Lithic stage
Encyclopedia
In the sequence of North America
n prehistoric cultural stages first proposed by Gordon Willey
and Philip Phillips
in 1958, the Lithic stage was the earliest period of human occupation in the Americas, accruing during the Late Pleistocene
period, to time before 8,000 B.C. (before 10,000 years ago). The stage derived its name from the first appearance of Lithic flake
d stone tool
s.
The time encompasses the Paleo-Indian period that subsequently is divided into more specific time terms such as Early Lithic stage or Early Paleo-Indians and Middle Paleo-Indians or Middle Lithic stage. Examples include the Clovis culture
and Folsom tradition
groups.
The Lithic stage was followed by the Archaic stage.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n prehistoric cultural stages first proposed by Gordon Willey
Gordon Willey
Gordon Randolph Willey was an American archaeologist famous for his fieldwork in South and Central America as well as the southeastern United States...
and Philip Phillips
Philip Phillips (archaeologist)
Philip Phillips was an influential archaeologist in the United States during the 20th century. Although his first graduate work was in architecture, he later received a doctorate from Harvard University under advisor Alfred Marston Tozzer...
in 1958, the Lithic stage was the earliest period of human occupation in the Americas, accruing during the Late Pleistocene
Late Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. The beginning of the stage is defined by the base of the Eemian interglacial phase before the final glacial episode of the Pleistocene 126,000 ± 5,000 years ago. The end of the stage is defined exactly at 10,000 Carbon-14 years BP...
period, to time before 8,000 B.C. (before 10,000 years ago). The stage derived its name from the first appearance of Lithic flake
Lithic flake
In archaeology, a lithic flake is a "portion of rock removed from an objective piece by percussion or pressure," and may also be referred to as a chip or spall, or collectively as debitage. The objective piece, or the rock being reduced by the removal of flakes, is known as a core. Once the proper...
d stone tool
Stone tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric, particularly Stone Age cultures that have become extinct...
s.
The time encompasses the Paleo-Indian period that subsequently is divided into more specific time terms such as Early Lithic stage or Early Paleo-Indians and Middle Paleo-Indians or Middle Lithic stage. Examples include the Clovis culture
Clovis culture
The Clovis culture is a prehistoric Paleo-Indian culture that first appears 11,500 RCYBP , at the end of the last glacial period, characterized by the manufacture of "Clovis points" and distinctive bone and ivory tools...
and Folsom tradition
Folsom tradition
The Folsom Complex is a name given by archaeologists to a specific Paleo-Indian archaeological culture that occupied much of central North America...
groups.
The Lithic stage was followed by the Archaic stage.
- The Lithic stage
- The Archaic stage
- The Formative stageFormative stageThe Formative Stage or "Neo-Indian period" is an archaeological term describing a particular developmental level. This stage from 1000 BCE to 500 CE is the third of five stages defined by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips' 1958 book Method and Theory in American Archaeology.Cultures of the...
- The Classic stageClassic stageThe Classic Stage is an archaeological term describing a particular developmental level dating from AD 500 to 1200. This stage is the fourth of five stages defined by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips' 1958 book Method and Theory in American Archaeology....
- The Post-Classic stagePost-Classic stageThe Post-Classic Stage is an archaeological term describing a particular developmental level. This stage is the fifth of five stages defined by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips' 1958 book Method and Theory in American Archaeology....
See also
- Archaeology of the AmericasArchaeology of the AmericasThe archaeology of the Americas is the study of the archaeology of North America , Central America, South America and the Caribbean...
- :Category:Archaeology of the Americas
- History of Mesoamerica (Paleo-Indian)History of Mesoamerica (Paleo-Indian)In the History of Mesoamerica, the stage known as the Paleo-Indian period is the era in the scheme of Mesoamerican chronology which begins with the very first indications of human habitation within the Mesoamerican region, and continues until the general onset of the development of agriculture...
- History of the AmericasHistory of the AmericasThe history of the Americas is the collective history of the American landmass, which includes North and South America, as well as Central America and the Caribbean. It begins with people migrating to these areas from Asia during the height of an Ice Age...
- Indigenous Amerindian geneticsIndigenous Amerindian geneticsGenetic history of indigenous peoples of the Americas primarily focus on Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroups and Human mitochondrial DNA haplogroups. Autosomal "atDNA" markers are also used, but differ from mtDNA or Y-DNA in that they overlap significantly...
- South American Indigenous peopleSouth American Indigenous peopleThe following is a partial list of cultures related to South American Indigenous peoples.-----See also :*Archaeology of the Americas*List of pre-Columbian cultures*Metallurgy in pre-Columbian America*Pre-Columbian South America*Pre-Inca cultures...