Archaeologica.org

I found this interesting, in that it was not just hunting was going on 8000 years ago, but a lot if gathering as well...

AZUSA, Calif. - Archaeologists excavating a housing development site found a prehistoric milling area estimated to be 8,000 years old, officials said.

Large arrowheads, hearths and stone slabs used to grind seeds and acorns were among the items found at the site at the base of the Angeles National Forest, according to archeologists from Cogstone Resource Management Inc.

No human or animal bones were discovered, the company said.

Link to article

I saw that the other day and immediately wondered if the "large arrowheads" were really atlatl darts....(another discussion we had around here.)

Minimalist wrote:I saw that the other day and immediately wondered if the "large arrowheads" were really atlatl darts....(another discussion we had around here.)

Good catch! In the Americas the bow & arrow were a comparatively more recent invention. I found an interesting website that discusses this:
Flint points

Although the bow and arrow had been developed in other parts of the world as early as 6,000 years ago, its development in North America seems to have occurred in late Woodland times. The earliest bow yet discovered in North America was found at the Mounds Plantation Site, an early Caddo site, in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. Its estimated date of manufacture is 1050 to 1070 AD.

It is said that the men were the hunters and the women the gatherers.

I think we need to give the women a little more credit than we tend to do. They were important for survival in more ways than reproduction.
For example, the women made the clothing. Sewing, weaving, desgning, fitting, and so on. They made baskets and bags, and cradles. Plus they probably invented the decorative arts such as bead work.

Take a look at the beautifully and practivally designed clothing of Northwest Indians some time.

oops, that's "practically"!

I lived in Azusa some years back and remember hearing talk that somewhere in the vicinity there was suppose to be an ancient site. Trouble was that nobody could remember where they heard about it, so was never able to back track. Although I do remember trying to dig up my parents back yard looking for anything.

Forester wrote:

Minimalist wrote:I saw that the other day and immediately wondered if the "large arrowheads" were really atlatl darts....(another discussion we had around here.)

Good catch! In the Americas the bow & arrow were a comparatively more recent invention. I found an interesting website that discusses this:
Flint points

Although the bow and arrow had been developed in other parts of the world as early as 6,000 years ago, its development in North America seems to have occurred in late Woodland times. The earliest bow yet discovered in North America was found at the Mounds Plantation Site, an early Caddo site, in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. Its estimated date of manufacture is 1050 to 1070 AD.

Yep, Caddo. That's what I study. They also made the best bows in the americas. From Bois D'arc wood.

The earliest bow yet discovered in North America was found at the Mounds Plantation Site

Of course, a bow is basically a wooden stick with a string on it so one would have to wonder how well preserved the average 6,000 year old bow would be given the generally wet climate of North America?

Most of what we know about bow use in the americas has been determined from point types and sizes. Very little organic material preserves well in the acid soils of this area. Maybe a little in the desert southwest, but not much in the southeast. Very little at all here in northeast Texas. Occasionaly we find some very deteriorated bone, but not much else.
We also know some from historic times when whites and Natives had contact. Probably how we know about bois d'arc wood.

So, the Clovis Point Archery Association could have held continent-wide shooting tournaments and we wouldn't know about it unless we found an arrowhead marked CPAA and were smart enough to figure out what it meant?

6,000 year old bows that have not disintegrated are extremely rare finds anywhere on earth. They stand a much better chance of being preserved in imagery that old. Like rock art. Or carvings.
Are there any like that in North America?

edited

Rokcet Scientist wrote:6,000 year old bows that have not disintegrated are extremely rare finds anywhere on earth. They stand a much better chance of being preserved in imagery that old. Like rock art. Or carvings.
Are there any like that in North America?

They are much younger here in America. Remember that the NA were still living in the stone age here when europ[eans got here. The bow had only been around for a few hundred years when non-natives came here.

It could mean that the Indians were so busy shooting their bows and arrows that they never developed "Rock Art," R/S.