Gypsum Projectile Point

This stone projectile point was used by prehistoric hunters living within the modern boundary of Coronado National Memorial. This projectile point style was first found by archeologists in Gypsum Cave, Nevada, but is common throughout the desert Southwest. Gypsum points represent what archeologists call the Middle Archaic (5500-3500 BP), a time before ceramic technology and domestic agriculture. Recent archeological studies have discovered evidence suggesting that areas within the memorial were very popular hunting and food gathering locations for generations of Middle Archaic people.