Projectile Points

Stone projectile points remain among the most useful classes of artifacts for learning about human behaviors during the Archaic period in the Eastern Woodlands. Not only can they give us with valuable insights into the activities of ancient peoples, but they can provide us with important information about the ages of archaeological deposits that we're investigating at sites like 38FA608.

This section of the website provides links to 3D models of the projectile points recovered from 38FA608.

Early Archaic

​Two notched Early Archaic points have been recovered from the vicinity of 38FA608. One of these (366.442) was discovered by the landowner while walking a dirt road to the north of the excavation area. The other (1866.2543) was discovered on the surface by Albert Goodyear in a disturbed area of the site near our excavation units. While this second point was not found in situ, its presence in the immediate vicinity of an area where buried deposits dating to the Middle Archaic have been identified strongly indicates the presence of a buried early Holocene component at 38FA608.
  • ​Kirk/Taylor (366.442). This is a broken side or corner notched point made from weathered Coastal Plain chert. Both ears are fractured, making it difficult to determine the origin of the notches. The basal edge is unground. The blade is narrow and appears to have been resharpened. While a subtle left-hand “twist” can be discerned in the blade cross section, no distinct bevel is present. The notched haft and the weathered condition of the raw material is consistent with an Early Archaic age for this point.
  • ​​Kirk Corner Notched (1866.2543). Point 1866.2543 is a rhyolite point with a thin, biconvex cross section. The notches were executed from the near the corners of base. The basal edge is lightly ground. No bevel is apparent. The rhyolite is well weathered.

Middle Archaic

The Middle Archaic assemblage from 38FA608 includes 1 point typed as Morrow Mountain, two points typed as Morrow Mountain/Guilford, and five points typed as Guilford. The assemblage also includes several untyped points that were recovered in situ from deposits that are Middle Archaic in age. In addition, several fragments of stemmed points recovered from disturbed/surface contexts may also date to the Middle Archaic occupations of 38FA608. Given the presence of a Terminal Archaic Mack component at 38FA608, however, care needs to be taken when assigning ages to out-of-context stemmed points found at the site.
  • Morrow Mountain (1816.2497).  Point 1816.2497 is a thick quartz point with a triangular blade and contracting stem with a triangular shape.  It is biconvex in cross section. Pronounced shoulders are present at the blade-haft juncture. The haft edges are unground. This point fits most comfortably within the Morrow Mountain II designation as described by Charles and Moore (2018:38-40). Recovered from level 17 of Unit 13, this is the thus far the only Morrow Mountain point recovered in situ from 38FA608.
  • Morrow Mountain/Guilford (564.663). Point 564.663 is thick quartz point with a pronounced plano-convex cross section. There are no shoulders between the blade edges and the margins of the short, contracting stem. The haft edges are unground. This point fits in the continuum of variation between the Morrow Mountain II and Guilford types (see Charles and Moore 2018:38-40). It was found on the surface in a disturbed portion of the site near our excavation area. 
  • Morrow Mountain/Guilford (1014.1695).  Point 1614.1695 is overall similar to 563.663. It is a thick quartz point with a triangular blade and short contracting stem. One edge has a slight shoulder at the blade-haft juncture. The basal edges are unground. A small section of the basal edge appears to be missing. The cross section is biconvex. This point fits in the continuum of variation between the Morrow Mountain II and Guilford types (see Charles and Moore 2018:38-40). It was recovered from level 1 of Unit 10, a unit placed in the “downstairs” portion of the site. It was found within disturbed sediments and was not in situ.
  • Guilford (2.3).  Point 2.3 is a quartz point with a contracting stem and biconvex cross section. The stem has straight sides and the basal edge is slightly concave. The haft edges are unground. The distal end of the point has been unifacially reworked, presumably to function as a scraper. This point fits comfortably with the Guilford type (see Charles and Moore 2018:45-46). It was recovered from sediment slumped at the base of profile segment A of the machine-cut exposure.
  • Guilford (563.659). Point 563.659 is a quartz point with a contracting stem and biconvex cross section. There is only a slight inflection on one of the edges to indicate the location of the blade-haft juncture. The haft edges are unground, and the basal edge is slightly concave. The blade terminates in a fracture. This point fits comfortably with the Guilford type (see Charles and Moore 2018:45-46). It was recovered from the eroding/disturbed surface near our excavation area at an elevation of about 501 m on the site elevation grid. 
  • Guilford (694.764).  Point 694.764 is a stem fragment of a contracting stemmed, quartz point. The lateral haft edges are straight to slightly excurvate.  The basal edge is slightly concave. The haft edges are unground. The size and morphology of this stem fragment fit comfortably with the Guilford type (see Charles and Moore 2018:45-46). It was found in level 8 of Unit 9 and is one of two Guilford points recovered from good context so far.
  • Guilford (1189.830). Point 1189.830 is stem fragment of a contracting stemmed, quartz point. The lateral and basal haft edges are excurvate and unground. The size and morphology of this stem fragment fit comfortably with the Guilford type (see Charles and Moore 2018:45-46). It was recovered from the sediment that was screened following the partial collapse of the west wall of Unit 9. While the point almost certainly came from the Guilford component that was present in that unit, it was not recovered in situ.
  • ​Guilford (1814.2481).  Point 1814.2481 is a thick quartz point with a triangular blade and biconvex cross section. It has a contracting stem with slightly excurvate lateral edges and a slightly concave basal edge. There is an inflection at the blade-haft juncture. The haft edges are unground. The distal tip is broken. This point fits comfortably with the Guilford type (see Charles and Moore 2018:45-46). It was recovered from level 16 of Unit 13 and is one of two Guilford points recovered from good context so far.

