Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types Part 8

FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders are simple-barbed and inversely tapered. The blade is usually excurvate but may be recurvate.

The distal end is acute. Basal notches range from 1 to 7 mm. deep and average 4 mm. deep. The notch width range is from 3 to 9 mm.; notch width average is 6 mm. Retouching often leaves the stem longer than the barbs. The stem is either straight or contracted. Stem side edges may be straight or excurvate. The stem base is usually straight but may be excurvate; it is usually thinned by retouching and may be lightly ground.

FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are shaped by strong, broad, shallow, random flaking. The blade face is thinned from edge to center by broad secondary flaking. Some fine retouch appears along the blade and hafting area edges. The basal notches are formed perpendicular to the base by removal of one broad flake from opposite faces on each side of the stem. Retouching often shortened the barbs; in some cases a barb was almost completely worked away. No retouch was noted in the notches.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The point is named after the Eva Site in Benton County, Tennessee. The ill.u.s.trated example is among the 10 measured plesiotypes from the Plevna Site, Cambron 79, in Madison County, Alabama. Lewis and Lewis (1961) describe most examples from the Eva Site as having recurvate blade edges and sometimes displaying barbs longer than the stems. Examples of the type were in a.s.sociation at the Eva Site with materials dated by radiocarbon method at 7200 B.P. Lewis and Lewis (1961) also describe a smaller, narrower variant found at later levels as Eva II. Four examples of the Eva type were recovered from Zone A--one each from Levels 3, 7, 9 and 11--at Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter in Colbert County, Alabama (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962). Four examples were recovered from the bottom of Stratum II (Archaic) at Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961). At Little Bear Creek Site in Colbert County, Alabama (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948b), one example was recovered from the 8-foot level (below the sh.e.l.lmidden). Numerous surface finds in North Alabama also indicate an early Archaic a.s.sociation. The 7200 B.P. date at Eva Site appears acceptable.

EVANS, =Ford and Webb= (Ford and Webb, 1956): A-36

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium-sized point which usually displays an expanded stem and a notch flaked into each blade edge above the shoulders.

MEASUREMENTS: The ill.u.s.trated example measures 60 mm. in length, 33 mm.

in width, 20 mm. in stem width, 11 mm. in stem length, 11 mm. in thickness.

FORM: (The following description is taken from the ill.u.s.trated example, an example from Cambron Site 14, Limestone County, Alabama, and from ill.u.s.trations and description by Bell, 1958): The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders may be horizontal, inversely tapered, or tapered.

The blade is usually excurvate but may be straight; blade edges are deeply notched from the shoulders to about one-third to nearly one-half the length of the blade. The distal end may be acute or broad. The hafting area may include the notched portion of the blade as well as the stem. The stem is usually expanded but may be straight or, rarely, contracted. The side edges of the stem may be straight or incurvate and the basal edge, straight or excurvate. The excurvate stem base edge is ground on the Alabama example.

FLAKING: Broad, irregular, random flaking appears on the blade and stem.

Some retouch accomplished by the removal of small, fairly deep flakes is found along the blade edges. Deep side notches are the result of removal of a broad, deep flake from the edges of opposite faces of the blade.

Occasionally, limited retouch was employed to broaden the notches after the main notching flake had been struck.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The point was named after examples found at Poverty Point Site in Louisiana. The ill.u.s.trated example is from Holland Site 123 in Franklin Parish, Louisiana. Bell (1958) gives the distribution as the northern half of Louisiana, the adjacent portions of eastern Texas, southern Arkansas and western Mississippi. On the basis of radiocarbon dates from Poverty Point and the Jaketown Site, Ford and Webb (1956) suggest an age of around 2600 to 2800 years ago. Points of similar workmans.h.i.+p but with three or more notches along each blade edge are found in North Alabama and cla.s.sified as Provisional Type 10, eccentric notched (Cambron and Waters, 1961; Cambron and Hulse, 1960b). These points may or may not be related to the Evans type.

FAIRLAND, =Kelley= (Suhm, Krieger and Jelks, 1954): A-137

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a small to medium-sized point with an expanded stem, incurvate base and random flaking.

