Early Hunter-Gatherers of the Colorado Plateau

The central Colorado Plateau contains an exceptional density of cultural resources. Historically, however, archaeological research has frequently overlooked the late Pleistocene and early Holocene record of this area. As such, the Paleoindian record is reviewed here to understand the nature of early human occupation in the region. Projectile point typology, toolstone selection, and site distributions are used to characterize early human-environment dynamics. Results indicate that as early as 13,000 years ago Clovis groups were living in the region. Subsequent groups of hunter-gatherers quickly adapted to exploiting local resources. Finally, the presence of stone tools typically found in neighboring regions suggests that the central Colorado Plateau was part of early interregional land use strategies.

Bio: Dr. Tune is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Fort Lewis College, in Durango, Colorado. He is a prehistoric archaeologist who studies Ice Age human migrations and the colonization of new landscapes. His research focuses on investigating the relationships between humans and the environment – specifically how humans adapt to new or changing environments. His current research involves documenting the early human occupation of the Colorado Plateau, investigating early stone tool technologies in the Southeast United States, and studying how humans adapt to resource accessibility.