Late Archaic

​The Late Archaic assemblage from 38FA608 includes five points that fit within the range of variation included in the Savannah River cluster (as discussed by Justice 1987:163-167 and Charles and Moore 2018:53-54).  Savannah River points are generally large points with broad blades and relatively short stems. Stems are generally straight-sided, but points with contracting stems and points with flaring stems also occur.  All of the Savannah River points recovered from 38FA608 thus far come from excavated contexts.
  • ​Savannah River (632.729).  Point 632.729 is a complete Savannah River point that was crafted from a spall of argillite. It was shaped with minimal chipping and has a flat cross section: most of both faces of the point are unflaked. The stem is short with contracting sides and slightly concave basal edge. The haft edges are unground. This point was recovered from level 8 of Unit 4 (in the screen).
  • ​Savannah River (1619.2183).  Point 1619.2183 has a short stem with contracting sides and a slightly rounded basal edge. The haft edges are unground. The point has a flattened cross section and the blade edges are relatively steep and crudely flaked. The blade has been fractured. The point was made from an unidentified metavolcanic raw material. It was recovered as a piece-plot during the excavation of level 5 of Unit 13.
  • Savannah River (1633.2197). Point 1633.2197 is a complete point with a large, triangular blade and a contracting stem. The lateral and basal edges of the haft are straight and unground. The cross section is biconvex and some flake scars extend to the midline of the blade. The point was made from an unidentified metavolcanic raw material. It was recovered as a piece-plot during the excavation of level 5 of Unit 13.​
  • Savannah River (1682.2256). Point 1682.2256 is a blade fragment that retains a portion of one shoulder (indicated with the arrow in the photograph above).  It has a cross section that varies from biconvex to flattened. This point was recovered from level 6 of Unit 13. The size, morphology, raw material, and manufacturing techniques are similar to those of the two Savannah River points recovered from level 5 of Unit 13.
  • ​Savannah River (1691.2269).  Point 1691.2264 was crafted from a spall of metavolcanic raw material. It has a flattened cross section that is the thickness of the original spall: flake removals to shape the point were limited to the edges of the blade and stem.  The stem is rectangular with flaring ears and a concave basal edge.  The blade has been fractured. The point was recovered from level 7 of Unit 13.

