Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types Part 12

KIRK CORNER NOTCHED, =Coe= (Coe, 1959): A-50

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium- to large-sized, corner notched point with blade edges that are usually serrated.

MEASUREMENTS: Coe (1959) lists the following measurements for the type: range of length--40 mm. to 100 mm., average length, 60 mm.; range of width--20 mm. to 45 mm., average width, 30 mm.; range of thickness--6 mm. to 12 mm., average thickness, 8 mm. The measurements of 15 plesiotypes from Cambron Sites 19 and 20 in Morgan County, Alabama, range as follows: length--69 mm. to 39 mm., average, 51 mm.: shoulder width--39 mm. to 29 mm., average, 34 mm.: stem width--29 mm. to 23 mm., average, 25 mm.: stem length--12 mm. to 9 mm., average, 11 mm.: thickness--10 mm. to 5 mm., average, 7 mm. Measurements of the ill.u.s.trated example are: length, 59 mm.; shoulder width, 36 mm.; stem width, 25 mm.; stem length, 11 mm.; thickness, 7 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is usually flattened but may be biconvex.

Shoulders are strongly barbed. The blade is usually excurvate but may be straight or recurvate. Blade edges are usually serrated and beveled on both sides of each face. The distal end is acute. The hafting area is corner notched. The notches average about 11 mm. deep and 5 mm. wide.

Side edges of the expanded stem are straight and the stem base edge either straight, slightly incurvate or, rarely, excurvate. On Alabama examples, the stem base is thinned and usually ground, but basal grinding is rarely found on examples from the North Carolina Piedmont (Coe, personal communication).

FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are shaped by broad, shallow, random flaking. The edges are shaped by fine, regular, secondary flaking, which often resulted in serrations and beveled blade edges. The notches were formed by the removal of long, broad flakes, one from each side on each face. The edges of the notches were often retouched. Broad, shallow flakes were removed to thin the basal edge, which was then finely retouched. Local materials were used in the manufacture of these points.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type is named after examples excavated in the North Carolina Piedmont. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Cambron Site 19, Morgan County, Alabama. Coe (1959) estimates the age as about 8000 years ago at the type sites. Seven examples were recovered from Archaic Stratum II at Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961). At the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962) one example each was recovered from Levels 1, 2, 6 and 9 in Zone A. One example was recovered from Level 6 at the University of Alabama Site Ms 201, Marshall County, Alabama. Practically all examples from surface collections are from early Archaic sites. Evidence suggests an early Archaic a.s.sociation, with ground base examples being earliest.

KIRK SERRATED, =Coe= (Coe, 1959): A-51

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large, straight-stemmed point with deep serrations.

MEASUREMENTS: Measurements of North Carolina Piedmont examples range as follows: length--maximum, 120 mm.; minimum, 45 mm.; average, 70 mm.: width--maximum, 35 mm.; minimum, 25 mm.; average, 30 mm.: thickness--maximum, 12 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 9 mm. Eleven plesiotypes from three sites in Morgan and Limestone counties, Alabama, near the Tennessee River provided the following measurements: length--maximum, 78 mm.; minimum, 45 mm.; average, 56 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 36 mm.; minimum, 24 mm.; average, 29 mm.: stem width--maximum, 20 mm.; minimum, 15 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem length--maximum, 11 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 10 mm.: thickness--maximum, 9 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 8 mm. Measurements of the ill.u.s.trated example are: length, 61 mm.; shoulder width, 26 mm.; stem width, 15 mm.; stem length, 11 mm.; thickness, 9 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex but may be plano-convex.

Shoulders are usually horizontal but may be inversely tapered. Shoulders or barbs may be expanded. Most blades display one excurvate and one recurvate or, rarely, straight edge. Some examples have two excurvate blade edges. Least common are blades with two recurvate edges. Blade edges are always serrated. Serration is usually deeper and broader near the hafting area and becomes finer and more regular nearer the distal end, which is usually acute. The stem has straight side edges and an incurvate or straight basal edge. The base is thinned and, rarely, beveled.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are shaped by broad, shallow, random flaking followed by deep, short flaking which forms the serrations along the blade edges. The stem is retouched by short, shallow flaking.

