This investigation aggregates whole (intact or reconstructed) Gary dart points from the George C. Davis, Poverty Point, Cooper, and Means sites to test whether the gross morphology of Gary dart points may differ between these important sites, and to assess whether the currently-defined intraspecific varieties can be quantitatively discriminated. The dart points will be scanned, then analysed using the tools of geometric morphometrics. One hypothesis (shape difference) posits that contrasting morphologies, or varieties, of Gary dart points represent discrete communities of practice among Archaic- and Woodland-era groups that are temporally and/or spatially bounded. An alternative hypothesis (shape change) posits that the design-based progression of Gary dart point morphology occurs along a temporal continuum, where each subsequent iteration addressed a needed technological advancement among Archaic- and Woodland-era groups. These technological advancements span the temporal range associated with the cultural shift from full-time hunting and gathering through the rise of emergent horticulture, increased sedentism, and nascent cultural complexity.
aksel-blaise/garymorph
Preliminary study of Gary dart point morphology and a test of morphologically-derived varieties
RMIT