Description
The Cooper’s Ferry/Nipéhe site in western Idaho provides a rich and detailed perspective on the lifeways of American Upper Paleolithic peoples spanning ~16,000-13,000 cal BP, offering one of the most comprehensive records of pre-Clovis presence in North America. With its well-stratified deposits, multiple cultural features, and oldest radiocarbon-dated projectile points in the Americas, the archaeological record of the Cooper’s Ferry/Nipéhe site provides foundational evidence for understanding the technological and behavioral adaptations of early North American peoples during the Late Pleistocene. The lithic technology, faunal evidence, and spatial patterns at Cooper’s Ferry together provide key insights into early hunting lifeways in western Idaho. In this presentation, Dr. Davis will review the scientific basis for establishing an early cultural occupation at the site and discuss ongoing research to reveal evidence for early hunting at Cooper’s Ferry, focusing on how the site’s record contributes to a growing body of pre-Clovis archaeological knowledge in the Americas.