Stone Artifacts
Dart Points
The 61 larger projectile points which are classified as dart points are, with few exceptions, comparatively small and rough. Most are made of quartzite, cherts, and petrified wood found locally. Thirty-five are of tan chert, four of petrified wood, two of red chert, six of white or light gray quartzite, and others of varying shades of brown, or mottled materials.
Gary points ([Fig. 11], N-P) total 14; with most made of tan chert, two of petrified wood, and one of white quartzite. The range in length is 2.8 to 5.6 cm. with nine of the 14 in the category of Small Gary (Ford and Webb, 1956: 52). The latter are less than 4.5 cm. in length.
Ellis points ([Fig. 11], Q-S) number 16, of which 12 are made of tan, gray or yellow local cherts, two of petrified wood. The length varies from 2.6 to 4.6 cm., the width 1.5 to 2.9 cm. Shoulders tend to be straight, only two having barbs. Stem bases are usually straight or mildly convex.
Carrollton points ([Fig. 11], X), four in number, are made of materials different from the prevailing tan chert. One each is of granular quartzite, waxy gray chert, white chert, and black chert. They are 4.1 to 4.5 cm. long, 2.3 to 2.8 cm. wide. Stems are not smoothed.
Kent points total five ([Fig. 11], T, U), and are typically crude in manufacture. They are of gray, tan, and mottled cherts. Lengths are 3.7 cm. to 4.5 cm., widths 1.6 to 2.4 cm.; they are somewhat smaller than those in eastern Texas (Suhm and Jelks, 1962).
The three Pontchartrain points ([Fig. 11], EE, FF) are the largest and best made points from this site. Two are of light tan chert, the third of darker tan. Lengths are 7.7, 9.3, and 9.7 cm.; widths 2.5, 2.9, and 3.2 cm., respectively. The blades are rounded on one face, ridged on the other, have good large flake scars, and typical fine retouch at the edges. One ([Fig. 11], FF) has an asymmetrically placed stem; another ([Fig. 11], EE) has a rectangular stem and short barbs; the third has a contracting stem.
One projectile point ([Fig. 11], Y) is hesitantly called Ensor because of the low, narrow side notches and straight stem base. It is small, 3.7 cm. long and 1.8 cm. wide, of tan chert, roughly flaked. The blade edges are convex and irregular serrated.
Two specimens have outlines like Desmuke points but are made of poor materials, petrified wood and gnarled chert, and the typing is questionable. Both are thick, with bifacial ridges. A third of similar appearance has an Almagre-like basal tip, but is much smaller than this type, 5 cm. long, 2.5 cm. wide.
Two points are classified as Elam ([Fig. 11], V, W). They are short, thick and stubby, slightly asymmetrical and identical in size, 3.5 cm. long, 2.3 cm. wide. They are made of tan and brown quartzite.
Fig. 11. Projectile Points and Chipped Stone Tools. A, B, Alba type. C, D, Hayes. E, F, Friley. G, Maud. H, Cliffton. I, Untyped. J, Catahoula. K-M, Colbert. N-P, Gary. Q-S, Ellis. T, U, Kent. V, W, Elam. X, Carrollton. Y, possible Ensor. Z-DD, Untyped. EE, FF, Pontchartrain. GG-II, Rough blades. JJ, KK, Drills. LL, End scraper. MM-PP, Small triangular and ovate scrapers.
Twelve projectile points are unclassified. Three of these are broken. A group of four ([Fig. 11], Z) is characterized by rough manufacture, irregular wide blades with poor tips, and small, poorly formed stems. Similar specimens have been found at other sites in north Louisiana, never in large numbers. Possibly they were used as hafted knives or scrapers. One specimen ([Fig. 11], AA) has long, shallow side notches which are smoothed and a stubby, poorly made blade. Possibly it is a reworked Yarbrough point or an atypical Trinity point. A small point of gray quartzite ([Fig. 11], BB) has blade edge notches and expanded stem resembling Evans points, but it is much smaller than Evans. Similar small points with one to several blade edge notches have been found on sites in Bossier and De Soto parishes, they will probably be typed by another name than Evans (the name Sinner has been suggested because of their frequency at the Jim Sinner Site).
