PREFACE

Based on the available evidence, then, Pandale is tentatively dated to the Middle Archaic period and is theonly one of these point styles that may be associated with the early Altithermal drought. Bulverde istentatively dated to the latter half of the Middle Archaic (the later Altithermal drought) and Travis to theend of the Middle Archaic and beginning of the Late Archaic. Ellis, Williams, Travis, and Palmillas allappear to have date ranges spanning the whole of the Late Archaic, while Marcos, Ensor, Darl, andpossibly Carlsbad appear near the end of the period. Maljamar is also dated to the late Archaic.This revision of Shelley’s chronology leaves no diagnostic point types for the Early Archaic. The Texaspoints that fall into this time period – Golondrina and the Early Barbed styles – are noticeably absent,although some Angostura points have been identified. Jay points would also fall within this period. Thedate range for Bajada points, ca. 7000–5000 BP (Chapin 2005:125), spans the latter half of the EarlyArchaic and the early drought and mesic interval of the Middle Archaic. Both of these point styles arerelatively common in the Estancia Basin but are rare in southeastern New Mexico. At San Jon, two sidenotchedprojectile points were recovered from stratum 2s, which is bracketed by radiocarbon dates of8360+210/-205 and 7570+115/-110 (Hill et al. 1995). The authors describe these points as similar inmorphology to a variety of points from the eastern and central United States considered to be very latePaleoindian or early Archaic (e.g., Kirk, Keithville, Palmer, or the Logan Creek Complex), but no typedescription has been published.Like Shelley’s original formulation, this revised chronology needs to be tested and refined. Absolutedates in direct association with projectile points are needed to refine the local date ranges for individualpoint styles. Concurrently, typological studies are needed to refine the definition of the various pointstyles to ensure consistent typological identifications and to resolve any confusion in typing projectilepoints of different Archaic traditions. Nevertheless, the provisional sequence does provide a regionalchronological framework that will facilitate research to address a number of cultural historical issuesrelating to the Archaic period.In particular, Sebastian and Larralde (1989:43–47) identify two such issues, the first being:• What is the nature of the transition from Paleoindian to Archaic?Irwin-Williams (1979) argues that Paleoindian hunters withdrew from the Southwest as climaticconditions deteriorated and were replaced by Archaic populations moving into the region from the west.The alternative view is that the Paleoindians became Archaic hunter-gatherers as they broadened theirsubsistence base to include a wider variety of plants and animals in response to environmental changesduring the early Holocene. The question then is: does the early Archaic occupation represent anadjustment of the Paleoindian population to changing environmental conditions or populationreplacement as more generalized hunter-gatherers moved into areas abandoned by the Paleoindianhunters?In order to answer this question, a number of lower level problems must first be addressed, a situation thatis common to most culture historical problems. First, the local chronology must be refined to the pointwhere sites spanning the transition can be identified and dated. Second, we need to have an adequateunderstanding of the adaptive strategies employed by late Paleoindian and early Archaic groups, whichmeans that sufficient data must be obtained to reconstruct the subsistence and settlement patterns. Third,we need to understand how environmental conditions changed during the transition period, and how thosechanges affected the critical subsistence resources utilized by the late Paleoindian and early Archaicgroups. Fourth, changes in tool forms and lithic technologies must be examined and compared withcontemporary assemblages from adjacent regions to identify evidence of population movement andcultural continuity or discontinuity.4-10