Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types Part 2

FORM: The cross-section is usually flattened. The shoulders are usually tapered and narrow. The blade is usually excurvate, but may be straight with an acute distal end. The stem is broad and may be straight, slightly contracted, or expanded, with an incurvate basal edge that may be thinned. The hafting area is usually ground along the edges.

FLAKING: This point displays well-controlled percussion flaking with some retouch along the edges.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The point is named for the Southern Appalachian region, where the type is widely distributed (Kneberg, 1957). Several examples were recovered at the Camp Creek Site, where they may be a.s.sociated with Early Woodland (Kneberg, 1957). The ill.u.s.trated example is from Harwood Site 6A on Hominy Creek in Buncombe County, North Carolina. The part of the site designated 6A by Harwood (1959) is pre-ceramic. Large, biface, quartzite tools are in a.s.sociation with the points, which are all made from quartzite. Examples from Cowee Creek, Macon County, North Carolina, were recovered below the ceramic zone. This type is a.s.sociated with Savannah River points on several sites. It appears that the point is a.s.sociated with the middle to late Archaic and early Woodland cultures.

AUTAUGA, =Cambron= (This paper): A-123

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Autauga is a small, corner-notched, serrated point with straight blade and base.

MEASUREMENTS: Twelve cotypes, including the ill.u.s.trated example, from sites in Autauga County, Alabama, provided traits and the following measurements: length--maximum, 38 mm.; minimum, 23 mm.; average, 32 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 21 mm.; minimum, 15 mm.; average, 19 mm.: stem width--maximum, 21 mm.; minimum, 16 mm.; average, 18 mm.: stem length--maximum, 7 mm.; minimum, 5 mm.; average, 6 mm.: thickness--maximum, 8 mm.; minimum, 6 mm.; average, 7 mm.

FORM: The cross-section may be either rhomboid or biconvex. The shoulders are usually either horizontal or inversely tapered. The blade is straight. Blade edges are usually serrated and are steeply beveled on half of the examples. The distal end is acute. The corner notches are usually ground and range in width from 2 mm. to 4 mm. and in depth from 5 mm. to 7 mm. The expanded stem has straight or incurvate side edges.

The base is straight and thinned. It is lightly ground on nearly all examples.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FLAKING: Narrow, shallow, random flaking was used to form the blade and stem. Notching, to form the expanded stem, was accomplished by removal of fairly deep flakes and finished by light grinding.

COMMENTS: The type was named for Autauga County, Alabama, where the examples, used in this paper, were recovered. All of these points are made of vein quartz. This type is found in surface collections with Dalton, Big Sandy, Kirk Corner Notched, and Crawford Creek points. This a.s.sociation and the fact that the type has features similar to Decatur, Big Sandy, Palmer, and Crawford Creek points indicates an Early Archaic or Transitional Paleo-Indian provenience.

BAKERS CREEK, =Cambron= (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962): A-6

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium-sized, expanded-stem point.

MEASUREMENTS: Eleven cotypes, including the ill.u.s.trated example, provide traits and the following measurements: length--maximum, 78 mm.; minimum, 43 mm.; average, 55 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 28 mm.; minimum, 23 mm.; average, 26 mm.: stem width--maximum, 27 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 23 mm.: stem length--maximum, 18 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 16 mm.: thickness--maximum, 10 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 8 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. The shoulders are narrow and may be horizontal or tapered. The blade is usually straight but may be excurvate. The distal end is usually sharply acute, but may approach an ac.u.minate type. The hafting area consists of an expanded stem formed by notching into the blade about one-third of the way from the base to the distal end. This diagonal notch tapers from the basal edge, which is usually unmodified in width. The basal edge is thinned and usually straight, but it may be excurvate and lightly ground. Many examples are patinated.

FLAKING: The blade and stem are shaped by broad, random, percussion flaking. Flake scars indicate a strong percussion method was used to notch the hafting area to form the expanded stem. All edges appear to have been retouched as a final step in shaping the point.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The ill.u.s.trated specimen is from Cambron Site 53, the type site, at the mouth of Bakers Creek in Morgan County, Alabama. This type is described by Cambron (1958a) as Stemmed Copena. It appears in surface collections along with Copena and triangular Copena points. Two examples were recovered from the lower two-thirds of Stratum I (Woodland) at Flint Creek Rock Shelter and were ill.u.s.trated as Bakers Creek points (Cambron and Waters, 1961). One example was recovered from Level 7, Zone A, at the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962). One example was recovered from the 2-foot level at Little Bear Creek, Ct 8 (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948b). At this site Copena points were also recovered from Zone C. This evidence indicates an early to middle Woodland cultural a.s.sociation and an estimated age of somewhere between 1500 B.C. and early centuries A.D.

BEACON ISLAND, =Allen and Hulse= (This Paper): A-131

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium-sized point with expanded-rounded stem, straight blade edges and weak to strong shoulder barbs.

MEASUREMENTS: Seven cotypes, two from Franklin County, Alabama, three from Beacon Island and two from Bear Creek along the Tennessee River below Florence, Alabama, provided the following measurements: length--maximum, 73 mm.; minimum, 48 mm.; average, 61 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 28 mm.; minimum, 22 mm.; average, 24 mm.: stem width at shoulder--maximum, 14 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 13 mm.: stem width at widest point--maximum, 19 mm.; minimum, 15 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem length--maximum, 18 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 15 mm.: thickness--maximum, 7 mm.; minimum, 6 mm.; average, 7 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders may be barbed or inversely tapered. Blade edges are straight and may be finely serrated.

