The cumulative picture is of a western North America that was settled early, through routes that may have differed from the classic inland corridor model, and in which stemmed point technology was characteristic of at least some of the earliest populations.

Where does the Buhl burial fit in this picture?

If the original date is taken at face value, the burial is direct evidence of a Western Stemmed Tradition individual in the terminal Pleistocene, and the stemmed biface beside her is a hafted tool type consistent with the broader assemblages from this period.

If the date is significantly affected by the freshwater reservoir problem, the burial is still important evidence of the Western Stemmed Tradition’s presence in the Snake River Plain, but it can no longer serve as a specific chronological anchor.

Grave Goods And What They Suggest About Society