The lithic technology of Lagoa Santa is distinctive in ways that have led some researchers to characterize it as representing a tradition different from the fluted-point technologies found in parts of North America and associated with what are sometimes called “Clovis” or related early American cultures.

Whether this represents a genuinely different technological tradition, a local adaptation of a shared broader tradition, or simply variation within a single tradition is a question that continues to generate archaeological debate.

What is not debated is that the people of Lagoa Santa were effective stone workers who produced the tools they needed for their way of life.

The variety of tool types found at sites in the region — tools suited for cutting, scraping, drilling, and hunting — reflects a broad subsistence strategy that included both hunting and plant processing.

The faunal remains at the sites are consistent with hunting of deer, armadillos, peccaries, and other animals, while botanical remains and the specific tool types associated with plant processing suggest that plant foods — roots, seeds, fruits — were also important parts of the diet.