The stem is expanded-rounded with diagonal notches at the shoulders. The distal end is acute.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FLAKING: Shallow random flaking was employed to shape the faces of the blade and stem. Careful pressure flaking was used to finish the blade edges and to thin the base.

COMMENTS: The type was named from Ralph Allen Site 41 on Beacon Island and was a.s.sociated with Cotaco Creek, Flint Creek and Wade points on this site. Several examples are ill.u.s.trated as Type 8, Plate 159 (Webb and DeJarnette, 1952). A suggested placement is in late Archaic and early Woodland times.

BEAVER LAKE, =Cambron and Hulse= (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962): A-7

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium-sized, auriculate point with recurvate blade edges.

MEASUREMENTS: The lengths of 23 points from 23 sites in the Tennessee Valley range from a maximum of 86 mm. to a minimum of 47 mm. (average length, 64 mm.). The average width of these points is 24 mm. and the average thickness is 8 mm. (Soday and Cambron, n. d.). The measurements of the ill.u.s.trated (autotype) specimen are: length, 61 mm.; width of blade, 26 mm.; width at base, 25 mm.; width of hafting constriction, 21 mm.; thickness, 9 mm.; basal concavity, 3 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex, but one or both faces may be median ridged. The blade is recurvate--constricted in the hafting area above the auricles. The distal end is usually acute. The auriculated hafting area is expanded-rounded. The basal edge is usually thinned and incurvate, but may be straight. The hafting constriction and basal edge are usually ground.

FLAKING: The shallow random flaking usually employed to shape the faces sometimes produces a median ridge. Secondary retouch flake scars are usually long, evenly s.p.a.ced, and struck off on alternate faces, resulting in an irregular pattern along the blade edges. This retouch appears to have been accomplished with indirect percussion or pressure flaking.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named for the Beaver Lake area in Limestone County, Alabama, where many examples, including the ill.u.s.trated specimen from Cambron (Pine Tree Site 76), were recovered. Most examples from this area are made from Ft. Payne chert, which is usually patinated to a chocolate brown color. The type has been called unfluted c.u.mberland in several papers, especially Soday and Cambron (n. d.). Beaver Lake points are found only on sites that produce early-man materials. An example was recovered from the bottom of Stratum III (pre-Archaic) at Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961). Examples were recovered from the lowest culture-bearing stratum at Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962). All evidence indicates the type dates from 10,000 B.P. to an unknown earlier time. It is considered to be a transitional Paleo-Indian type.

BENJAMIN =Cambron= (This paper): A-118

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Benjamin is a large to medium sized lanceolate point with straight or excurvate base and excurvate blade.

MEASUREMENTS: Nine cotypes, including the ill.u.s.trated example, ranged in measurements as follows: length--maximum, 100 mm.; minimum, 54 mm.; average, 66 mm.: width--maximum, 32 mm.; minimum, 22 mm.; average, 26 mm.: thickness--maximum, 12 mm.; minimum, 9 mm.; average, 11 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. The blade is excurvate. The widest point may be either at the base or somewhat below the midsection, making the hafting area difficult to define. The distal end is acute. The basal edge is usually excurvate, but may be straight, and is usually thinned.

FLAKING: Broad, deep, random flaking appears on the faces, with some fine secondary flaking along the blade edges and sides of the hafting area. Short random flaking was used to thin the basal edge. Local materials were used.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named after the Benjamin site (Cambron Site 333) in Lawrence County, Alabama, where it was first recognized and appears in a.s.sociation with Woodland artifacts. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Cambron Site 19 in Morgan County, Alabama. At Cactus Rock Site Dk-101 in DeKalb County, Alabama, one example was recovered from Level 1 in a.s.sociation with Woodland point types and one example from Level 4 in a.s.sociation with Woodland and Archaic point types. At University of Alabama Site Dk-57 in DeKalb County, Alabama, the type was a.s.sociated with Copena and Madison points. At University of Alabama Sites Lo-23 in Lowndes County, Alabama, and Lr-20 in Lamar County, Alabama, Benjamin points appear in Woodland strata. The a.s.sociation of Benjamin points at these sites seems to place the type within the Woodland period.

BENTON BROAD STEMMED, =Cambron= (This Paper): A-9-a

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large, broad-stemmed point with steeply beveled stem edges.

MEASUREMENTS: The measurements of the ill.u.s.trated example are: length, 66 mm.; shoulder width, 32 mm.; stem width, 28 mm.; stem length, 11 mm.; thickness, 9 mm.

FORM: The cross-section may be flattened or biconvex. The shoulders are narrow and may be horizontal or tapered. The blade is usually excurvate, the distal end acute. The stem is usually slightly expanded, but may be straight. It is very broad and short. The stem side edges are usually incurvate or straight and beveled. The beveled basal edge is usually straight but may be slightly incurvate or excurvate.

FLAKING: The blade and stem display broad, shallow, random flaking. Some broad retouching was used to finish the blade and stem edges. The stem appears to have been formed by the removal of the corners of the original basal edge.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type name was derived from the Benton Stemmed point, to which it seems to be closely a.s.sociated both typologically and culturally. The outstanding differences between the two are the exceptionally broad stem and broader, shorter blade of the Benton Broad Stem point. The type does not appear as frequently or in as great numbers as Benton Stemmed. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Cambron Site 48, Lincoln County, Tennessee. Due to its a.s.sociation with Benton Stemmed and Buzzard Roost Creek points, it is considered to be an Archaic point and is probably coeval with these types, dating from about 4000 B.C. to 2000 B.C.