A Reexamination of the Paleoindian Bison Kill at the Alexon Site, Florida

A chert object embedded in the cranium of a bison found at the Alexon site, Florida, is cited as direct evidence of human and megafauna interaction at the end of the Pleistocene in the American Southeast. Previous analyses identified the chert object as the mid-section of a lanceolate projectile point. Radiocarbon ages on unpurified bison collagen from two separate bison elements yielded Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene ages. We were able to relocate the site and examine the stratigraphy, but our attempts to radiocarbon date the bone failed. We obtained micro-computed tomography scans and used digital imaging software to generate a three-dimensional rendering of the embedded object. Finally, the skull and embedded object were visually examined. We conclude that the object embedded in the skull is not an artifact and that the Alexon site is a paleontological locality.