PALEOINDIAN CULTURES IN THE GREAT-LAKES R EGION OF NORTH-AMERICA - PALEOCLIMATIC, GEOMORPHIC, AND STRATIGRAPHIC CONTEXT

Paleoindian cultures are the first clearly documented and widespread h uman occupation in central North America. Early Paleo-indians (EPI) ma de distinctive fluted points, and lived mainly south of 46-degrees lat itude. The location of EPI sites along C-14 dated proglacial Great Lak es strandlines and typological similarities with artifacts from 14C da ted sites in adjacent regions, indicates these cultures span ca. 11 50 0 to 10 000 BP. They were succeeded by Late Paleo-indian (LPI) culture s, who persisted until ca. 7 500 BP in the North. Early Archaic cultur es re aced LPI in the southern region after ca. 10 000 BP.