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Purpose at Welling: Additional Considerations Regarding Interpretation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2021

Mark F. Seeman*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
Larry Morris
Affiliation:
Independent Scholar, East Canton, OH, USA
Garry L. Summers
Affiliation:
Independent Scholar, OH, USA
*
(mseeman@kent.edu, corresponding author)

Abstract

Diez-Martin and colleagues (2021) experimentally reduce four bifaces and argue that the resultant flakes are smaller and less uniform than those found at the Welling site (33Co2). Welling is an early Paleoindian (Clovis) site excavated by Olaf Prufer over 50 years ago. Based on the experiment, the authors conclude that the site was a “collector-like” base camp and that our previous interpretation must be incorrect. Here, we argue that Diez-Martin and colleagues have mischaracterized our conclusion regarding the purpose of the site, and may have insufficiently addressed data that detract from their new interpretation.

Diez-Martin y colaboradores (2021) reducen experimentalmente cuatro puntos bifaciales y discuten que las lascas resultantes son más pequeñas y menos uniformes que las encontradas en el sitio de Welling (33Co2). Welling es un sitio Paleo-Indio (Clovis) excavado por Olaf Prufer hace más de 50 años. Con base en el experimento, los autores concluyen que el sitio era un campamento base tipo “coleccionista” y que nuestra interpretación anterior debe ser equivocada. Aquí discutimos que Diez-Martin y sus colegas han mal caracterizado nuestro resumen en respeto a la función del sitio, y pueden haber abordado de manera insuficiente los datos que restan valor de su nueva interpretación.

Type
Comment
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Society for American Archaeology

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References

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