COMMENTS: The type was named after examples from sites in the North Carolina Piedmont. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Hulse Site 32 (Stone Pipe), Limestone County, Alabama. Coe (1959) suggests a date of between 5000 B.C. and 6000 B.C., slightly later than Kirk Corner Notched. At the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962) one example was recovered from Level 5, one from Level 6, four from Level 9 in Zone A; one from Level 1 of Zone B. This indicates an early Archaic a.s.sociation. One example each was recovered from Levels 1, 7 and 9 at University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama. This is also an indication of an early Archaic a.s.sociation.

Nine examples were scattered through Stratum II (Archaic) at Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961). One example was recovered from the eight-foot level, which was the lowest level at the Little Bear Creek Site (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948b). Flint River Mound (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a) produced one example from Zone C (upper Archaic) and one from Zone D (lower Archaic). This evidence indicates an early to middle Archaic a.s.sociation on some sites.

KNIGHT ISLAND, =Hulse= (This Paper): A-21-a

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium-sized, thin, side notched point.

MEASUREMENTS: Ten cotypes, nine from North Alabama and one from Was.h.i.+ngton County, Alabama, provided traits and the following measurements: length--maximum, 60 mm.; minimum, 40 mm.; average, 49 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 20 mm.; minimum, 15 mm.; average, 18 mm.: stem width--maximum, 20 mm.; minimum, 14 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem length--maximum, 11 mm.; minimum, 5 mm.; average, 9 mm.: thickness--maximum, 6 mm.; minimum, 3 mm.; average, 5 mm. The ill.u.s.trated example measures 55 mm. long, 18 mm. wide at shoulders, 15 mm. wide across stem, 16 mm. in stem length, and 11 mm. thick.

FORM: The cross-section is usually flattened; rarely, plano-convex. The shoulders are usually straight on narrow-notched examples and inversely tapered on the broader-notched examples. The blade is usually excurvate, but may be parallel angular. Blade edges of the Was.h.i.+ngton County example are finely serrated. The distal end is acute. The hafting area is side notched about 3 or 4 mm. from the base. The notches average about 3 mm. deep and vary from 8 mm. to 3 mm. wide (average width, 5 mm.). The basal edge is straight except on the Was.h.i.+ngton County example, where it is slightly incurvate. The basal edge is usually thinned, and may be lightly ground.

FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are shaped by broad, shallow, random flaking and retouched by fine, secondary flaking. The notches, formed by the removal of broad flakes, are usually finely retouched.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named for Knight Island in the Wheeler Reservoir of the Tennessee River where examples were first recognized. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Hulse Site 17, Limestone County, Alabama.

The type may be related to "Upper Valley Side Notched," briefly described by Kneberg (1956). Ritchie's ill.u.s.trations of Jacks Reef Corner Notched (1961, page 79, Figure 8 and possibly Figure 7) appear to be of the Knight Island type. Both types are usually found on late Woodland sites in North Alabama. One example was recovered from Hn 1, Hardin County, Tennessee (Webb and DeJarnette, 1942), below the three-foot level, which produced Mississippian point types. It is possible that the radiocarbon date of 1056 250 B.P. obtained for Jacks Reef Corner Notched at the White Site, Norwich, New York, (Ritchie, 1961) applies to Knight Island. A larger variant is also recognized from Alabama. Reed points (Bell, 1958) are similar to Knight Island except that Reed blade edges are usually straight.

LECROY, =Kneberg= (Kneberg, 1956): A-52

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium-sized, bifurcated-stemmed point which is usually serrated.

MEASUREMENTS: Fourteen plesiotypes (including the ill.u.s.trated example) from sites in Morgan and Limestone counties, Alabama, provided the following measurements: length--maximum, 58 mm.; minimum, 33 mm.; average, 44 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 40 mm.; minimum, 23 mm.; average, 28 mm.: stem width--maximum, 27 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 23 mm.: stem length--maximum, 16 mm.; minimum, 10 mm.; average, 13 mm.: thickness--maximum, 7 mm.; minimum, 5 mm.; average, 6 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex; rarely, plano-convex or hexagonal. Shoulders are expanded on serrated examples and may be horizontal or tapered. The blade is nearly always straight; rarely, incurvate. Blade edges are usually deeply serrated and occasionally beveled on both edges of each face. The distal end is acute. The hafting area consists of a stem that is usually expanded (rarely, straight) and always deeply bifurcated. The auricles are expanded-rounded and are usually ground along the edges.