Terminal Archaic

​The Terminal Archaic assemblage from 38FA608 includes several examples of Mack points found in excavated contexts. It may also include some (or all) of the fragmentary stemmed points recovered from disturbed/surface contexts. Given the presence of Middle Archaic (Morrow Mountain and Guilford) components at 38FA608, however, care needs to be taken when assigning ages to out-of-context stemmed points found at the site (discussed further below).
  • ​Mack (631.1490).  Point 631.1490 is a contracting stem point fashioned from flow banded rhyolite. It has a biconvex cross section, broad blade, and a convex basal edge. The blade shoulders are roughly horizontal. The haft margins are unground.  This point was recovered as a piece plot within Unit 4 at the base of level 7. It is the only rhyolite Mack collected from 38FA608 to date.
  • ​Mack (632.730).  Point 632.730 is a heavily resharpened quartz point. The point is fully intact, but all that remains is the haft region and a short, triangular blade. The stem contracts to a convex basal edge. The cross section is biconvex.  The haft margins are carefully chipped and appear to have been ground. This point was recovered from level 8 of Unit 4.
  • Mack (774.1319). Point 774.1319 is a heavily resharpened quartz point. While the haft region is mostly intact, the blade has been reduced to a triangular stub. The stem contracts to a rounded point. It is plano-convex in cross section. This point was recovered from level 8 of Unit 6.
  • ​Mack (817.1363). Point 817.1363 is a heavily resharpened quartz point. The contracting stem is triangular in shape, terminating in a dull point. The blade has been reduced to a triangle with incurvate edges. It is biconvex in cross section. This point was recovered from level 8 of Unit 6.

Woodland/Mississippian

Two triangular projectile points dating to the Woodland or Mississippian periods have been recovered from 38FA608. Both of these were in the upper deposits at the site, specifically Zone 3 (the lower plowzone).
  • ​Triangular (416.626). Point 416.626 is a complete triangular point crafted from quartz. It is roughly equilateral with a concave basal edge. The point is thin with a biconvex cross section. None of the edges is ground.  It was recovered from level 4 of Unit 5 (i.e., within Zone 2 aka the lower plowzone).
  • ​Triangular (1507.2013). Point 1507.2013 is a fragment of a triangular point crafted from quartz. The point is missing the distal portion of the blade and one of the corners. It appears overall similar in size and shape to point 416.626: what remains of the blade edges suggests an equilateral shape, and the basal edge may have been slightly concave. The point was recovered from sediment screened to clean up a minor collapse of the south wall of Unit 3. That sediment came from levels 2 and 3 of Unit 3, predominantly from Zone 2 (aka the lower plowzone).

