Western Stemmed Tradition

The Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) is a Paleoindian archaeological culture known from the Intermountain West of North America, particularly the Great Basin and the Columbian Plateau, spanning from over 13,000 years Before Present (and thus overlapping with the more well-known Clovis culture) to around 8,500 years Before Present.

Pre-Clovis stemmed points are also known from the Debra L. Friedkin and Gault sites in Texas, perhaps dating as early as 14,500 BP, though these are outside the core distribution area of the WST.

[3] WST peoples are suggested to have produced textiles and rope based on finds in caves associated with WST-type tools, and are also suggested to have produced rock art, and traded with coastal peoples for marine shell beads.

[3] Unlike the Clovis culture, which are suggested to have been specialised mobile big-game hunters, WST peoples (with perhaps the exception of the Haskett, which have lanceolate points) are suggested to have been generalists than consumed a wide range of food resources.

Find at other sites like Connley Caves in Oregon and Old River Bed in Utah suggest the hunting of bison, mule deer, rabbits, waterfowl and fish.