Toward a synthesis of Paleoamerican fluted point cultures in the Carolinas

Synthesizing data gathered from private and institutional Paleoamerican artifact collections over the last 50 years, this study examines the typological classification and spatial distributions of 375 fluted points from North Carolina. Clovis, Redstone, and Cumberland points are typologically characterized and differentiated. Landmark Geometric Morphometric (LGM) analyses suggest that North Carolina Clovis points are significantly different in shape than Western Clovis points, consistent with conclusions about continental Clovis variation. Moreover, the LGM analysis supports a typological distinction between North Carolina Clovis and Redstone points. We speculate that this morphological distinction is a functional one related to proboscidean extinction. Spatial distributions of these point types across the state, when combined with similar point distributions across South Carolina, reveal distinct geographic patterns. Notably, metavolcanic Clovis points in North Carolina are centered on Uwharrie rhyolite sources in the Piedmont, while Coastal Plain chert Clovis points focus on Allendale chert sources along the Savannah. Redstone points show a limited range and lower frequency than Clovis points, presumably aligning with Younger Dryas climate change and subsequent population decline. This analysis suggests these distributions reflect the foraging ranges of distinct Clovis and Redstone macrobands, emphasizing the Fall Line ecotone as a key prehistoric aggregation zone.