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Comments on the Report of a Worked Mammoth Tusk from the Clovis Site

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

F. E. Green
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Abstract

A section of worked mammoth tusk reported to have been recovered but unrecognized as an artifact in January 1964 was actually discovered in November 1963 and recognized by several people at that time. The provenience for the tusk segment is given as unit B, which is declared to be pre-Clovis in age and more than 12,000 years old. The postulated translocation of the tusk, as well as other faunal remains and Clovis artifacts, is attributed to the influence of spring discharge and saturation of sediments. My salvage excavations in December 1963 and January 1964 are outlined, and my conclusions are not compatible with the concept of large-scale intrusion of artifacts and bones. The stratum designated as unit B in the north bank is entirely of Clovis age, and the mammoth-tusk artifact was coeval with its enclosing sediments.

Resumen

Resumen

La recuperación de unfragmento de colmillo de mamut trabajadofue registrada en enero de 1964, aún cuando no se le reconoció como artefacto. Este ejemplarfue realmente descubierto en noviembre de 1963 e identifkado por varias personas en aquella oportunidad. La proveniencia del segmento de colmillo es unidad B, la que se afirma es anterior a Clovis, con mas de 12.000 años de antigüedad. El desplazamiento del colmillo, así como de otros restos faunísticos y artefactos Clovis, se atribuye al efecto de la descarga del arroyo y a la saturación de los sedimentos. Tras describir brevemente mis excavaciones de rescate de diciembre de 1963 y enero de 1964, sostengo que mis conclusiones son incompatibles con el concepto de intrusión de artefactos y huesos en gran escala. El estrato designado unidad B en la barranca norte es de edad Clovis en su totalidad y el artefacto de colmillo de mamut es de la misma antigüedad que los sedimentos que lo incluían.

Type
Comments
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 57 , Issue 2 , April 1992 , pp. 331 - 337
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1992

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References

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