Early Man Projectile Points in the Southwest

by Kenneth Honea

SCOTTSBLUFF I POINTS

Scottsbluff I

Scottsbluff II

Eden

Projectile points of the type Scottsbluff were first defined on the basis of specimens recovered from a bison kill site near Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

The over-all shape of Scottsbluff I points is either lanceolate or triangular. Upper lateral edges are usually straight, but they may be faintly rounded. Characteristic of this type is a broad stem and faint shoulders. Parallel edges of the stem are straight; sometimes they may expand towards the base. The small shoulders, the widest part of these points, are cut inwards at right angles to the point long-axis. The stem base is straight or slightly rounded, very rarely slightly concave. Average dimensions range from about 5.0 to 15.0 cm. in length; width at the shoulders is from 2.4 to 3.5 cm., and width at the stem base 2.0 to 3.0 cm. Workmanship on most Scottsbluff I points is well executed. Initial shaping was carried out by direct or indirect percussion. Typical of many Scottsbluff I points are the longish parallel flake scars produced during this stage of retouch. They are at right angles to the point long-axis and are of the transverse type. On others patterning of flake scars is more irregular. Lateral edges of some may be secondarily pressure retouched. Both the stem lateral edges and base are smoothed.

Scottsbluff I points have a suggested age range of from 9,500 to about 7,000 years. They are known to occur not only in Nebraska, but in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, and in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.