. Reagan et al.
(1978) suggest that because of a thermoluminescence
determination for the fluted point level of
12,855± 1,500 B.C., this lower layer must be over
15,000 years old. Unfortunately, this dating technique
is highly tenuous and needs to be verified
by other sources.
The Selby and Dutton sites in northwestern
Colorado (Stanford, 1979) were found in 1975
during the construction of irrigation ponds in
topographic depressions. Both have extremely
similar stratigraphy, although the Selby site is
located on a Pleistocene playa and the Dutton
site is on a ponded stream channel. In both, the
sequence from the lowest level to the upper is as
follows: (1) Peorian loess (estimated age