MEASUREMENTS: Eight cotypes from sites in South Calhoun County and North Talladega County, Alabama provided traits and the following measurements: length--maximum, 52 mm.; minimum, 41 mm.; average, 45 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 31 mm.; minimum, 26 mm.; average, 28 mm.: stem width--maximum, 28 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 26 mm.: stem length--maximum, 13 mm.; minimum, 10 mm.; average, 12 mm.: thickness--maximum, 13 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 9 mm. The ill.u.s.trated example measures 46 mm. long, 31 mm. wide at the shoulders, 27 mm. wide across the stem, 12 mm. in stem length, and 9 mm. thick.

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

Shoulders are inversely tapered. The blade may be excurvate or straight.

The distal end is usually acute but may be broad. The stem is expanded and the side edges may be ground. The basal edge is incurvate and thinned.

FLAKING: Because of the poor grade of material used, the shallow, random flaking which shapes the blade and stem is, in most cases, poor. Some blade edges may be finely serrated.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named from the Lehmann Rock Shelter in Texas by J. Charles Kelley (1947b) and was described by Suhm and Krieger who also give an estimated age of about 1000 B.C. to 500 A.D. or part thereof (Suhm, Krieger and Jelks, 1954). Suhm and Krieger list the Fairland type as characteristic of Central Texas. Occasional examples appear in collections throughout Oklahoma and elsewhere (Bell, 1960). Four of the eight measured examples are made of quartzite and four are made of a poor grade of flint The ill.u.s.trated example is made of quartzite. All examples, including 39 that were broken and not measured, are from the collection of Eugene L. Grace of Anniston, Alabama. They were recovered from late Archaic and early Woodland sites.

FLINT CREEK, =Cambron= (Cambron, 1958b): A-37

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Flint Creek is a medium to large, finely serrated, stemmed point.

MEASUREMENTS: Examples which provided the features (including the ill.u.s.trated example) ranged in measurements as follows: length--maximum, 76 mm.; minimum, 39 mm.; average, 55 mm.: shoulder width--maximum, 29 mm.; minimum, 18 mm.; average, 23 mm.: stem width--maximum, 19 mm.; minimum, 13 mm.; average, 16 mm.: stem length--maximum, 15 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 11 mm.: thickness--maximum, 12 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 10 mm.

FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders are usually inversely tapered but may be tapered or, occasionally, horizontal. The blade is excurvate and is usually finely serrated; the distal end is acute. The stem, usually formed by corner or side notching, is expanded. The side edges of the stem are usually excurvate; rarely, straight. The stem base edge is usually excurvate but may, on rare examples, be straight. It may be thinned or unfinished with rind still in evidence. Several examples were lightly ground on the stem base edge.

FLAKING: The thick blade is shaped by broad, random flaking. Deep, narrow, and often long flakes were removed from the blade edges to shape and finish the blade and to form fine regular serrations. These flakes were removed alternately from opposite faces, making the serration projections rather sharp. Broad, deep flakes, struck from the basal corners or sometimes the sides of the hafting area, shape the stem. Some of the straighter stemmed examples are reworked along the stem side edges, but usually no retouch is noted in the notches. Basal edges are often slightly thinned by broad shallow flaking.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named from Cambron Site 78 on Flint Creek in Morgan County, Alabama, where numerous examples were first collected.

The ill.u.s.trated example is one of several from the predominantly Copena site, Cambron Site 53, in Morgan County, Alabama. At the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962), 69 examples were recovered from Zone A, Levels 1 through 8. Of these 69 examples, 40 per cent were from Levels 3 and 4, indicating a climax in the late Archaic--early Woodland times. One example each was recovered from Levels 4, 5 and 7 at University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama. At Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961), ten examples were recovered from Stratum I (Woodland) and one from Stratum II (Archaic). The Flint Creek type was important at Flint River Mound (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a), where most examples were found in upper Zone C (Archaic) and lower Zone B (Woodland). This is a late Archaic to early Woodland type. The type appears to be related to Dustin points ill.u.s.trated by Ritchie (1961). Similar examples may be recognized among points ill.u.s.trated as Palmillos by Suhm, Krieger and Jelks (1954), who give the distribution as from East Texas across the state to the Trans-Pecos area, and from the upper Brazos and Trinity valleys to the central and eastern coastal plain. The distribution extends southward in Mexico to southern Tamaulipas. The type is a.s.sociated with late Archaic and early Woodland cultures. The Dustin points are from Michigan and from the Lamoka Lake Site, Schuyler County, New York.

