Point typologies, cultural transmission, and the spread of bow-and-arrow technology in the prehistoric Great Basin

Decrease in projectile paint size around 1350 B.P. is commonly regarded as marking the replacement of the atlatl by the bow and an ow across rile Grea t Basin. The point typology most widely employed in the GI eat Basin before about 1980 (the Berkeley typology) uses weight to distinguish larger, dart points from smaller; but similar ly shaped, arrow points. The typology com monly used today (the Monitor typology) uses basal width to distinguish wid e-based dart points from narrow-based arrow points. The two typologies are in general agreement except in central Nevada, where some dart points are l ight, hence incorrectly typed by the Berkeley typology, and in eastern Cali fornia, where some arrow points are wide-based, hence incorrectly typed by the Monitor typology. Scarce raw materials and resharpening may explain why dart points are sometimes light in central Nevada. That arrow point basal width is more variable in eastern California than central Nevada likely ref lects differences in the cultural processes attending the spread and subseq uent maintenance of bow-and-arrow technology in these two localities.