Almost seventy years ago the first Folsom projectile point found
in association with ancient bison bones in northern New Mexico
demonstrated that Paleoindian people were in the New World as long
ago as the end of the last ice age. To this day intact deposits
containing Folsom points are rare, yet these points, with their
distinctive channel flakes and exquisite craftsmanship, remain the
best identifier of the culture. The Cooper site, discovered in 1992
in northwestern Oklahoma, is among the largest Folsom-age kill
sites in the southern plains. Including extraordinarily
well-preserved bison bones and thirty-three projectile points, the
site has yielded major contributions to what is known of this early
people.
Leland C. Bement outlines the history of the Cooper site, its
discovery and excavation. As the remains were found in stratified
bonebeds, they provide the first clear traces of sequential Folsom
activity. Analysis of the bones indicates a selective or "gourmet"
butchering technique and offers insights into bison-herd
demographics. Assessment of the projectile points suggests the
movements of Folsom groups in relation to lithic sources.
Here also is the first evidence of Folsom hunting ritual, in the
form of a startling red zigzag painted on one of the skulls. The
painted skull--the oldest design-painted object in North
America--greatly enlarges the significance of the Cooper site,
offering evidence of early ritual rarely seen in the tangible
physical record.
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