Early Man Projectile Points in the Southwest

Part 2

Chapter 22,669 wordsPublic domain

Meserve points are basically lanceolate-shaped. Upper lateral edges, which in the case of these points comprise almost three-quarters of the total point length, are typically straight. They are quite distinctive in being rather steeply alternately bevelled and they may be serrated. Bevelling is always on the right edge when viewed with the point tip forward; cross-section of the upper lateral edges at mid-section is rhomboidal. The unusually short lower lateral edges are straight or slightly concave. Meserve points are broadest either at the distal end of these edges, or at the base. The base is shallowly or markedly concave. Basal thinning is accomplished mainly by the removal of either one large flake or several narrower flakes parallel to the point long-axis, in a fashion reminiscent of the thinning of Plainview point bases. Less often, these scars are small and numerous. Thinning in some cases was by the removal of flakes at right angles to the point long-axis during initial retouch of the point faces. Average dimensions are: length 3.0 to 9.0 cm., width (base) 2.0 to 2.7 cm. Workmanship is generally good. Initial shaping as well as bevelling were likely by direct percussion. Initial flake scars are usually irregular. Basal thinning in some cases was probably by indirect percussion. Lateral edges may be secondarily pressure retouched. Smoothing is observed on both the lower non-bevelled lateral edges and in the concave base.

An estimated age of from 9,000 to 5,000 or even 4,000 years ago has been suggested for Meserve points. They are thus in part contemporaneous with, and have been found with, Plainview points. Meserve points are found throughout most of the Southwest, as far north as Canada, and in the Midwest states. They appear to be most common on the Llano Estacado.

SCOTTSBLUFF I POINTS

Projectile points of the type Scottsbluff were first defined on the basis of specimens recovered from a bison kill site near Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

The over-all shape of Scottsbluff I points is either lanceolate or triangular. Upper lateral edges are usually straight, but they may be faintly rounded. Characteristic of this type is a broad stem and faint shoulders. Parallel edges of the stem are straight; sometimes they may expand towards the base. The small shoulders, the widest part of these points, are cut inwards at right angles to the point long-axis. The stem base is straight or slightly rounded, very rarely slightly concave. Average dimensions range from about 5.0 to 15.0 cm. in length; width at the shoulders is from 2.4 to 3.5 cm., and width at the stem base 2.0 to 3.0 cm. Workmanship on most Scottsbluff I points is well executed. Initial shaping was carried out by direct or indirect percussion. Typical of many Scottsbluff I points are the longish parallel flake scars produced during this stage of retouch. They are at right angles to the point long-axis and are of the transverse type. On others patterning of flake scars is more irregular. Lateral edges of some may be secondarily pressure retouched. Both the stem lateral edges and base are smoothed.

Scottsbluff I points have a suggested age range of from 9,500 to about 7,000 years. They are known to occur not only in Nebraska, but in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, and in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.

SCOTTSBLUFF II POINTS

These points are probably of the same age and distribution as those of the Scottsbluff I type.

Scottsbluff II points are morphologically quite similar to those of the Scottsbluff I type with these exceptions: the lateral edges of the point body on Scottsbluff II points are straight, giving this portion of the point a definitely triangular outline; in addition, the point body is relatively broader at the shoulders, and the shoulders are more markedly offset from the stem than on Scottsbluff I points. Also, the former are generally shorter and thinner than those of the latter type.

EDEN POINTS

Eden points bear a great deal of resemblance to Scottsbluff points, with which they are sometimes found. Dissimilarities are pointed out below.

Eden points, though of the same basic shape, are much narrower in relation to over-all length than are Scottsbluff points. Most commonly, shoulders on Eden points are very faint indeed. Transverse facial flaking is much like that on Scottsbluff points. More frequently it is of the collateral type.

Probably the same age as the Scottsbluff type.

BROWNS VALLEY POINTS

Browns Valley points were initially discovered at a site near Browns Valley, Minnesota. They were associated with a human burial.

