Shiffing Sands: A Folsom Midland Assemblage From A Campsite in Western Texas

The Shifting Sands Site is located in a series of 5-8 m deep blowouts in the Monahans Dune System of Western Texas. The blowouts reveal a geomorphic sequence of Pleistocene lacustrine deposits overlain by a laminated series of thin sandy clay and sand lenses. Folsom artifacts and weathered bone are eroding from this one meter thick interstratified deposit. A massive dune deposit overlies the Folsom stratum. Over 400 Folsom stone tools and 4, 600 pieces of chipping debris have been collected from the site. This collection represents a significant addition to our information on Folsom assemblage variability. In particular the assemblage contains a large number of both Midland and Folsom points, informal flake tools, gravers, and scrapers, but few large artifacts. A bison kill/butchery event appears to be represented in at least one area, and spatial variability in artifact types is evident among the different blowouts.