A Functional and Distributional Analysis of Certain Notched, Grooved and Perforated Stone Artifacts from North America

The distribution and possible functions of notched, grooved and perforated stone artifacts commonly referred to in the archaeological literature are examined. These artifacts are primarily found on sites located in environmental settings which suggest that they were associated with fishing activities. In different regions of North America, however, variations in subsistence activities dictated the manner in which these artifacts functioned. Archaeological and environmental site data and ethnographic/ethnohistoric evidence are utilized as tools for testing the numerous hypothesized functions of notched, grooved and preformed stones. Data examined in a case study involving notched stones from the lower Little Tennessee River Valley of East Tennessee lend support to the hypothesis that notched stones from this particular area were associated with fishing activities.