Paleo-Archaic point and natural stone

CloudKicker0

Full Member
Jul 16, 2022
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163
This is my first and only point Iā€™ve ever found, and I guess you could say that it found me because at the time I wasnā€™t looking for it while I was walking down the beach (Eastern NC surface find). Now mostly wherever I go Iā€™m scanning the ground for artifacts and anomalies.

I posted some pictures back in May 2020, but have since received some new information from a state archeologist whose name Iā€™ll respectfully hold in anonymity.

ā€œThe projectile point looks similar to what we would call a Hardaway side-notched, though the side notching is not as pronounced as many examples and it has likely been heavily resharpened. The base looks like its been ground, which is a common feature on late Paleo-Indian and Early Archaic points in this area. This type of point likely dates to 10-11,000 years ago. The material is interesting and while it is likely still a variety of metavolcanic stone, which the majority of stone tools are made out of in NC, it is not a type I am very familiar with.ā€

Iā€™ve ā€œscouredā€ the internet for a point of like-material but have been unsuccessful. Does that make it an unclassified piece? Would someone please share pictures of a point with similar material?

Iā€™m also sharing some pictures of a natural rock of somewhat similar material. If anyone can see any signs of flaking/grinding or shaping would you please help share with this novice?
 

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Upvote 10

MAMucker

Bronze Member
Feb 2, 2019
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Ok, your going to make me go through my lithic material boxes. But I donā€™t have high hopes of finding anything that matches that unusual material.

I will note here that much of the material that I have had the opportunity to study is from the coast.

The ocean can definitely change the physical structure of a stone over time. In my opinion, the material your point is made from was much more smooth and uniform in structure when it was napped. It took hundreds (maybe thousands) of years to make it appear to be so spongie.

It looks as if soft material has been washed out, leaving a sort of skeleton of the harder material that is left behind.

And, there are tiny clumps of that soft material left between those stronger layers that ā€˜resembleā€™ condrules (related to meteorites)

Itā€™s a very interesting projectile point.
 

Older The Better

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Apr 24, 2017
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south east kansas
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Try diorite, highly doubt meteor, to the best of my knowledge meteors donā€™t have a cryptocrystalline structure which is important to control the way the rock breaks and shape properly.
 

Older The Better

Silver Member
Apr 24, 2017
3,138
5,820
south east kansas
Detector(s) used
Whites Eagle Spectrum
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Alright. I hear you. Fair enough. So show me a comparable worked rhyolite stone material and Iā€™ll believe you.
Ma just to clean up my communication I was referencing this quote which I read as being partial to the meteor theory until proven otherwise. Not the reference in your post of the similarities
 

OP
OP
CloudKicker0

CloudKicker0

Full Member
Jul 16, 2022
118
163
This is my first and only point Iā€™ve ever found, and I guess you could say that it found me because at the time I wasnā€™t looking for it while I was walking down the beach (Eastern NC surface find). Now mostly wherever I go Iā€™m scanning the ground for artifacts and anomalies.

I posted some pictures back in May 2020, but have since received some new information from a state archeologist whose name Iā€™ll respectfully hold in anonymity.

ā€œThe projectile point looks similar to what we would call a Hardaway side-notched, though the side notching is not as pronounced as many examples and it has likely been heavily resharpened. The base looks like its been ground, which is a common feature on late Paleo-Indian and Early Archaic points in this area. This type of point likely dates to 10-11,000 years ago. The material is interesting and while it is likely still a variety of metavolcanic stone, which the majority of stone tools are made out of in NC, it is not a type I am very familiar with.ā€

Iā€™ve ā€œscouredā€ the internet for a point of like-material but have been unsuccessful. Does that make it an unclassified piece? Would someone please share pictures of a point with similar material?

Iā€™m also sharing some pictures of a natural rock of somewhat similar material. If anyone can see any signs of flaking/grinding or shaping would you please help share with this novice?
Thank yā€™all so much for your thoughts, help and opinions. I feel amazed and grateful. WooooHooooo!!!!
 

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