FLAKING: Flaking used to shape the blade and stem is usually broad, shallow and random, but removal of broad flakes to form serrations along the blade edges sometimes resulted in flaking of a collateral nature on the blade faces. Single, broader serrations may be formed by removal of more than one flake. Broad, deep flakes were removed to notch the stem below the shoulders and on the basal edge. Some retouch was carried out in these notches.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named after the LeCroy Site on the Tennessee River in Hamilton County, Tennessee, and was described by Bell (1960).

The ill.u.s.trated example is from Cambron Site 83, Limestone County, Alabama. At the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962) one example was recovered from Zone C, Block 2, along with transitional Paleo and early Archaic points. One example was recovered from the University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama, in Level 10. This indicates early Archaic or transitional Paleo. Four examples were recovered from Stratum II (Archaic) at Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961), mostly from lower levels.

Examples from surface collections are usually from pre-sh.e.l.lmound sites in the Wheeler Basin of the Tennessee River. An early Archaic a.s.sociation is suggested, and a date of sometime before 5000 years ago is indicated.

LEDBETTER, =Kneberg= (Kneberg, 1956): A-53

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a large, stemmed point with asymmetrical blade edges.

MEASUREMENTS: The ill.u.s.trated plesiotype provided the following measurements: length, 71 mm.; shoulder width, 36 mm.; stem width, 16 mm.; stem length, 13 mm.; thickness, 10 mm. The type "... varies in length from 3 to 7 inches and is usually thick (1/2" to 3/4")."

(Kneberg, 1956.)

FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders are usually asymmetrical, with one being wider than the other. Shoulders may be tapered or straight. "The distinctive feature of the blade is its asymmetry. The side edges are usually recurvate, but the recurvature is reversed on the two side edges." (Kneberg, 1956.) The distal end is acute. The stem may be straight or slightly expanded. The basal edge is usually straight; rarely, excurvate and thinned.

FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are shaped by broad, shallow, random flaking. Secondary flaking ranges in extent from regular flaking along the sides to the faces with fine retouch along the blade edges, to practically non-existent secondary flaking on some examples. Local materials were generally used.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named for the Ledbetter Site in Benton County, Tennessee. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Cambron Site 48 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. One example was recovered from Level 4 at the University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama. This indicates a late Archaic or early Woodland a.s.sociation. At the Eva Site (Lewis and Lewis, 1961) most examples appear to have originated late in the Archaic period. Examples were recovered from the Big Sandy component and Stratum II (top) of the Three Mile component. Examples are found on Archaic sites in North Alabama. Kneberg (1956) suggests a date of from about 2000 B.C. to early centuries A.D.

LERMA POINTED BASE, Termed "Lerma" by =MacNeish= (Suhm, Krieger and Jelks, 1954): A-54

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large, lanceolate point with a pointed base.

MEASUREMENTS: Twenty points from 15 sites in the Tennessee Valley (Soday and Cambron, n. d.) provided the following measurements; length--maximum, 104 mm.; minimum, 48 mm.; average, 74 mm.: width--average, 23 mm.: thickness--average, 10 mm. The ill.u.s.trated example is 110 mm. long, 28 mm. wide, and 9 mm. thick.

FORM: The cross-section may be plano-convex or biconvex. The widest part of the point is usually about one-third of the length of the point from the base. From its widest part to the distal end, the blade is excurvate or sometimes nearly straight. The distal end is acute. The base is pointed and may be broad or acute.

FLAKING: The presence of many hinge fractures on blade faces indicates much of the flaking used to shape the blade and hafting area may be the result of the baton method of percussion flaking. Some secondary flaking appears along the edges. The plane striking area on the basal edge indicates manufacture from a blade. Many examples in the Tennessee Valley are made of Ft. Payne chert.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type site is the Canyon Diablo Site of Tamaulipas, Mexico (Mahan, 1955). An example was found with a mammoth near Mexico City. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Hulse Site 32E, Limestone County, Alabama.

Examples are usually found on the same sites as Lerma Rounded Base, but may be somewhat earlier as is the case with the Mexican examples although not with Rounded Base Texas examples. At the Quad Site (Cambron and Hulse, 1960a) an example reworked to a drill was recovered from Stratum III in a.s.sociation with Big Sandy I, Dalton, Crawford Creek, and other points. An early Archaic to transitional Paleo a.s.sociation is suggested.