FLINT RIVER SPIKE, =Cambron= (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962): A-38

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a small to medium, narrow, lanceolate point.

MEASUREMENTS: Fifteen cotypes (including the ill.u.s.trated example) from University of Alabama Site Ma 48 (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a) range in measurements as follows: length--maximum, 58 mm.; minimum, 39 mm.; average, 50 mm.: width--maximum, 21 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 16 mm.: thickness--maximum, 11 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 9 mm.

FORM: The cross-section may be median ridged or biconvex. The blade is usually excurvate, but may be straight with an acute distal end. The base is usually rounded, but an occasional example may display a straight, unfinished basal edge. The hafting area includes the basal area from the base to the widest point of the blade, which is usually less than half way from base to distal end. The base is usually thinned.

FLAKING: The blade and hafting area were shaped by random percussion flaking. Many of the flakes are rather deep. Some retouch appears along the edges, especially along the blade edges, of about half the examples.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: The type was named after Flint River Mound at the mouth of Flint River in Madison County, Alabama (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a), where the ill.u.s.trated example was recovered. Of the 41 examples from this site, 24 were from upper Zone A (Woodland), 14 from lower Zone A and Zone B (Woodland) and three from upper Zone C (Archaic). Two examples were recovered from Level 3 (Woodland) at University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama. Six examples (excluding material from the 100-foot trench) were recovered at the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962): two examples were recovered from Level 1, Zone A, one each from Levels 2, 3 and 6, Zone A, and one from Level 1 of Zone B. Flint River Spike and Bradley Spike appear to be of late Woodland cultural a.s.sociation and may be typologically related. Unlike Bradley Spike, however, Flint River Spike has no stem and may be retouched along the blade edges. A late Woodland a.s.sociation is suggested for Flint River Spike in North Alabama.

FORT ANCIENT, =Bell= (Bell, 1960): A-39

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a small to medium, thick, triangular point that may be serrated.

MEASUREMENTS: Bell (1960) lists the length as from about 30 mm. to 50 mm. and the width as about 15 mm. or less. The ill.u.s.trated example measures 32 mm. long, 14 mm. wide, and 6 mm. thick.

FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex. The blade is usually straight but may be slightly incurvate near the distal end or, rarely, excurvate. Blade edges may be serrated. (Serrated examples are more readily identified.) The distal end may be keenly acute or ac.u.minate.

The base may be straight or excurvate. It is usually thinned and may be slightly expanded.

FLAKING: The point displays random flaking which is usually broad and fairly deep, with some fine retouch near the distal end. The serrations on the serrated examples are the result of the removal of broad regular flakes from the edge of alternate faces, leaving an irregular pattern along the blade edges. Occasionally the basal edge was retouched as well as thinned by removal of broad flakes.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMMENTS: "The Fort Ancient points are a.s.sociated with the Feurt Focus of the Fort Ancient aspect of the Ohio Valley. The Fort Ancient point has been recognized among archaeologists, both amateur and professional, in the Ohio region for a number of years." (Bell, 1960). The ill.u.s.trated example is from Cambron Site 27, Limestone County, Alabama. This Woodland-Mississippian site has produced Fort Ancient, Madison, Jacks Reef Corner Notched, Knight Island, Swan Lake and Copena points. One Fort Ancient point was recovered from Level 1 at University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama. Bell (1960) dates the type at some time from about 1200 A.D. to 1600 A.D. Morgan (1952), in summarizing the prehistoric Indian cultures of the Ohio region, says of the Fort Ancient aspect of the Mississippian period: "Their trait a.s.semblage is indicative of a people with a mixed cultural background, both Woodland and Mississippi elements being involved. White trade goods at one site show that some of these people were probably still in existence as late as the last quarter of the seventeenth century."

FRAZIER, =Kneberg= (Kneberg, 1956): A-40

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium-sized, narrow, triangular point with a well thinned basal edge.

MEASUREMENTS: "In size these points range from 2 to 2-3/4 inches."

(Bell, 1960.) Alabama examples are slightly shorter. Measurements of 4 plesiotypes, including the ill.u.s.trated example, are: length--maximum, 51 mm.; minimum, 45 mm.; average, 49 mm.: width at base--maximum, 25 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 23 mm.: thickness--maximum, 8 mm.; minimum, 6 mm.; average, 7 mm. Basal depth on one incurvate base example was 1 mm.