ELK RIVER, Cambron (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962): A-33
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large, stemmed point with oblique-horizontal flaking on the blade faces.
MEASUREMENTS: Measurements of the 15 paratypes (specimens of the original series including the holotype) range as follows: length—maximum, 92 mm.; minimum, 48 mm.; average, 72 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 38 mm.; minimum, 30 mm.; average, 31 mm.: stem width—maximum, 19 mm.; minimum, 15 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem length—maximum, 17 mm.; minimum, 11 mm.; average, 14 mm.: thickness—maximum, 11 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 9 mm. The illustrated example measures 128 mm. in length; 27 mm. in shoulder width; 20 mm. in stem width; 14 mm. in stem length; 9 mm. in thickness.
FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex; rarely, plano-convex. The shoulders are usually tapered and may be expanded. The blade is excurvate; the distal end, acute. The hafting area is usually straight-stemmed but the stem may be expanded or contracted with a straight or, rarely, excurvate basal edge. One example could be described as having shallow side notches. About one-fourth of the original series have lightly ground bases.
FLAKING: One or (usually) both faces are shaped by oblique-transverse flaking. Retouch is minimized since the oblique flaking, in most cases, carries from the blade edges to near the center of the face and occasionally almost forms a median ridge. The transverse-oblique flaking is similar to that seen on the faces of some Angostura, Scotts-bluff and Brown Valley points and Cape Denbigh artifacts illustrated by Wormington (1957). This flaking technique was also used on some late neolithic Danish daggers (Bordaz, 1959).
COMMENTS: The point was named for the Elk River Site on Elk River in Limestone County, Alabama. The illustrated example is from Hulse 38E (Quad Site), Limestone County, Alabama. The type was listed in the depth distribution charts at Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961) in the middle-Archaic stratum (10 examples) and Woodland stratum (two examples). An illustration was listed as Provisional Type 2, expanded stem. Two examples of Elk River points from Perry Site, Lu 25, on Seven Mile Island in Lauderdale County, Alabama, were used to illustrate the high art of flint flaking (Webb and DeJarnette, 1942). Examples from Levels 8 and 9, Zone A, at Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962) indicate a late Archaic association. Examples were recovered from Zones A, B, C, and D at Flint River Mound, Ma 48 (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a). At Little Bear Creek, Ct 8 (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948b) six examples were recovered from the five-foot level and one from the six-foot level. This again indicates a middle- to late-Archaic type. Since most of the associations in the North Alabama—South Tennessee area are within the shellmound period, this type very likely appeared before 5000 years ago. It is probably not associated with the western point types with similar flaking.