Bolens?

antmike915 · Apr 24, 2020

1st is 2 1/4 and the other 2 are 1 1/4 and all were found in Henry County Alabama in the same field. I have found Boggy Branches, Stemmed Points, Kirks and Bolens here not to mention countless hand tools and turtleback/ humpback scrapers. I'm guessing Bolens but not 100% sure, what do you guys think?

PaleIO · Apr 24, 2020

Good looking finds! I wish I could help on an ID but it's way out of realm. The size of points out east never ceases to amaze me....

antmike915 · Apr 24, 2020

Unfortunately point #1 has a small plow scratch which doesn't show in the picture and a minor tip ding, if it is a bolen I never found one with a fish tail like base. These are the only points I've ever found with bases like this (so far).

PaleIO · Apr 24, 2020

The plow marks and such are nothing but character at this point...just another thing they have survived over the many years! I hope someone from your area jumps on with some more info. I am interested to learn about them.

newnan man · Apr 25, 2020

Nice finds! It is always easy to call these types of points in the deep south Bolens and many times they are. I think yours however are Big Sandy's. The contracting base on many of these types are actually bifurcated. That's not a Bolen trait. The base most likely will show grinding. Old old points. These were fairly common to find when I lived in the Tallahassee area also. Show us more of your finds we'd enjoy seeing them.

uniface · Apr 25, 2020

One interesting thing about Bolens is that their climate context was drought. Unlike Kirks, they are only found near year-round springs/water sources. In those locations they were (at one time, at least) very common. The late & lamented Dick Savage once showed me a large frame of perfect ones which he got from a well-to-do friend who used to winter down South on his wife's family estate. The sharecroppers there used to save them for him as they found them while working the fields.

(I'm sure they were suitably thanked).

antmike915 · Apr 25, 2020

Lucky guy, imagine going there on vacation or a weekend getaway; get settled in and having the field workers come up to you and say "good to see you, how long are you staying?, since your last visit we found alot of arrowheads/Indian artifacts if you want them". That guy is one of the luckiest collectors ever, very cool story.