preclovis

In this episode of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team begins with the latest news from the world of archaeology. Micah covers the story of crab-roasting Neanderthals, after which Jason presents the discovery of a 7.5-foot Japanese sword in a burial mound outside of Nara, Japan. Then, James rounds out the news portion with the discovery of a Roman dodecahedron by a metal detector in Belgium. 

The team then welcomes Oregon State University Professor Dr. Loren Davis to the program, who discusses his work at Idaho's enigmatic Cooper's Ferry Site, home to a large concentration of western stemmed points thought to pre-date Clovis projectile points by at least 1,500 years or more. Radiocarbon dates on the charcoal and bone are as old as 15,500 years. In North America, few tree ring records can precisely calibrate such early radiocarbon dates, but a state-of-the-art probabilistic model placed the start of the occupation at between 16,560 and 15,280 years. 

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In this episode, we discuss some of the history and prehistory of the Long Island on the Holston River near Kingsport in Upper East Tennessee and some of the places we live that were much different in the past. 

On this special edition of the podcast, we go in search of answers to one of American Archaeology's most enduring mysteries: the enigmatic Clovis people and their unique technology. Who were the hunters that designed the fluted projectile point, regarded by some as "America's first invention," and what happened to them and their technology at the end of the last ice age? Did they truly vanish, or does the rise and sudden disappearance of what archaeologists call Clovis represent something far more complex?

Our investigation of the Clovis enigma takes us back to the first decade of the 20th century with the discoveries at Folsom, New Mexico, followed by those at Blackwater Draw, which effectively put Clovis on the map. We then examine archaeological perspectives on the Clovis people, including who they were, how and when they arrived in the Americas, and what makes their highly specialized technology so significant. Finally, we also explore the lingering shadow of "pre-Clovis" sites that predate the appearance of these distinctive fluted lithic points. 

Our exploration of the Clovis enigma leaves us with more questions than answers, and stands testament to why archaeologists remain fascinated with this enigmatic cultural manifestation, their technology, and their lasting imprint on the world of the Ancient Americas. 

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Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: 

• Carolina Bays and Ice Age Carolinas - NASA Earth Observatory
• Randy Daniel’s Book: Time, Typology, and Point Traditions in North Carolina Archaeology: Formative Cultures Reconsidered (Archaeology of the American South: New Directions and Perspectives)
• Our Sponsors: The Smoky Mountain Relic Room

On this special Legacy Series edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, we celebrate International Archaeology Month with one of the most influential American archaeologists today: J.M. Adovasio, who led cutting edge excavations at Pennsylvania's Meadowcroft Rockshelter for several successive seasons beginning in the early 1970s. 

J. M. Adovasio received his undergraduate degree in Anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1965 and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Utah in 1970. Since that time, he has served as a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution (1972 – 1973) and as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh (1973 – 1990). Adovasio is generally considered to be the world’s leading authority in the arena of perishable artifact analysis. Since 1970, he has published books, book chapters, manuscripts, and technical papers numbering more than 400. These notably include The Invisible Sex (with Olga Soffer and Jake Page). He is also the author of Strangers in a New Land: What Archaeology Reveals About the First Americans, which is one of the most visually appealing and, arguably, simply one of the finest books on Paleoindian archaeology in the Americas.

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Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: 

• NEWS: How the Vampire Got His Fangs: An incisive history of a Halloween snarl
• J.M. ADOVASIO: James Adovasio - Archaeological Institute of America
• The Invisible Sex: Uncovering the True Roles of Women in Prehistory
• The First Americans: In Pursuit of Archaeology's Greatest Mystery
• Strangers in a New Land: What Archaeology Reveals About the First Americans

On this edition of the program, Jason, James and Micah lead off with some discussion about recent discoveries in archaeology, which included a trove of Islamic coins that were unearthed during a salvage dig by archaeologists in Israel. We are then joined by a friend of the program, Doug Sain, Ph.D, a professional archaeologist who has overseen fieldwork throughout the southeastern United States, and who spent years working with lithic materials retrieved from the controversial Topper archaeological site in South Carolina. 

Douglas Sain obtained his doctorate at the University of Tennessee, specializing in lithic technology and Paleoindian Archaeology. He received his Master’s degree in Anthropology from Eastern New Mexico University and his Bachelor of Science degree from Appalachian State University. His thesis research documents Clovis blade technology and Technological organization at the Topper Site (38AL23) in Allendale County South Carolina. Beginning in 2005, he worked as a site supervisor at the Topper site in Allendale County, South Carolina, and with Dr. Al Goodyear, has published on Clovis blade technology in the Central Savannah River Valley of South Carolina. His dissertation research focused on Paleoindian lithic technology and the pre-Clovis component at the Topper Site.

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Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: 

• NEWS: Early Islamic gold coins unearthed by archaeologists in Israel
• PAPERS BY DOUG SAIN, Ph.D.
• Clovis Blade Technology at the Topper Site (38AL23): Assessing Lithic Attribute Variation and Regional Patterns of Technological Organization
• Pre Clovis at Topper (38AL23): Evaluating the Role of Human versus Natural Agency in the Formation of Lithic Deposits from a Pleistocene Terrace in the American Southeast

On this edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, we are proud to present the first in our Legacy Series, featuring Tom D. Dillehay, Ph.D. These special podcasts will examine the life, careers, and work of some of the world’s most prominent and influential modern archaeologists.

Dr. Dillehay is the Rebecca Webb Wilson University Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Religion, and Culture and Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Latin American Studies in the Department of Anthropology, Professor Extraordinaire and Honorary Doctorate at the Universidad Austral de Chile, International Professor in the Programa de Estudios Andinos in the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Peru, Lima, and adjunct faculty at the Universidad Catolica de Temuco, Universidad de Tarapaca, Universidad San Sebastian in Chile and the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo in Peru. Professor Dillehay has carried out numerous archaeological and anthropological projects in Peru, Chile, Argentina and other South American countries and in the United States.

Professor Dillehay has published twenty-two books and more than three hundred refereed journal articles and book chapters. He currently directs several interdisciplinary projects focused on long-term human and environmental interaction on the north coast of Peru and on the political and cultural identity of the Mapuche people in Chile. Professor Dillehay has received numerous international and national awards for his research, books and teaching. Professor Dillehay is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

This episode will explore the incredibly important archaeological site of Monte Verde, Chile. The research conducted at this site by Dr. Dillehay and associates reveals some of the earliest and most important information concerning the peopling of the Americas.

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Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: 

• Occoquan Paleotechnics LLC
• Tom Dillehay's page at Vanderbilt University
• Tom Dillehay’s TEDx talk, “Touching Deep Native American History”

Music featured in this episode:

• "Quiet Storm" Audio Library (YouTube)
• "Budda" Audio Library (YouTube)