The origin and time of appearance of human groups, the Paleoindians, in the Americas has been a significant question in Americanist archaeology. Beginning in the latter half of the nineteenth century and extending through the twentieth century, two paradigms have dominated thinking. The first denied the possibility that human groups were present in the Western Hemisphere during the late Pleistocene. When archaeological evidence confirmed the association of extinct Pleistocene megafauna and human tools, the second paradigm, Clovis First, provided a model of origins, migration, subsistence practices, and technology. Both paradigms were based in whole or in part on speculation at worst, and limited data at best. In their times, both were defended staunchly. Yet there were sites, throughout the Americas, that suggested even earlier Paleoindian presence. During the second half of the twentieth century, a variety of new techniques were applied to these questions: radiocarbon dating, geological stratigraphy, and genetic testing. The data produced confirmed that humans were in the Americas before Clovis, but the Clovis First paradigm continued to be defended by many. In this dissertation, the question is not how, or even when, the Paleoindians arrived in the Americas. This study focuses on Florida and the adjacent southeastern states and closely examines the available data. A contextual approach is used in which chronology, site integrity, climate, habitat, resource availability, technology, and subsistence patterns provide the clearest picture of what is known, how it is known, and what is not known about Paleoindian lifeways in the state and region. It is an approach solidly rooted in prior research and aimed toward current and future research goals. The Paleoindian occupation of Florida and the adjoining Tertiary karst region of the southeastern Coastal Plain is considered as a distinct region outside the confines of the Clovis First trajectory.