Untyped/Indeterminate

Thirteen points recovered thus far from 38FA608 have not been assigned to a specific type. While the general ages of some of the points are known based on their stratigraphic position, others were found in disturbed portions of the site. The fragmentary nature of some of these points makes age and type determinations difficult.
  • Indeterminate 71.96. Point 71.96 is a fragment of of a quartz point. While the correct orientation of the fragment is unclear, it is most likely that this is a fragment of a point with a short, contracting stem and upswept shoulders. If so, the fragment is most consistent with Morrow Mountain.
  • Indeterminate 72.99. Point 72.99 is a small stemmed point made from quartz. The point appears to have a contracting stem with a rounded basal edge. The blade of the point has been resharpened into a short triangle. This point was recovered from an eroded road surface at the south end of 38FA608 around the time the site was originally discovered. It was interpreted as a Morrow Mountain point at that time, prior to the discovery of the intact Mack component at 38FA608.  Given the quartz Mack points excavated in the block (see above) it now seems likely that this point could be related to the Terminal Archaic rather than the Middle Archaic occupations of the site. The triangular resharpening of the blade is similar to that of some of the Mack points recovered in context. A Terminal Archaic age would also be more consistent with the presence of the point on the surface of the site in an area with only shallow disturbance, presuming that the Middle Archaic occupation is buried at a depth similar to that seen in the block.  Additional work will be required to determine if a shallowly-buried Mack component is present in this portion of the site.
  • Untyped 73.106. Point 73.106 is a small, weakly side notched point made from sedimentary rock.  The point was shaped by removing shallow flakes from the edges of a thin slab of raw material, leaving unflaked surfaces on both faces. The blade is roughly triangular. The basal edge is unground. The one intact notch is shallow and appears to have been executed by removing a single flake from each face.  This point was recovered from slump removed prior to documenting Profile Segment C. Because it was not recovered in stratigraphic context, the point could date to any period that is represented in the exposed stratigraphy (i.e., the Middle Archaic through the Woodland periods).
  • Untyped 103.160. Point 103.160 is a stemmed point made from quartz. The basal edge of the point is straight and unflaked, suggesting the point was created by reshaping a distal fragment from a larger point. The point was recovered from sediment slumped at the base of Units 1 and 2. Because it was recovered from slumped sediments, no age assignment is possible based on context. The point could date from any period that is represented in the exposed stratigraphy (i.e., the Middle Archaic through the Woodland periods). The overall shape of the point suggest an affinity with the possible Paris Island point described below (1189.829).
  • Indeterminate 366.441. Point 366.441 is an incomplete quartz point recovered from the disturbed portion of the site adjacent to the excavation area. Two weak “shoulders” are present on the margins of the point, suggesting where the blade begins and the stem ends. The difficulty, however, is determining which portion of the point is the blade and which is the stem.  Given the Mack points excavated from the block, the orientation of the point as shown in Figure ___ is plausible: the longer portion of the point is the stem and the blade has been resharpened to the point of exhaustion. The basal edge has been fractured.
  • ​Indeterminate 1189.829. Point 1189.829 is the proximal portion of a stemmed point crafted from quartz. The shoulders are weak and the lateral haft edges flare slightly. The basal edge is slightly convex. The lateral and basal edges of the haft appear to have been ground. The general stemmed configuration of this point suggests a Late Archaic age, with the Paris Island type being perhaps the closest match described by Charles and Moore (2018:56-58). If the Paris Island designation is correct, this point would mark the presence of a component dating to between the Guilford and Savannah River components at 38FA608. The point was recovered from sediments screened after the collapse of the west wall of Unit 9 in 2017, providing no specific stratigraphic information.
  • Indeterminate 1505.1995. Point 1505.1995 is a broken stemmed point made from quartz. The stem, largely intact, contracts toward a rounded base. The blade portion of the point appears to have been fractured after it worked down to a width less than that of the base. This appears to be a completely exhausted tool. Given the shape of the stem and the reworked nature of the blade, this point may belong to the Mack component of the site. It is also possible, however, that it is related to the Guilford or Morrow Mountain components. The point was recovered from the surface of the disturbed portion of the site adjacent to the excavation area.
  • ​Indeterminate 1545.2082.  Point 1545.2082 is a quartz point with contracting stem and a triangular blade. The point is rather crudely crafted, with many step fractures creating a “stack” on one face around the blade/haft juncture. The stem may have been broken and reworked. What remains of the blade/haft juncture suggests that the shoulders were sloping.  This point was recovered as a piece-plot from level 9 of Unit 6, a small portion of which was excavated to expose Feature 11 in profile. Its depth of 102 cmbd is slightly lower than the depth of the Mack points from this portion of the site. Its overall configuration suggests it probably was discarded during the Mack occupation.
  • Indeterminate 1621.2185. Point 1621.2185 is a quartz point with a contracting stem. The point appears to be complete except for a small fracture to the distal tip, but probably heavily reworked. A small remnant of one possible shoulder suggests the location of the blade/haft juncture. If interpreted correctly, this remaining shoulder suggests the stem contracts to a rounded point. The point is biconvex in cross section and not finely flaked.  This point was recovered as a piece-plot from level 9 of Unit 6, a small portion of which was excavated to expose Feature 11 in profile. Its depth of 104.5 cmbd is slightly lower than the depth of the Mack points from this portion of the site. Its overall configuration suggests it was probably discarded during the Mack occupation. While it would also fit well within a Guilford assemblage, it appears to be too high within the deposits to be Middle Archaic in age (based on the stratigraphy exposed in Units 9 and 13).
  • Indeterminate 1809.2464.  Point 1809.2464 is a possible fragment of a stemmed point made from metavolcanic raw material. While the fragment is the shape of a short stem with one shoulder intact, minimal modification is discernible. Small flakes have been removed from what would be the basal edge and from one of the lateral edges. The fragment was recovered from level 13 of Unit 13.
  • Indeterminate 1815.2488. Point 1815.2488 is a quartz biface that appears to be either a fragment of a stemmed point of some kind or a preform. It is not clear which end of the biface is the proximal and which is the distal, and both terminal ends have broken/unflaked surfaces.  It was recovered from level 17 of Unit 13, which suggests it is Middle Archaic in age.
  • ​Indeterminate 1866.2544. Point 1866.2544 is a quartz point with a contracting stem. It is similar in many ways to point 1505.1995. The blade portion of the point appears to have been fractured after it was worked down a width less than that of the base. The lateral haft margins are convex and the stem contracts to a rounded base. It is biconvex in cross section. Given the shape of the stem and the reworked nature of the blade, this point may belong to the Mack component of the site. It is also possible, however, that it is related to the Guilford or Morrow Mountain components. The point was recovered from the surface of the disturbed portion of the site adjacent to the excavation area.