Andrea Qualls
History of Arkansas 201810
Travis Crader
30 January 2018

During the Paleo-Indian Era food such as plants or aquatic animals were scarce; therefore, the Paleo-Indians had to get creative in hunting and gathering. To feed on the animals that were around such as mammoth, mastodons, bison, deer, rabbit, squirrel, gopher, and the like, the Paleo-Indians made Clovis points that worked in conjunction with throwing sticks, adze blades or adze scrapers, Dalton points, knives, engravers, abraders, hammer stones, and spear points for hunting. Bone needles and awl were used on animal hide to make clothing. The Paleo-Indians harvested natural resources that were located far away from the temporary homes or lean-tos they lived in although …show more content…
Gardening developed during this time. Trade became a popular way of gaining something from one area or resource for something from another. Deer, turkey, opossum, squirrel, rabbit, fish, shellfish, turtle, nuts, acorns, and seeds such as sunflower, fruits, and roots were the various types of food. Multigeneration cemeteries were found but there was not enough discovered to give us a definite understanding on what social or religious beliefs were practiced during the ceremonies. Social statuses began to emerge in many late Archaic communities. People or groups would design jewelry for example to set them apart from others. Tool and weapons used during this time were the Archaic dart points, used for piercing or killing animals most likely. Notched pebbles were used to weigh nets down in water. Baskets or bags were made from woven material to hold items. Bone awls and needles were something used during both in the Paleo-Indian and Archaic Era. Bone fish hooks and harpoon heads were used for fishing or marine mammal …show more content…
Homes were square and built to last longer than in previous days. The insides contained a fire place and pits for storage. The need for food storage became necessary as people began cooking grains and other items and durability was important. Shell tempered pottery vessels outlasted pottery made of other products. The bow and arrow were developed during this time and used for hunting and settling disputes more than the darts and throwing sticks. This era was very productive in the increased trading between communities. Gardening was ever popular with the most predominate crops being little barley, Chenopodium, and squash, while corn only played a minor role in Arkansas. Tools for gardening included chipped-stone hoe blades for tending to the garden. Hunting and gathering were common practice. Deer, elk, and fish were hunted while nuts and wild fruits were gathered. Art in the forms of paintings and carvings were discovered and it is believed that these were for rituals to maintain a connection with the spiritual realm. Social hierarchies formed among individual and groups with differences giving some individuals or groups more power than others. The more powerful people and groups were considered closer to spirits. Burials became more prominent and people of prestige or power had many items buried with them. It was figured that statuses and authority claims were related to hierarchical powers of the spiritual