Analysis of end scrapers from Silver Mound, Jackson Co., Wisconsin : examining morphology to assess temporal context

Abstract

End scrapers are specialized tools with distinguishing stylistic features. In the northeastern Great Plains, end scrapers are commonly found at Paleoindian and late prehistoric Oneota sites. This paper examines end scraper morphology as a possible indicator of temporal context. Attribute measurements were taken from an assemblage of end scrapers recovered from thirteen fields in the Silver Mound Archaeological District in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The Silver Mound scraper data is compared with collections from sites having clear temporal associations. This research indicates that end scrapers exhibit typological characteristics within cultural traditions. With the identification of metric trends, end scraper assemblages may be examined to assess temporal context.