The Paleoindian Component at Charlie Lake Cave (HbRf 39), British Columbia

Charlie Lake Cave (HbRf 39) is a stratified site in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, containing a flutedpoint component at the base of the excavated deposits. The small artifact assemblage includes a fluted point, stone bead, core tool, and retouched flake. A diverse associated fauna includes fish, birds, and mammals, indicating a more open environment than exists today. Radiocarbon dates suggest that the artifact assemblage was deposited about 10,500 years ago. Fluted points are found in most areas of southern Canada, but with the exception of Debert (MacDonald 1968), none has been found in direct association with datable material. In Alaska fluted points may date as early as 11,000 B.P. (Clark and Clark 1983) but, as in Canada, these fluted-point sites tend to have shallow or compressed stratigraphy with the possibility of mixing. There are no fluted-point sites north of the 49th parallel which contain points and faunal remains in a securely sealed and dated context. Consequently, the excavation of a dated fluted-point component in an undisturbed deep stratigraphic position with associated fauna is of significance for the prehistory of northwestern North America. This paper describes the stratigraphic sequence at Charlie Lake Cave, associated radiocarbon dates, and the artifacts and associated fauna of the earliest cultural component known from the site.