Fort McCoy ArtiFACT: Fort McCoy ArtiFACT: Middle archaic projectile points

Courtesy Photo | Matanzas and Raddatz projectile points discovered at Fort McCoy archaeological sites are shown.  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

11.29.2021

Courtesy Story

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

The area that now comprises Fort McCoy has a very long history of human presence. In fact, archaeological investigations over the last several decades have shown that people have lived in the area beginning at least as far back as 10,000 years ago during what is known as the paleoindian tradition.

“Paleoindian” is a term used by archaeologists across the country to identify the earliest known inhabitants of what is now the United States. The paleoindian tradition is divided into two stages: early and late. Archaeologists use the terms “tradition” and “stage” to mark distinctions recognized through differences in both the time period a certain group of people were active, and the tools and other materials they left behind.
More than 500 archaeological sites have been discovered at Fort McCoy, but none of these have been attributed to the early paleoindian stage, which spanned from 12,000 to 10,000 years ago. However, 22 sites discovered on the installation have been assigned to the late paleoindian stage, which followed from approximately 10,000 to 8,000 years ago.

After the paleoindian tradition, the next oldest time period that archaeologists have evidence for is known as the archaic tradition, which dates from around 8,000 to 2,500 years ago and is subdivided into early, middle, and late stages. The transition from paleoindian to archaic is marked most clearly by stylistic changes in stone projectile points; those of the paleoindian tradition were generally long, lanceolate points produced with careful attention to detail. The projectile points of the archaic tradition (especially those of the early archaic) sometimes became more stubby and less symmetrical, appearing to be produced more hastily, which may have been because of the significant changes taking place on the landscape.

Glaciers were retreating, lake levels were fluctuating, and plant communities were changing as the climate warmed. With these environmental changes, the large Ice Age megafauna had disappeared and the animals that archaic people relied upon became essentially what we have in modern times. Notched projectile points were introduced during this time period and represent a stylistic and functional change that persisted long after the archaic tradition ended. Notching projectile points made them easier to attach to spear shafts and, much later in time, to arrow shafts when the bow was introduced.

Only seven sites at Fort McCoy have been associated with the early archaic, which reflects the fact that few sites throughout Wisconsin have been connected with the early archaic. The middle archaic stage follows from approximately 6,000 to 3,500 years ago, and sites from this time period become more abundant not only at Fort McCoy, but across the entire Upper Midwest region.

Archaeologists have identified 45 sites associated with the middle archaic period at Fort McCoy, which is more than have been associated with all the preceding time periods combined. This has afforded researchers more opportunities to learn about the people who lived during these ancient times on what became Fort McCoy. Several archaeological sites on the installation have been radiocarbon dated to this period. For example, charcoal samples from two separate fire hearths at the Double S Ranch site were dated to well over 5,000 years ago.

Archaeological evidence has shown that people during the middle archaic stage moved seasonally in this region. In the warmer months, they often lived in open-air camps along river basins where they hunted, fished, and gathered other resources. In the fall and winter months they moved to interior upland camps, sometimes in rock shelters, where they would have been more protected from the harsh elements and hunted deer and elk.

The range of resources used during this time was greater than during paleoindian times, and as a result, there was less mobility. However, a number of middle archaic sites at Fort McCoy do show at least some movement by the inhabitants, as nonlocal stone was sometimes used for their tools. Several sites show that some middle archaic groups used native copper from the Lake Superior area for tool production.

Two types of projectile points that are commonly found at middle archaic period sites at Fort McCoy, Matanzas and Raddatz, are pictured with this article. Matanzas-type points are known for their small, shallow, side notches, while Raddatz points are recognizable by their relatively broad, deep, side notches. The side notches made these middle archaic points easier to haft onto the shafts of spears, which would have been used for thrusting or throwing while hunting. Projectile points such as these Matanzas and Raddatz examples would have been essential items in the tool kits of middle archaic hunter-gatherers.

All archaeological work conducted at Fort McCoy was coordinated by the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch.

Visitors and employees are reminded they should not collect artifacts on Fort McCoy or other government lands and leave the digging to the professionals.

Any person who excavates, removes, damages, or otherwise alters or defaces any historic or prehistoric site, artifact, or object of antiquity on Fort McCoy is in violation of federal law.

The discovery of any archaeological artifact should be reported to the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch at 608-388-8214.

• Date Taken: 11.29.2021
• Date Posted: 11.29.2021 12:42
• Story ID: 410112
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US