SAVANNAH RIVER, Coe (Coe, 1959): A-5a
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A medium to large stemmed point often made of quartzite.
MEASUREMENTS: Coe (1959) lists some measurements of North Carolina examples as follows: length—maximum, 170 mm.; minimum, 70 mm.; average, 100 mm.: width—maximum, 70 mm.; minimum, 35 mm.; average, 50 mm. These measurements exceed those from six examples, including the illustrated example, from Elmore County, Alabama, and one from Buncombe County, North Carolina, which are as follows: length—maximum, 70 mm.; minimum, 50 mm.; average, 56 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 40 mm.; minimum, 30 mm.; average, 34 mm.: stem width—maximum, 25 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 22 mm.: stem length—maximum, 14 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 13 mm.: thickness—maximum, 13 mm.; minimum, 10 mm.; average, 11 mm.
FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex but may be flattened, rarely plano-convex. Shoulders are usually tapered but may be straight. Blade edges are excurvate, but may be parallel from the shoulders for one-third to one-half the length of the blade. The distal end is acute. The stem may be straight or tapered, with incurvate or straight side edges and a straight or incurvate basal edge that is usually thinned.
FLAKING: Broad, shallow flaking was employed to shape the blade and stem faces, with some retouch along all edges. Local materials were used.
COMMENTS: The point is named from points of the Savannah River Focus of the Archaic period in Redmont, North Carolina. The illustrated example is from Amling Site El 4 in Elmore County, Alabama. This type includes points illustrated in Caldwell (1947) as belonging to the Savannah River Focus of Georgia. Similar points from Camp Creek were illustrated by Lewis and Kneberg (1957) as Appalachian Stemmed, but they seem more acceptable as Savannah River points. One example each was recovered from Level 3 and 4 (pre-pottery) at the University of Alabama Site 1 Ru 28 in Russell County, Alabama, on the Chattahoochee River. Coe (1959) found Savannah River to be late Archaic. Further excavation in the Roanoke River area revealed Savannah River points in early Woodland association (Coe, personal communication). Savannah River points overlay the "Old Quartz" industry in Georgia. The above evidence places Savannah River points in late Archaic and early Woodland associations.