Knapped Spear or Knife?

[riverdiver]

I went bottle diving and uncovered this knapped point, unsure if it is a spear or knife. Your collective knowledge is appreciated!​

Attached Thumbnails

 

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[Older The Better]

If it’s real it’s a stunning. Wow

 

[newnan man]

Very impressive!

 

[monsterrack]

The base looks broken in the photo so it was longer. Was it dug or field find above ground. I would say knife JMO

 

[sandchip]

Wow. Can't help but wonder what the base looked like, although we could probably come up with a few pretty close guesses. Most definitely a banner find if only it had been complete. Still absoutely hellacious.

 

[sandchip]

...Was it dug or field find above ground?...

"...bottle diving..."

 

[GaRebel1861]

Dang if that isn't a heart breaker! Wow!

 

[Jeff H]

Man that thing is a looker! Great find!

 

[Twitch]

Riverdiver - welcome. A lot of people aren’t responding because the piece you’re showing would be a very atypical find for New Hampshire. Can you possible share more info on where it was found ( location type, activity, etc. not specific name of place), have you ever found any other artifacts there.

definitely interesting but need more info. Thanks.

 

[WaterScoop]

What an amazing find! Wish it could reveal its secrets to you and us....:

Who, what, where, why, when, how...

Thanx for sharing! it’s breathtaking!

 

[joshuaream]

We have a great member here from NH, I'd be curious about his thoughts. Not a lot of materials I can think of that are that large up that way.

 

[Charl]

Based on the flaking, and the narrowness of the piece, it pretty much screams Late Paleo Ste. Anne-Varney. A Northeastern type....JMHO, but can’t imagine what else it might be. Some examples exhibit tiny side notches.




They have been interpreted as an Eastern form of the Eden point, although, unlike the western Eden, they rarely have shoulders, but sometimes tiny side notches. At the Varney site in Maine, they have been dated to 10,616 CYBP.

From my own collection, a Ste. Anne-Varney from the North River of Ma. Rhyolite.



Several years ago, someone posted this New Hampshire found point to TreasureNet. I don’t remember who, but I saved the photo. This is a great example of a side notch variant of a Late Paleo-Early Archaic Ste. Anne-Varney Point:



Edit: on second thought, I believe the notched form above was found in Vermont, not New Hampshire. The original poster was not a collector, and only posted the one time in this section of TNet.

 

[americanartifacts33]

That is an amazing piece but i do share some of the reservations that have been brought up in this group. Please by no way take offense to that we just want to know more about it, its one of the nicest flaking i have seen. Here is one that i found that is pretty similar to that one, at least in so far as size and relative shape. I look forward to hearing more about this one and welcome!

 

[joshuaream]

Shoot, I said NH and meant RI. Anyway, the answer did not disappoint.

Based on the flaking, and the narrowness of the piece, it pretty much screams Late Paleo Ste. Anne-Varney. A Northeastern type....JMHO, but can’t imagine what else it might be. Some examples exhibit tiny side notches.




They have been interpreted as an Eastern form of the Eden point, although, unlike the western Eden, they rarely have shoulders, but sometimes tiny side notches. At the Varney site in Maine, they have been dated to 10,616 CYBP.

 

[Garscale]

Shoot, I said NH and meant RI. Anyway, the answer did not disappoint.

It sure looks Cody complex. Likely an Eden varient. I had no clue similar artifacts were that far east.

 

[Charl]

Thought I’d add this link for the OP, as this description is accurate enough. The Ste. Anne type site is in Quebec, the Varney type site is the Varney Farm site in Maine, but they are the same point.

https://www.projectilepoints.net/Points/St_Anne.html

 

[Garscale]

Are the two threads about this point? I swear I commented on it earlier than the one post here.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Are the two threads about this point? I swear I commented on it earlier than the one post here.

Looks like he also posted it in Today's finds.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/639169-spear-point-knife.html

 

[Charl]

Here is another possible resharpened example with slight shoulders. I’m not 100% positive it’s a Ste. Anne-Varney, but quite possible. Rhyolite, also from the North River drainage of eastern Ma., as was the other rhyolite example I posted...





In that other thread in Today’s Finds, someone asked if points that big could occur in Northeast. Yes, of course. Most Ste. Anne-Varney’s will be regional lithics, not exotics, which could simply be cherts from the not that far distant Hudson Valley, but some are still exotics. As for size, what is known as the Rockingham Point, from Rockingham, NH, seen on the far left in the illustration below, is 7 inches long:



These are from the Varney Farm site in Maine, but as far as distribution of Cody Complex-like points, these are found as far Northeast as the Ste. Anne site on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The example bottom right is 4” and is the same point as seen in the projectile point link I posted in comment #16 of this thread:

 

[Garscale]

Good information Charm. In my opinion the op is a Cody complex item. I'm thrilled to learn that similar items are found that far east. I love learning.