The integration of archaeological and genetic evidence is one of the most productive research directions in the field, and the Paisley evidence has contributed to both sides of this integration.

The Bone Tool and Fiber Evidence in Context

The fiber and basketry evidence from Paisley Caves — twisted fiber materials that appear in contexts consistent with pre-Clovis or Clovis-contemporaneous occupation — connects the site to a broader archaeological record of early fiber technology in the western United States that has not received as much public attention as the lithic technology evidence.

Fiber technologies — the production of cordage, basketry, netting, and textile materials from plant and animal fibers — are among the most important categories of human technological achievement, enabling a wide range of applications from carrying equipment to constructing shelter to capturing fish and small game.

But fiber technologies leave an archaeological record that is far more fragile and far less well-preserved than stone tool technologies, because organic fiber degrades rapidly in most archaeological contexts.