SWAN LAKE, Cambron and Hulse (Cambron and Hulse, 1960b): A-81
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a small, thick point with shallow side notches.
MEASUREMENTS: Fourteen plesiotypes, including the illustrated example, from Hulse Site 54 in Limestone County, Alabama, provided the following measurements and traits: length—maximum, 41 mm.; minimum, 30 mm.; average, 38 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 20 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem width—maximum, 17 mm.; minimum, 13 mm.; average, 16 mm.: stem length—maximum, 12 mm.; minimum, 9 mm.; average, 11 mm.: thickness—maximum, 9 mm.; minimum, 5 mm.; average, 7 mm.
FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex, but is sometimes near median-ridged. Shoulders are narrow, tapered, and may be expanded. Blade edges are usually straight but may be incurvate or excurvate. Distal ends are acuminate. The hafting area is shallowly side notched. Side edges of the stem are incurvate. The basal edge may be excurvate or straight. Nearly all examples retain some rind on the base, and many basal edges are unfinished. A few basal edges are lightly ground.
FLAKING: Short, random flaking was used to shape the faces of the blade and stem. Flakes removed in retouching the blade and stem edges are short and fairly deep. Several flakes were usually removed to form the side notches. Local materials were used.
COMMENTS: The type was named from points recovered from the Swan Lake area of Limestone County, Alabama. The illustrated example is from Hulse Site 54 in this area. The type may be related to Trinity points (Suhm and Jelks, 1962) and Halifax points (Coe, 1959). The side notched variant of Archaic Lamoka points of New York (Ritchie, 1961) may be an early variation of the Swan Lake type. Radiocarbon dates from 3500 B. C. to 2500 B. C. have been obtained for Lamoka points (Ritchie, 1961). At the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962) most Swan Lake points were concentrated in the first two levels of Zone A, but a few examples were found as deep as Levels 7 and 8, with one from Level 1 in Zone B. This indicates Woodland association at this site, with possibly an Archaic connection. Four of eight examples from the University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama, were in the two top levels. All six examples from Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961) were from Stratum I (Woodland). At Flint River Shell Mound (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a) four examples were recovered from Zone A, one from Zone B (Woodland) and one from Zone C (Archaic). The Swan Lake point appears to have been introduced in the Archaic period but reached a climax in the Woodland period.