Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types Part 18

The smaller examples somewhat resemble Coosa points, but are not retouched along the edges and are made of quartzite. The cultural a.s.sociation of this type is as yet unknown, as the type site has produced artifacts belonging to transitional Paleo, Archaic and Woodland components. A category of tool types resembling Rheems Creek has been identified in Randolph County from Mid-Archaic to Early Woodland (O'Hear and Knight, 1975).

RUSSELL CAVE, =Cambron= (This paper): A-117

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Russell Cave point is a medium sized, expanded stem point with shallow serrations and straight blade edges.

MEASUREMENTS: Seven examples, including the ill.u.s.trated specimen, from the lower G layer at Russell Cave in North Alabama provided the following measurements and features: length--maximum, 60 mm.; minimum, 44 mm.; average, 54 mm: shoulder width--maximum, 28 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 25 mm.: stem width at base--maximum, 24 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 23 mm.: stem width at narrowest point--maximum, 21 mm.; minimum, 19 mm.; average, 20 mm.: stem length--maximum, 20 mm.; minimum, 16 mm.; average, 17 mm.: thickness--maximum, 9 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 8 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders are tapered. The blade is usually straight; rarely excurvate. Blade edges are shallowly serrated.

The distal end is acute. The stem is expanded. The side edges of the stem are incurvate and usually ground. The basal edge is straight, usually ground and may be beveled.

FLAKING: Shallow, broad, random flaking was used to shape the blade and stem. Short, fairly deep flakes were removed to shape and finish the blade and to form fine regular serrations. These were flaked alternately from opposite faces, making the short serration projections rather sharp. The sides of the hafting area are usually steeply flaked to form an expanded stem. The basal edge is usually thinned by the removal of broad shallow flakes, but may be rather steeply flaked.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named from Russell Cave in Jackson County, Alabama, where the seven cotypes were recovered from lower G layer. This was the deepest excavated layer and produced three radiocarbon dates: Level 17, 7565 250 years B.P.; Level 20, 8095 275 and 8435 275 years B.P. These dates place the type in early Archaic at this site.

Distribution of the type is not known.

SAND MOUNTAIN, =Cambron= (This paper): A-119

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a small, serrated, triangular point with an incurvate base.

MEASUREMENTS: Six cotypes from the Jones Bluff Reservoir in Lowndes County, Alabama, provided the following measurements and traits: length--maximum, 27 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 24 mm.: width at base--maximum, 15 mm.; minimum, 13 mm.; average, 14 mm.: thickness--maximum, 7 mm.; minimum, 3 mm.; average, 5 mm.: basal concavity--maximum 4 mm.; minimum, 1 mm.; average, 2 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex--rarely, flattened. The blade is usually straight, but may be slightly incurvate or excurvate.

Blade edges are serrated. The distal end is usually acute but may be ac.u.minate. The base is incurvate and may be expanded.

FLAKING: The point displays random flaking which is usually broad and fairly deep. The serrations are the result of the removal of regular flakes from the edge of alternate faces. The basal edge was thinned by removal of shallow flakes. Local materials, generally quartzites, were used.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The point is named from sites on Sand Mountain in North Alabama where the type was first recognized. The ill.u.s.trated example was recovered from Hulse site 39 near Decatur, Alabama. No examples were recognized from the control sites in the Tennessee Valley. Examples from Sites Lo 32 and Lo 13 in Jones Bluff Reservoir, Lowndes County, Alabama, were recovered from Levels 1 and 2 in a.s.sociation with Weeden Island pottery. This suggests an Early Mississippian a.s.sociation at these sites. In Autauga County, Alabama, examples were found in a.s.sociation with Autauga Check Stamped, McLeod Check Stamped and Wright Check Stamped pottery. This suggests a late Woodland a.s.sociation in this area.

At Site Dk-101 in DeKalb County, Alabama, three examples were recovered from Level 1 and two from Level 3. This suggests a late Woodland and Mississippian a.s.sociation at this site. The type seems to have appeared in late Woodland times and lasted into Mississippian times.

SAVAGE CAVE, =Cambron= (Cambron, 1974): A-124

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large, side-notched point with excurvate blade edges, biconvex cross-section, deep side notches and finely retouched blade edges.

MEASUREMENTS: The range of measurements of 14 examples; 7 from New York, 5 from Savage Cave and 2 from the Pine Tree Site (Cambron, 1956) at Decatur, Alabama, are: length 44-75 mm.; shoulder width, 23-30 mm.; stem width, 18-25 mm.; stem length, 9-10 mm., thickness, 6-9 mm.; notch width, 7-9 mm.; notch depth, 3-5 mm.

FLAKING: Good random flaking was employed to shape the faces of the blade and hafting area. Fine retouch is evident along the edges. The deep side notches were finished by the removal of one large flake from both sides of each notch.

FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. The blade is excurvate and is finely serrated. The distal end is acute. The hafting area is deeply side notched. The basal edge is nearly always straight, but may be slightly excurvate. Light grinding may be evident on most examples. The part of the hafting area between the notches and the base is expanded.

All examples were patinated.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: This type is named from Savage Cave, Kentucky, where 8 whole or broken examples were recovered. One example was recovered from the surface, two from Level 1, one from Level 2, three from Level 3, one of which was worked to a drill, and one from Level 4. All examples except one from the surface were recovered from Stratum II. It appears that the Savage Cave point overlaps in time with Big Sandy points at this site, with Savage Cave points appearing later. One example ill.u.s.trated as an Otter Creek point in Plate 21, Fig. 2 from Malta, Saratoga County, New York, (Ritchie, 1971) appears to be a Savage Cave point.

SAVANNAH RIVER, =Coe= (Coe, 1959): A-5a

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A medium to large stemmed point often made of quartzite.

