PAINT ROCK VALLEY, Mahan (Cambron, 1958a): A-66
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Paint Rock Valley point is a medium sized, broad, triangular point with incurvate base and excurvate blade edges.
MEASUREMENTS: Fourteen plesiotypes, including the illustrated example, from Cambron Site 48, Lincoln County, Tennessee, provided the following measurements and traits: length—maximum, 58 mm.; minimum, 35 mm.; average, 46 mm.: blade width—maximum, 31 mm.; minimum, 25 mm.; average, 28 mm.: width at base—maximum, 30 mm.; minimum, 18 mm.; average, 25 mm.: thickness—maximum, 10 mm.; minimum, 6 mm.; average, 8 mm.: depth of basal concavity—maximum, 3 mm.; minimum, 1 mm.; average, 2 mm.
FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Blade edges are usually excurvate, rarely straight. The distal end is usually acute but may be broad. The hafting area consists of an indeterminate basal portion of the blade that is usually slightly contracted. The base is usually incurvate, rarely straight, and may be thinned or beveled.
FLAKING: Broad, sometimes deep, random flaking was used to shape the blade and hafting area. Rather long secondary flakes were struck off along the edges, with a minimum of fine retouch having been carried out. Short flakes struck from the basal edge often resulted in a beveling of the basal edge. Local materials were used.
COMMENTS: This type was named from points found on sites in the Paint Rock River Valley in Jackson County, Alabama. The illustrated example is from Cambron Site 48, Lincoln County, Tennessee. It resembles several Texas types (Suhm, Krieger and Jelks, 1954): Kinney, with an estimated age of 4000 years ago, which is shorter and broader; Matamoros with an estimated age of 500 A. D., which is smaller and usually beveled; Tortugas, estimated age 6000 years ago, which is beveled and has no contraction of the base. At the University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama, two examples were recovered from Level 11 and one from Level 9. Other types from these lower levels include Cumberland, Quad, Dalton, Wheeler and Big Sandy I points. One example was recovered from Burial 8 at Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962) in association with Morrow Mountain, Crawford Creek, White Springs and possibly Eva points, as well as bone points and other artifacts. These associations indicate an early Archaic to transitional Paleo-Indian connection. At the Hardaway Site (Coe, 1959) points similar to Paint Rock Valley points were recovered from Stratum IV along with Dalton and Quad points.