A small point of white chert ([Fig. 11], CC) has a greater width than length; the base is wide and short; one shoulder is barbed, the other barely suggested. Another small point has a rectangular stem and triangular blade but is much smaller than Carrollton, or even Elam points.
The most unusual point ([Fig. 11], DD) has a long rectangular stem, a small shoulder on one side only, and a short, asymmetrical blade. Blade and stem edges are beveled bilaterally on each face, with fine retouch flaking which serrates all edges. The base is mildly concave and is thinned by removal of a long, shallow channel flake on one face, a shorter channel flake on the other, terminating in a hinge fracture. The base and lower stem edges are smoothed.
Arrow Points
There are 55 small projectile points sufficiently intact for typing and 12 broken so that typing is impossible. Materials include tan, red, brown, and gray chert from local gravels; two gray-white chert; one novaculite, and two dark brown to black flint.
Alba points ([Fig. 11], A, B), 20 in number, are mostly of tan or reddish-brown local cherts. They vary from slender to wide, with a range of 2 to 3.8 cm. in length. Most recurve to form widened shoulders which may be right angled or barbed; edges may be mildly serrated. I have placed in this type only points with square or rectangular stems.
There are two Hayes points ([Fig. 11], C, D), of gray and red-brown chert. They are small, 2.6 and 2.8 cm. long, 1.3 and 1.9 cm. wide; the first differs from the type description in having straight edges and no barbs, but the stem shape is typical.
Five points are of Friley type ([Fig. 11], E, F), characterized by definite shoulders with extreme curves so that the barbs turn toward the blade tip. Stems are expanded or rectangular. Three are of red-brown chert, two of tan chert. Lengths are 1.4 to 2.5 cm., widths 1.0 to 1.5 cm.
One typical Maud point ([Fig. 11], G) of tan chert, has a deeply concave base and mildly serrated edges.
Four points are included in the Cliffton type ([Fig. 11], H). They are hardly more than roughly shaped small, wide flakes but have vague stems and some secondary flaking. They are uniform in size, 2 to 2.3 cm. long, 1.6 to 1.9 cm. wide and all are made of tan chert. A fifth small point ([Fig. 11], I) of dark gray flint has a pointed stem, concave blade edges, and a strongly pointed tip; in essence, it is a concave-edged hexagon. It may be a variation of Cliffton, but has been left untyped.
A group of 21 points ([Fig. 11], K-M) is characterized by expanded stems produced by corner notching, and blades which are much like Alba. This point has been the subject of considerable discussion because of its frequency in Louisiana and southern Arkansas; it has been included in the Alba type in some publications, in the Scallorn type in others, but has distinct and, we believe, meaningful differences from each of these types. We have therefore given it the type name Colbert. It rivals the Alba type in frequency at sites like Smithport Landing, Colbert, Greer, Swanson’s Landing, and Mounds Plantation ([Fig. 1]) where there are Alto and Coles Creek components in respectable amounts. It is found, along with Alba, in central Louisiana, especially in Troyville-Coles Creek context (Ford, 1951: Fig. 45, U-W). Recent excavations at the Crenshaw Site in southwestern Arkansas uncovered Coles Creek and Caddoan burials in Mound B; consistently the Coles Creek burials had points similar to Colbert (called Homan in Arkansas) and the Caddoan had Alba or Hayes. The Colbert points have triangular blades with concave or recurved edges, distinct and usually wide shoulders, barbs, and triangular or fan-shaped stems. The stem bases may be straight or more often convex, rarely concave. Specimens from Smithport are made of tan, reddish-brown, white and gray local cherts, one of novaculite, and two of white quartz. Lengths are from 1.2 to 3.2 cm., widths from 9 mm. to 2 cm.
A large flat point of tan chert ([Fig. 11], J) has the flake characteristics of an arrow point despite its large size, 4.3 by 3 cm. It has the corner notching and wide barbs characteristic of Catahoula points.
A small triangular point of brown chert probably belongs to the Fresno type. The tip is broken but the original length was about 2 cm.