MEASUREMENTS: Coe (1959) lists some measurements of North Carolina examples as follows: length--maximum, 170 mm.; minimum, 70 mm.; average, 100 mm.: width--maximum, 70 mm.; minimum, 35 mm.; average, 50 mm. These measurements exceed those from six examples, including the ill.u.s.trated example, from Elmore County, Alabama, and one from Buncombe County, North Carolina, which are as follows: length--maximum, 70 mm.; minimum, 50 mm.; average, 56 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 40 mm.; minimum, 30 mm.; average, 34 mm.: stem width--maximum, 25 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 22 mm.: stem length--maximum, 14 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 13 mm.: thickness--maximum, 13 mm.; minimum, 10 mm.; average, 11 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex but may be flattened, rarely plano-convex. Shoulders are usually tapered but may be straight. Blade edges are excurvate, but may be parallel from the shoulders for one-third to one-half the length of the blade. The distal end is acute.

The stem may be straight or tapered, with incurvate or straight side edges and a straight or incurvate basal edge that is usually thinned.

FLAKING: Broad, shallow flaking was employed to shape the blade and stem faces, with some retouch along all edges. Local materials were used.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The point is named from points of the Savannah River Focus of the Archaic period in Redmont, North Carolina. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Amling Site El 4 in Elmore County, Alabama. This type includes points ill.u.s.trated in Caldwell (1947) as belonging to the Savannah River Focus of Georgia. Similar points from Camp Creek were ill.u.s.trated by Lewis and Kneberg (1957) as Appalachian Stemmed, but they seem more acceptable as Savannah River points. One example each was recovered from Level 3 and 4 (pre-pottery) at the University of Alabama Site 1 Ru 28 in Russell County, Alabama, on the Chattahoochee River. Coe (1959) found Savannah River to be late Archaic. Further excavation in the Roanoke River area revealed Savannah River points in early Woodland a.s.sociation (Coe, personal communication). Savannah River points overlay the "Old Quartz" industry in Georgia. The above evidence places Savannah River points in late Archaic and early Woodland a.s.sociations.

SMITHSONIA, =Allen and Hulse= (This Paper): A-136

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large sized, straight stemmed point with finely serrated blade edges.

MEASUREMENTS: Thirteen cotypes from sites at Smithsonia, Beacon Island and Waterloo along the Tennessee River below Florence, Alabama, provided the following measurements: length--maximum, 96 mm.; minimum, 61 mm.; average, 77 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 35 mm.; minimum 28 mm.; average, 30 mm.: stem width--maximum, 16 mm.; minimum, 13 mm.; average, 14 mm.: stem length--maximum, 15 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 13 mm.: thickness--maximum, 10 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 9 mm. Measurements of the ill.u.s.trated example are: length, 82 mm.; shoulder width, 33 mm.; stem width, 15 mm.; stem length, 13 mm.; thickness, 11 mm.

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

Shoulders are usually barbed but may be inversely tapered. Blade edges are serrated and are usually straight or excurvate but some examples may have one straight and one excurvate blade edge. The basal edge and sides of the stem are thinned, straight and may be lightly ground. The distal end is acute. Serrations on the blade edges are finely executed as opposed to deeper serrations on the Kirk Serrated projectile point. The shoulders are usually barbed. The stem and base are always straight whereas the Kirk Serrated base may be incurvate.

FLAKING: The blade and hafting area were formed by broad, shallow, random flaking. The blade edges were then finely serrated.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named from Ralph Allen Site 41 at Smithsonia, Alabama, where the type was first recognized. The ill.u.s.trated example is from this site located on the north side of the Tennessee River in Lauderdale County, Alabama. Three examples are ill.u.s.trated in Plate 152 (Webb and DeJarnette, 1942). One is in the top right of the plate and two are in the upper left of the lower figure on the same plate. These examples were recovered from the Bluff Creek Site Lu^o 59. This site was located fourteen miles west of Florence, Alabama, on the banks of the Tennessee River. These points were a.s.sociated with burials along with other artifacts that indicate a late Archaic and early Woodland placement, as does the formal attributes of this point type.

SOUTH p.r.o.nG CREEK, =Lewis= (This Paper): A-138

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The South p.r.o.ng Creek point is a large, broad, stemmed, and serrated point.

MEASUREMENTS: Examples which provided the features, including the ill.u.s.trated example, ranged in measurements as follows: length--maximum, 101 mm.; minimum, 46 mm.; average, 72 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 59 mm.; minimum, 46 mm.; average, 38 mm.: stem width--maximum, 18 mm.; minimum, 17 mm.; average, 18 mm.: stem length--maximum, 12 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 11 mm.: thickness--maximum, 10 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 9 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is flattened. The blade edges are usually straight but may be slightly excurvate or recurvate and are always serrated with an acute distal end that is devoid of serrations.

Shoulders may be straight or tapered. The stem is short and thinned at the base and along the side edges. The basal edge may be straight or excurvate and may exhibit light grinding.

FLAKING: The thin blade is shaped by good, broad, and shallow random flaking on the faces. The removal of small deep flakes along the blade edges, starting above the shoulders and ending below the distal end, produced strong serrations and a beveling effect. The removal of fairly large flakes at the junction of the stem and shoulders thinned the sides of the stem as well as the shoulders at this point.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named from a surface site on South p.r.o.ng Creek in Richmond County, Georgia, near Augusta, in the Red Hills fall line and approximately 300 feet above mean sea level. Eight examples, including the ill.u.s.trated example, were recovered from this site (Lewis Site No.

606). Two examples of unknown origin from the Augusta-Richmond County Museum helped provide additional measurements and features for the type.