During the Upper Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic of the Old World, the use of blade and bladelet technology was widespread in parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In contrast to this situation, the use of elongated debitage in North America occurs relatively infrequently during the Pre-Clovis and Clovis periods. This article examines three assemblages from the Adams and Joe Priddy sites in Kentucky and the Nuckolls site in Tennessee, and notes possible differences between Clovis blade manufacture and use, versus blade production in many Old World settings. These differences include the intensity of core reduction, the relative frequency and proportions of blades (and bladelets), the diversity of blade tool forms, and the percentage of retouched blade tools to unretouched blades.
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