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Identifying Dart and Arrow Points in the Great Basin: Comment on Smith Et Al.'s “Points in Time: Direct Radiocarbon Dates on Great Basin Projectile Points“

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Bryan Hockett
Affiliation:
Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada 89502 (b50hocke@blm.gov)
William R. Hildebrandt
Affiliation:
Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc., Del Rio Place, Suite A, Davis, California 95618
Jerome H. King
Affiliation:
Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc., Del Rio Place, Suite A, Davis, California 95618

Abstract

Smith et al. (2013) provided important new information concerning the ages of a variety of projectile point types found in the Great Basin. Two of their interpretations, however, deserve further discussion. Smith et al. (2013) concluded that the Nicholarsen (or Nicolarsen) Cache contains both dart and arrow points. However, our application of methods developed by Hildebrandt and King (2012) to distinguish dart and arrow points, indicates that the Nicholarsen Cache contains arrow points exclusively. In addition, we suggest that the two ca. 6,800-year-old “Elko-Eared” points identified by Smith et al. (2013) are Large Side-notched points.

Smith et al. (2013) proporcionaron nueva información importante acerca de la edad de una variedad de tipos de puntas de proyectil en la Gran Cuenca. Dos de sus interpretaciones, sin embargo, merecen mayor discusión. Smith et al. (2013) concluyeron que la caché Nicholarsen (Nicolarsen) contiene puntos tanto de dardos y flechas. Nuestra aplicación de los métodos desarrollados por Hildebrandt y King (2012) para distinguir puntos de dardos y flechas, sin embargo, indica que la memoria caché Nicholarsen contiene flecha exclusivamente puntos. Además, se sugiere que losdos ca. 6,800 años viejos puntos “Elko Eared” identificados por Smith et al. (2013), son grandes puntos-lado dentado.

Type
Comments
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2014

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References

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