Distribution of Paleoindian Debitage from the Helen Lookingbill Site : Implication for Site Structure and Integrity

A recently excavated 10,400 year old chipped stone assemblage from the Helen Lookingbill site, located in the Washakie Range of the Absaroka Mountains of northwestern Wyoming, offers a unique opportunity to evaluate Early Paleoindian behavior at high altitude. In this study I analyzed the spatial distribution of chipped stone, faunal material, and natural rock to understand the structure and formation processes of the chipped stone assemblage and to illuminate the behavior of Early Paleoindians. The research is based on several analytical methods, including refitting, attribute analysis, nodule analysis, and spatial analysis. The results indicate that approximately 75 percent of the excavated Early Paleoindian component was minimally affected by post-depositional processes. Only approximately 25 percent of the excavated area was heavily disturbed by fluvialturbation. The spatial organization of nodules, refits, and flake attributes suggests that chipped stone production was a spatially organized activity which possibly centered around a hearth. Furthermore, the Early Paleoindians at the Lookingbill site engaged in biface production.