help id

[FMarion2ndRegSC]

Hi guys. I found this today diving an old river bank. It is worked so that it is curved in appearance. It looks to be intentional or maybe unfinished, but the edges look very refined. What do you think??

 

[coalfire]

Well...from what I see it is a "Clovis" type. I say type for any style as the original is the first one with the name. It appears NOT to be fluted. It could also be a "Holcomb" or "Hi-Lo" type of unfluted Paleo point or blade. I am refering to my book "Projectile Point Typology For Pennsylvania" by Gary L. Fogelman. It may have a different name in different states and/ or regions. But it definatly looks to be a Paleo era!!! Which is to say it is from 12,000 - 8,000 B.C. or 10,000 to 14,000 years old or more.
I hope it helps!
respects,
~Z~, aka Zeawolf , aka Stan Self ADJ. McNeill's Rngers SCV

 

[badandy]

Nice find! What part of the country did it come from? Looks kinda thick to be a Clovis, but could very well be a transitional piece. Are the sides ground? Maybe an early Dalton, wont know for sure unless I know what part of the country it's from. The river and state would narrow it down even further.
badandy

 

[FMarion2ndRegSC]

Hey, thanks guys. Found in Santee River of SC. Hate to sound dumb, but what does "ground" look like. I've heard the term before and don't know what it means or looks like. Thanks for the help!!

 

[badandy]

Ground means smooth compared to other edges near the tip. The book that I referenced says it looks most like a Suwannee Late Paleo 10,000 to 9000 B.P. Description as follows: A medium to large size, fairly thick, broad, ariculate point. The basal constriction is not as narrow as in Simpson points. Most examples have ground bases and are usually unfluted. I.D. Key: Thickness and broad halfting area, expanding ears, less waisted than Simpsons.

Hope this helps and the book I got the info from was the 9th edition of Overstreet.
badandy

 

[FMarion2ndRegSC]

thanks badandy, good info.

 

[Neanderthal]

lanceolate shaped with a concave base doesn't always mean paleo. There are alot of identifying factors when trying to assess what a piece is, and "outline" is one of the most misleading. There is a plethora of other styles out there that mimic the earlier ones: McKean, Humboldt, Candy Creek, etc. (there's a huge list). In fact a HIGH percentage of points typed as "paleo"...aren't. Dunno what your piece is, would need more information. As others pointed out, check for grinding (smoothed base and sides of the hafting area) and see if you can't take better pictures that will show closer details of the artifact.

 

[FMarion2ndRegSC]

thanks, I'll try to take some better photos and post them.