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Overview

Published 1990; digitized and republished June 2024

For preparers of New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places nominations; cultural resource surveys; archaeological site forms.

• Download original (PDF scan)
• Download digital layout (PDF)
• Download eBook (EPUB)

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section el_id=”media-summary”][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”1vw”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”17706″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” style=”vc_box_shadow” onclick=”link_image” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]

Summary

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Created by NJ AI Assistant (GPT-4o) and edited by NJHPO staff.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner el_class=”hpo-callout-text”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”hpo-intro-paragraph”]This historic context explores the life and times of Paleo-Indians in New Jersey, dating back 11,500 to 8,000 years ago, just after the last Ice Age. The Paleo-Indians are recognized as the earliest inhabitants of the area, living in a time when the landscape was dramatically different from today. They were nomadic hunters and gatherers, traveling in small family groups across New Jersey and beyond in search of food and resources. Their presence is primarily known through stone tools, especially the unique fluted projectile points that are a hallmark of their culture.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]This context is divided into two phases:

1. Early Paleo-Indian (11,500 to 10,000 years ago). During the Early Phase, people used distinctively crafted tools and hunted large animals like mammoths and mastodons.
2. Late Paleo-Indian (10,000 to 8,000 years ago). As the environment warmed, leading to the Late Phase, Paleo-Indians adapted to new conditions, shifting their hunting practices as larger animals became extinct or moved north.

Additionally, the Paleo-Indian Historic Context discusses how these early people likely interacted with their environment, including their settlement patterns near water sources and high ground for strategic purposes.

Despite the scarcity of material remains, archaeological research uses various methods to uncover and interpret these ancient lifestyles. The context highlights the importance of preserving these archaeological sites to understand better the Paleo-Indians’ way of life and their contribution to the broader patterns of history in North America.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” style=”vc_box_shadow” onclick=”link_image” css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section el_id=”end-spacer”][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4vw”][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]