Lake Theo: Late Quaternary Paleoenvironmental Data and New Plainview (Paleoindian) Date

Abstract

Lake Theo (Briscoe County, Texas) is a well stratified archaeological site with Paleoindian (Folsom, Plainview) and Archaic occupations. It is located immediately east of the Southern High Plains (Llano Estacado). Preliminary field and laboratory investigations of site stratigraphy, soils, and microbiology were initiated in order to reconstruct late Quaternary paleoenvironments and date the Paleoindian occupations. The site contains a series of ten late Quaternary fluvial, and possible aeolian, deposits; and five soils (ranging from weakly to moderately well developed) formed therein. Radiocarbon ages of 9950 ± 110 years B.P. (SMU-866) and 9420 ± 85 years B.P. (SMU-856) were determined on humates from the bottom and top (respectively) of a thick, slowly aggrading, buried A horizon. The lower date is associated with a Plainview occupation and immediately overlies a Folsom occupation. Comparison of dates and associated stratigraphic and pedologic data with other sediments and soils in the section indicates that during the past 12,000 years, most sedimentation was relatively rapid and sporadic with intervening periods of soil formation of varying lengths. Citrate soluble phosphorous analysis of the soils did not show notable evidence of intense human occupation at any time. Invertebrates recovered indicate a progressive, local extirpation of terrestrial gastropods since Folsom times. The progression is a result of decreased effective precipitation. The most marked stage of extirpation occurred during deposition of Unit 7 (9000 to 8000 B.P.).

The evolution of Paleoindian geochronology and typology on the Great Plains

“…Plainview on the Southern High Plains, the type region, is at least in part post-Folsom in age based on the stratigraphic relationship of Plainview above Folsom at Lubbock Lake (Johnson and Holliday, 1980;E. based on radiocarbon ages from Lubbock Lake, Lake Theo, and Bonfire Shelter (Johnson and Holliday, 1980;Johnson et al, 1982) (Figure 5). Hester, 1975;Holliday, 1997), and the Lake Theo site (Harrison and Killen, 1978) (Figure 1).…”

An analysis of Folsom projectile point resharpening using quantitative comparisons of form and allometry

“…Lake Theo (41BI70) is located near the eastern escarpment of the Southern High Plains in Caprock Canyons State Park [23,37,38,59]. A bison kill and adjacent occupation surface were uncovered within a stratified terrace above Holmes Creek, a tributary of the Red River.…”

AMS Radiocarbon Dating of the Type Plainview and Firstview (Paleoindian) Assemblages: The Agony and the Ecstasy

“…The Plainview levels at several sites in the region contain organic-rich sediments and soils which generally provide reliable radiocarbon results in arid and semiarid settings such as at the Great Plains (Haas et al 1986;Martin and Johnson 1995). Large collections of Plainview artifacts (e.g., Ted Williamson site; Johnson et al 1986) and related styles such as Milnesand (Sellards 1955) are poorly dated, but sediment samples associated with the Plainview assemblages at Lubbock Lake (Holliday and Johnson 1981;Johnson and Holliday 1980) and the Lake Theo site (Harrison and Killen 1978;Johnson et al 1982), and charcoal from the Plainview level at Bonfire Shelter (Dibble and Loraine 1968;Dibble 1970) suggest a radiocarbon age range of roughly 10,000 ± 500 B.P. for Plainview (Table 1; Figure 1) (Holliday 1997).…”