An Experimental Pilot Study into the Potential of Semi-crested Blades as Diagnostic Indicators of Core Preparation Method in Core-less Northwest Coast Microblade Assemblages

Two primary Early Holocene Northwest Coast microblade sub-traditions have been identified: the Campus/Denali complex, typified by bifacially prepared wedge-shaped microcores, and the Northwest Coast Variant style, represented by tabular or conical endscraper-like unifacial cores. The two complexes overlap both temporally and geographically, and with the relative paucity of cores recovered from microblade-bearing sites, further definition of techno-social boundaries is difficult. This paper presents the results of an experimental study to test the potential of the semi-crested blade, a regular product of microblade production, as a possible means of distinguishing between Campus/Denali and Northwest Coast Variant microblade assemblages where cores are ambiguous or absent. icroblade technology was widespread throughout the Northwest Coast of North America during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene (c. 12000 BP-5000 BP). Two sub-traditions dominate the assemblages: the Campus/Denali style and the Northwest Coast Variant (Magne and Fedje 2007:171). These complexes are defined by their core morphology, as the Campus/Denali cores are generally wedge-shaped and exhibit evidence of bifacial core preparation strategies, while those of the Northwest Coast Variant (NWCV