Browns Valley points are broad lanceolate in shape. Upper lateral edges are slightly rounded. Lower lateral edges are much less rounded, contracting very slightly to either a shallowly concave or straight base. These points are broadest at mid-section. Dimensions are: length 7.0 to 8.0 cm., width 3.0 cm. (full range indeterminate since few specimens known). Workmanship is fine. Initial shaping may have been by direct or indirect percussion. The initial flake scars are parallel and run obliquely across the point faces; less often they are at right angles. Bases have been initially thinned by the removal of a series of small longish flakes mainly oblique to the point long-axis, to a lesser extent by the removal of vertical flakes. Basal edges are smoothed.

Browns Valley points are rare and have an estimated age of from 9,000 to 8,000 years. Similar points excavated in Wyoming have a comparable age of almost 8,000 years.

AGATE BASIN POINTS

Agate Basin points were first recognized at a bison kill site between Newcastle and Lusk in eastern Wyoming. The bison were probably of a recent type, but this is not certain.

Agate Basin points are slender lanceolate in shape. Both the upper and lower lateral edges are gently rounded. Lower lateral edges on some, however, may be nearly straight and contracting slightly to the base. They are usually broadest above mid-section. The base is either straight or rounded, although on some specimens it may be bluntly pointed. Length varies from 6.0 to 15.0 cm., width from 2.0 to about 3.0 cm. Workmanship is quite fine. Initial shaping was by direct or indirect percussion. Flake scars are consistently sub-parallel and at right angles to the point long-axis. Thinning of lateral edges was by pressure retouch. Lower lateral edges are smoothed, the base rarely so. Basal thinning was achieved during initial retouch and is at right angles to the point long-axis.

Although the age range of Agate Basin points is uncertain, it is probable that they belong to a later stage of the Early Man point sequence.

GOLONDRINA POINTS

Golondrina points were defined on the basis of specimens found at the Devils River Site on the Rio Grande in southwest Texas.

Golondrina points are of broad lanceolate shape. Upper lateral edges are usually markedly rounded. Lower lateral edges are characteristically recurved, resulting in out-flaring basal corners of ears. The base is quite deeply concave. The broadest part is at mid-section or a little beyond, towards the tip. Average dimensions are: length 6.0 to 8.0 cm., maximum body width 2.3 to 3.2 cm., and base width 2.2 to 2.9 cm. Workmanship is fine. Initial and secondary shaping and thinning was by direct percussion. Initial flake scars are irregular. Pressure retouch of edges is not obvious. Essentially, vertical basal thinning was accomplished by the removal of either one or a series of irregular flakes. It should be noted that thinning scars on occasional specimens may be quite narrow and parallel to the point long-axis. Both the lower lateral edges and the basal concavity have been smoothed.

At the type site, Golondrina points have been dated to about 8,000 years ago. Plainview points may be associated with them. Golondrina points have been found in north central, central, and southwest Texas and northeast Mexico. It is likely they will be identified in other parts of the broader Southwest.

GYPSUM CAVE POINTS

Gypsum Cave points were discovered together with the remains of extinct ground sloth in a cave near Las Vegas, Nevada.

The over-all shape of Gypsum Cave points is elongate triangular. The straight upper lateral edges comprise virtually the entire length of specimens. The lower portion is characterized by a short stem formed by the abrupt sloping back of base edges from marked shoulders; the base is rounded. They are broadest from shoulder to shoulder. Average length of Gypsum Cave points is 5.0 to about 6.5 cm., and width about 3.0 cm. Flaking seems to have been produced by direct percussion. Initial flake scars are irregular. Secondary thinning of lateral edges is apparently absent. Stem edges were produced by multi-directional flaking. They are not smoothed.

The estimated age of Gypsum Cave points at the type site is from about 8,000 to 10,000 years. Points similar to these were found in a cave in the Manzano Mountains near Albuquerque and south of the Sandias. A specimen was recovered from the Lindenmeier Site in Colorado above the Folsom layer.

