A Source of Tool Materials

Hammerstone

The occupants probably chose their short-term camp’s location because lithic, or stone, material is abundant there. Large quantities of quartz and quartzite cobbles line the banks of both the Paint Branch and Little Paint Branch creeks. Staying at the confluence of these two creeks would have ensured an ample supply of tool-making material within a short walk from the campsite.

Common forms of stone hammer

Debris, or debitage, from the manufacture of quartz and quartzite tools was found across the site, but these materials made up only a small part of the artifact collection. Far more debitage from non-local materials (jasper, chert, and rhyolite) was recovered. Possibly the site location was close to existing trade routes and the occupants’ larger seasonal camp.