First Known Clovis Atlatls

[CMD]

At the Massachusetts ASAA meeting on 6/25/16, Dr. Mike Gramly shows the first known Clovis atlatls, which he excavated at the Bowser Road Mastodon Site in Orange County, NY. Recorded by an ASAA member:

An article by Mike Gramly on the Bowser Road site, written prior to the realization that 16 atlatls made from Mastodon rib bones were present in the assemblage:

http://asaa-persimmonpress.com/numbe...-mastodon.html

[Kyflintguy]

Interesting findings, Thanks for sharing the link Charlie.
Is ther more to this video Charlie? I was left with more questions than answers. I'm wondering why the atlatls were intentionaly broken? And what was Gramlys proposed function of those v notches? Its got me brainstorming here, I'm guessing cordage was put between the tops of v creating a place were the slotted ( not socketed ) Dart could be fitted.

Really got my wheel turning now, I'd never contemplated such a set up till now, wondering if my guess is correct.

[CMD]

Not sure if original breakage was intentional. Unfortunately, I had to miss the meeting at the last minute, and that's it for the video. He'll publish these, obviously. But I cannot answer your questions.....

[sailorjoe]

You aren't by yourself in having more questions than answers. If those are the darts, then where are some of the points?

[Kyflintguy]

Actually the segmented rib bones with v notches is what Gramly was calling the atlatl itself, not darts. I was trying to figure out the v notch style atlatl he was proposing. I made a guess as to how that would work but I'll have to do more research or wait on Gramlys report to find out if i am right about this proposed v notch atlatl.
I didn't see or hear of diagnostic Clovis points being found either, but I admittedly only partialy read the site summary.

[JoshinMO]

That's a very great find.

[TSUMS]

I was there..very interesting stuff...I had a good time showing some of my stuff and talking to Bill Moody and seeing some of his stuff..there was some really nice stuff for sale as well... I got this nice axe from connecticut. ...

[TSUMS]

He mentioned that there were broken atl atl found at other sites with mastodon remains...he notes maybee they were broken after a mastodon was killed for ceremonial purposes... he also showed a piece of mastodon rib that was fashioned into a spear point...

[SDhunter]

I question too why you would break your weapon. How do they know they weren't just broken over time?

[TSUMS]

All the pieces were the same lenghths.. as if they were systematically broken.. he also had the stone on display he thinks was used to break the atl atls..

[gramlyasaa]

Dear Folks:
The Bowser Road site will prove to be one of the major Clovis discoveries to date. First, it is an actual butchering site. The evidence is extensive and unequivocal that nearly every major anatomical unit of an aged bull mastodon was chopped/cleaved/cut with a STONE axe. Had the mastodon been killed with Clovis points tipping javelins, such points were noted and removed during the very thorough butchering. The mastodon at Bowser Road did not escape its attackers and come to rest somewhere with Clovis points still with it -- as was the case with Naco and Lehner in Arizona. Second, there are many worn-out ivory and bone artifacts that were deposited with the carcass. These artifacts belong to other (another) mastodon; this fact is confirmed by STRONTIUM elemental abundance. Third, among the deposited artifacts are fragments of as many as 16 atlatls that are made of mastodon rib -- cleverly split and smoothed. At least four (4) of them exhibit a vee-notch at the distal end. Two (2) show neat, roughened areas where likely atlatl weights were attached along the main axis of the atlatl. The precedent for affixing weights to atlatls is provided by Aurignacian discoveries in Europe. Fourth, the atlatls were systematically destroyed by regular snapping upon an anvilstone where the bones were GREEN. It is not modern damage! Destroying atlatls after a successful hunt is Clovis ritual, and it carries with it enormous implications for the periodicity of proboscidean killing, etc., etc. The Bowser Road site most certainly deserves a proper monograph, and I will give it one. If you want to be apprised of its availaility, just stay in touch. I am reaching out to you folks just to keep you abreast of developments. I am not spouting science fiction here. Like Joe Friday of yesteryear's TV show, DRAGNET, I believe in the precept:
"Just the facts, mam', just the facts!" The age of the mastoon is well known. It is approx. 13,000 calendar years before present. That's a fact.

[Kyflintguy]

Dear Folks:
The Bowser Road site will prove to be one of the major Clovis discoveries to date. First, it is an actual butchering site. The evidence is extensive and unequivocal that nearly every major anatomical unit of an aged bull mastodon was chopped/cleaved/cut with a STONE axe. Had the mastodon been killed with Clovis points tipping javelins, such points were noted and removed during the very thorough butchering. The mastodon at Bowser Road did not escape its attackers and come to rest somewhere with Clovis points still with it -- as was the case with Naco and Lehner in Arizona. Second, there are many worn-out ivory and bone artifacts that were deposited with the carcass. These artifacts belong to other (another) mastodon; this fact is confirmed by STRONTIUM elemental abundance. Third, among the deposited artifacts are fragments of as many as 16 atlatls that are made of mastodon rib -- cleverly split and smoothed. At least four (4) of them exhibit a vee-notch at the distal end. Two (2) show neat, roughened areas where likely atlatl weights were attached along the main axis of the atlatl. The precedent for affixing weights to atlatls is provided by Aurignacian discoveries in Europe. Fourth, the atlatls were systematically destroyed by regular snapping upon an anvilstone where the bones were GREEN. It is not modern damage! Destroying atlatls after a successful hunt is Clovis ritual, and it carries with it enormous implications for the periodicity of proboscidean killing, etc., etc. The Bowser Road site most certainly deserves a proper monograph, and I will give it one. If you want to be apprised of its availaility, just stay in touch. I am reaching out to you folks just to keep you abreast of developments. I am not spouting science fiction here. Like Joe Friday of yesteryear's TV show, DRAGNET, I believe in the precept:
"Just the facts, mam', just the facts!" The age of the mastoon is well known. It is approx. 13,000 calendar years before present. That's a fact.

Welcome to the Forum!
Thanks so much for your time, to come in and give us some more details! I have really enjoyed learning from the work you've done especially involving Cumberland fluted points. Very exciting stuff! Feel free to stop by more often as there is always a good discussion underway here and we enjoy all the good information we can get. We also have a good group of folks who practice primitive technique's which is very interesting and insightful.
Anyways keep up the good work and thanks for stopping by!

[painshill]

Welcome indeed! I'm sure you're a busy man, so we really do appreciate you taking time to come visit.

[CMD]

Thanks so much. I had asked Bill if he could provide me with photos as my ride had to cancel at the last minute that day.
Thanks so much for taking the time to fill us all in.

[gregszybala]

Thank you for taking the time to drop in here and fill in some blanks. Hopefully you'll stop by again and share more.

[Ron Kelley]

Thanks gramlyasaa, The Bowser Road Site is something all of us here at arrowheads.com are very interested in. Any information and photos you can share are greatly appreciated.

[Hoss]

We will stay in touch with you Dr Gramly several of us have had the privilege of meeting you in person. I met you at the Ky Dam show several years ago and showed you a Personal find clovis point I found in Sandy Hook CT. It was a small one and made of Munsungan Chert. Thank you for taking the time to share more information about your exciting new work.

[cgode]

Awesome information and by the sounds of it an important find. I hope Mr Gramly stops back in....very cool to have a pro such as him here!
Never met the man but did converse by email a few years ago about a Connecticut point I found...seemed like a down to earth guy.