LAKE MOHAVE POINTS

Lake Mohave points were originally described from the Lake Mohave district of southeastern California. They were recovered from the surface and from ancient fossil beaches and terraces.

Lake Mohave points are slender lanceolate in shape with the broadest part above mid-section, about three-quarters up from the base. The upper lateral edges are slightly rounded. The over-all impression one has of these lower edges is that of a long tapering stem. Lake Mohave points may be faintly shouldered. Average dimensions are: length about 4.0 to 7.5 cm., width at the broadest part 2.5 to 3.0 cm. Workmanship, though well-achieved, is characterized by irregular initial flake scars, probably produced by direct percussion. Basal thinning was achieved by multi-directional flaking.

The estimated age range of Lake Mohave points is from about 7,000 to 9,000 years. It is probable this point type is related to similar types of the Southwest.

RIO GRANDE POINTS

Rio Grande points were first defined in 1942 on the basis of surface collections of lithic artifacts from the Upper Rio Grande Valley.

Rio Grande points are basically lanceolate in shape. Upper lateral edges are straight to gently rounded. They are broadest slightly above mid-section. Lower lateral edges are set off from the upper portion of the point body by very small shoulders, so that this point must be considered stemmed. Stem edges are consistently straight and taper slightly to the base. The base is usually straight, less often it is slightly rounded or shallowly concave. Average dimensions are: length 6.0 cm., shoulder width 2.8 cm., base width 1.8 cm. Some larger specimens are known. Manufacture is by direct percussion. Initial flake scars on point faces are irregular. Basal thinning was accomplished in the main by multi-directional flaking. Stem edges may show secondary percussion or pressure retouch. Stem edges are well smoothed; the base may be slightly smoothed or not at all.

The age of Rio Grande points has not been definitely established nor have associations with other early point types been ascertained. They appear to be related to the Hell Gap and Lake Mohave types.

ESCOBAS POINTS

Escobas points, newly defined in this guide, were to all appearances first discovered and described at Pecos Pueblo, southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Specimens excavated there evidently were collected by inhabitants of the pueblos from nearby sites pre-dating the pueblo. This point type is named after Escobas Peak, near Pecos.

Escobas points are lanceolate shaped and are consistently broadest immediately below mid-section. Upper lateral edges are usually straight, but they may be slightly rounded. Lower lateral edges are set off from the upper portion of the point body by very slight shoulders, so that this point must be considered as stemmed. Parallel to slightly expanding, stem edges are characteristically faintly concave between the shoulders and base edges. The base is always distinctly concave. Average dimensions: length 6.0 cm., shoulder width 2.0 cm., base width 1.7 cm. Workmanship is not refined. Initial flaking of point faces has been achieved by direct percussion; flake scars are irregular. Stem edges may show slight secondary retouch by either percussion or pressure. Basal thinning was accomplished primarily by the striking of irregular flakes from the basal concavity, to a lesser extent by removal of horizontal flakes from the base. Stem edges are well smoothed; the concave base is either slightly smoothed or not at all.

The relation of Escobas points to other Early Man points has not yet been determined. They do, however, resemble some other early types. Escobas points are broadly similar to Rio Grande points in shape, but they differ from them in the following respects: parallel to slightly expanding stem edges of Escobas points are consistently slightly concave between the shoulders and base, while stem edges on Rio Grande points are always straight and taper somewhat to the base. Escobas point stems are shorter, relative to overall point length than Rio Grande stems. Shoulders on Escobas are much fainter than on Rio Grande points; bases of Escobas points are, so far as known, always concave, whereas they are only occasionally so on Rio Grande points. Both, however, share the attribute of being well-smoothed on stem edges, and are either slightly smoothed or not at all on basal edges. Escobas points occur in the Pecos district, the Upper Rio Grande Valley, and, according to Stewart Peckham (personal communication), in the San Juan Basin of northwest New Mexico. They will likely be found to occur in other parts of the Southwest, in some areas in association with points of the Rio Grande type.