Paleoindian Lifeways of the Cody Complex ed. by Edward J. Knell and Mark P. Muñiz (review)

The current volume fills a much-needed void in the literature, providing a compilation of previous and ongoing research into a unique cultural and paleoenvironmental period of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain region. Anyone with Plains interests that span 10,000–8,000 ¹⁴c years before present will appreciate the synthesis, data compilation, and site-specific overviews. I approached this book the way I suspect many archaeologists will, with an awareness that the Cody Complex is somehow distinct from other Paleoindian “types” or cultural “traditions.” Clovis sites contain Clovis points, and Folsom sites contain Folsom points, but Cody Complex sites? Well, they contain one or more, in various combinations, of the following point types: Alberta, Alberta/Cody I, Alberta/Cody II, Eden, Firstview, Kersey, Scottsbluff I, and Scottsbluff II (and/or an additional handful of point types). The Cody Complex stands out as different, and it is tempting to read the “complex” in its name as more adjective than noun.

The opening chapter establishes the history of Cody Complex archaeology, temporal and spatial ranges of Cody Complex sites, and contemporary interpretations of Cody Complex peoples in terms of broad behavioral and technological activities. Subsequent chapters are divided into three sections covering paleoenvironments, site and regional overviews, and Complex-wide synthesis. Muñiz compiles regional and site-specific records that document a trend of increasing aridity across an ecologically diverse array of Cody Complex localities. While the Cody time period may span a period of relative calm, it was not a time of dynamic ecological change. As demonstrated by Widga, who succinctly integrates paleofaunal assemblage attributes and bison biometrics, the Cody Complex–era trend of decreasing precipitation corresponds with the changes in bison that resulted in larger, more socially structured herds. Exploring the role of bison as a Cody Complex prey species, Hill provides a comprehensive zooarchaeological review and demonstrates that Cody Complex–associated bison kills are unusually large. He interprets seasonal and regional differences between northern and southern sites to suggest that “Cody hunters likely relied on communal hunting more than other Paleoindian groups” (109).

Examining specific sites and regions are chapters covering North Dakota and southern Saskatchewan (Root et al.), Alberta (Dawe), the Rockies (Hill and Knell), and the northwestern Great Basin (Amick). Collectively, these chapters identify general archaeological trends such as the widespread appearance of Knife River Flint in sites far from the source area, suggestive of long-distance mobility and/or trade patterns. The final group of chapters largely focuses on deriving broader human behavioral patterns, using specific sites as case studies. Knell explores land-use strategies at three Hell Gap–site Cody Complex components with a model designed to identify regional versus more diffuse land-use patterns and ultimately argues for greater regionalization in higher-productivity resource areas with high-quality toolstone. Muñiz explores the concept of risk in Cody Complex technology. Developing what the author considers a largely heuristic model, the model’s complexity of variables and array of predictions far exceeds meaningful expression in his sample assemblages but provides a thought-provoking perspective. While discussed throughout the volume, Knudson’s chapter most directly addresses the unique typological diversity of the Cody Complex. Tracing the history of the Scottsbluff point type, she succinctly sums the situation at this eponymous site, stating that the “site creators appear to have forgotten to follow the typological manuals” (308).

The volume provides a detailed and nuanced view of the context and contents of Cody Complex sites. The concluding chapter by Bamforth echoes the sentiment of many volume authors by calling for an approach that centers less on bison and on projectile points. However, bison behavior, distribution, and prey attributes are repeatedly called upon to infer mobility patterns, toolkit design, raw material use, and assemblage characteristics. Returning to my own thoughts regarding the oddity of the Cody Complex...