Lithic Analysis of an Early Archaic Assemblage on the Great Plains: The Spring Creek Site (25FT31)

Early Archaic sites on the Great Plains are few in number and often little studied and poorly reported, as they are almost always found via salvage or compliance archaeology. Of those Early Archaic sites that have been studied, rarely has the recovered debitage been analyzed in detail nor have tools been fully evaluated for use-wear. This thesis describes the lithic assemblage from the Spring Creek (25FT31) site located in southwestern Nebraska. As one of two important early sites in the state, detailed lithic analysis will complement the thorough analysis of faunal remains conducted in the 2000s. This thesis presents the methods used to complete debitage and tool analyses including use-wear analysis. By using lithic analysis along with fauna analysis, archaeologists can gain better understanding of the relationship of the resources procured by Early Archaic hunter-gatherers on the Great Plains landscape. Advisor: Phil R. Geib