An Outline of the Pre-Clovis Archeology of SV-2, Saltville, Virginia, with Special Attention to a Bone Tool Dated 14,510 yr BP

Saltville Valley is an important source of information about the environmental history of the Middle Appalachian region, especially for the past 15,000 years. At one site in the valley, three Archeological horizons dating from about 14,500 to 13,000 radiocarbon years ago document the presence of pre-Clovis people in Saltville Valley and provide insight into their lifeways. Evidence suggests that the pre-Clovis people who visited Saltville Valley in 14,510 years ago had a diversified ivory, bone, and lithic technology — possibly including a biface technology. These people appear to have been mobile hunters and gatherers who regularly visited and exploited the riparian and littoral zones in Saltville Valley where they utilized diverse faunal resources ranging from large mammals to small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and mussels.