The Bow and Cultural Complexity of the Canadian Plains

The timing and circumstances of the introduction of the bow and arrow into past North American economic and social lifeways have been sources of interest and controversy among archeologists for a very long time. Initial interpretations of the adoption of the bow and arrow generally seem to have been based on the rather straightforward assumption of functional superiority as a hunting tool. That is, the bow and arrow was simply a better instrument than the atlatl‐dart technology it replaced. 1 , 2 More recently, however, researchers exploring the effectiveness of the atlatl as a hunting tool have responded with studies that challenge the assumed universal functional superiority of the bow and arrow as a hunting device. 3 - 5 Social coercion and warfare theory presents an alternative perspective on the adoption of the bow and arrow.     

Fortified Villages In The Northern Plains*

Abstract

The varied defensive systems of villages in the northern Plains are used as the basis for an inference of change in the patterns of warfare.     

Bison Movement Patterns On The Canadian Plains: An Ecological Analysis

Abstract

The primary object of this study is to determine whether bison movements were seasonal and sufficiently regular to be considered migratory.     

Craniometric Variation In The Northern And Central Plains

Abstract

Cranial measurements of 13 male and 12 female samples from the Central and Northern Plains region were subjected to canonical analysis. The samples include historic or protohistoric crania that can be ascribed to the Arikara, Mandan, Pawnee, Ponca and Omaha tribes. In addition, two samples belong to the archaeologically defined St. Helena Focus. Both sexes yielded five significant canonical variates, although only four were readily interpretable. The first canonical variate is clearly a Siouan-Caddoan discriminator and reflects variation in cranial vault height. St. Helena sites associate with the Arikara on this axis, supporting previous craniometric analyses which suggest a relationship between these two groups. Subsequent canonical variates deal with more particular aspects of craniometric variation among groups, but are still interpretable in historic or evolutionary terms. The classificatory analysis shows that the Arikara sites are closely related. A major exception to this is the Sully site, which frequently misclassifies with non-Arikara groups. This suggests that the Sully crania have little collective reality; and that there may be non-Arikara components represented at the Sully Site.     

The Red River Valley In The Prehistory Of The Northern Plains

Abstract

Archaeological reconnaissance in the valley of the Red River of the North indicates a heavy utilization of this area by Late Woodland peoples, especially manufacturers of Sandy Lake pottery. Artifact style, raw materials procurement, and the general pattern of northern Plains trade suggest the Red River area was integrated into a larger reticulum joining the northern Midwest woodlands with the northern Plains. Referring to this region as a “periphery” is acceptable only in a geographic sense, not a cultural-historical sense.     

The Glendo Skeleton And Its Meaning In Light Of Post-Contact Racial Dynamics In The Great Plains

Abstract

A protohistoric burial from the Glendo Site in eastern Wyoming produced a nearly complete human skeleton of a young adult female. Osteological analysis of the specimen reveals predominantly Caucasoid physical characteristics. A skeleton exhibiting such an anatomical pattern, and coming from a grave clearly exhibiting Plains.lndian cultural affinities, raises interesting but somewhat difficult questions for interpretation.     

Dendrochronology In Plains Prehistory: An Assessment

Abstract

Chronologies and climatological interpretations based upon annual growth rings of trees have been available to prehistorians within the Plains for more than half a century. Until the advent of radiocarbon dating, tree rings provided the only “absolute” chronology for most archeological complexes and subsequently, continued as an important adjunct to radiometric methods. Nonetheless, the validity of tree ring dates in the Plains must be questioned. Continuity of research has been lacking, there have been serious methodological problems, and the provenience of many specimens is in doubt. Moreover, there are significant conflicts between tree ring and recent radiocarbon dates.     

Recent Gully Formation In Prairie Areas Of The Northern. Great Plains*

Abstract

Modern gully formation in the Great Plains and Southwestern United States has been attributed variously to overgrazing, farming, and climatic change. Pre-settlement prairie fires in the Northern Great Plains burned the protective vegetation so that gradients of drainageways were adjusted to more sediment than they receive today when wild fires are uncommon. Gully cutting may be an adjustment of the gradient to new conditions. Erosion caused by overgrazing today may not be different from that caused by wild grazing animals in the pre-settlement period.