Assessment Questions 7.11

The Buttermilk Creek Complex at the Debra L. Friedkin site in central Texas includes bifacially flaked tools, plain stemmed and "lanceolate" spear points, a discoidal core, and sharpened flakes and blades. The tools, dating to around 15,500 years ago, indicate activities such as hunting, butchering, and processing hides and wood.

Meadowcroft Rockshelter in western Pennsylvania is one of the oldest and most deeply stratified archaeological sites in North America. The site covers thousands of years of human occupation, with artifacts and radiocarbon dates suggesting human presence in the region dating back to more than 12,800 years ago.

Genetic studies of ancient children, such as the Mal'ta boy and the Anzick boy, provide valuable insights into the peopling of the Americas. The Mal'ta boy's DNA shows close affinity with both western Eurasians and modern Native Americans, suggesting a population ancestral to most modern Native Americans. The Anzick boy's genome is a close match to modern Native American groups, indicating a shared ancestry.