FLAKING: Broad, shallow, random flaking was used to shape the blade and stem. Short deep flakes may be removed to retouch the edges. One or several flakes were removed from the sides of each face to form shallow side notches. A good grade, often exotic, material was used.
COMMENTS: The type was named because of the resemblance of the hafting area to a turkey's tail. The illustrated example is the shortest of four Turkey Tail points and one similar unnotched blade 8 inches long which were recovered from a shellmound burial by Harry Smith from Cambron Site 14 in Limestone County, Alabama. "The type commonly occurs in caches of several points, ranging from 4 or 5 up to 40 or more." (Bell, 1960.) This indicates a ceremonial usage. A late Archaic or early Woodland association with a date range from about 2000 B. C. to 500 B. C. is suggested by Scully (1951).
WADE, Hulse (Cambron and Hulse, 1960b): A-84
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium sized, barbed, straight stemmed point.
MEASUREMENTS: Fourteen cotypes, including the illustrated example, provided the following measurements and traits: length—maximum, 70 mm.; minimum, 39 mm.; average, 51 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 42 mm.; minimum, 27 mm.; average, 34 mm.: stem width—maximum, 16 mm.; minimum, 10 mm.; average, 14 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 biconvex or flattened. Shoulders are barbed, with barbs often as long as the stem. Blade edges may be excurvate or straight. The distal end is acute. The stem is usually straight but may be slightly expanded. Side edges of the stem are usually straight, and the basal edge may be straight or slightly incurvate. It is thinned and may be slightly ground.
FLAKING: Deep to shallow, random flaking was used on the blade and stem faces. Short, fairly deep, flakes were removed in retouching the blade and stem edges. One large, broad, deep flake was removed from the basal corners of each face to form barbs. The resulting notched edges were usually retouched by the removal of several small flakes. Local materials were used.
COMMENTS: The type was named from points from several sites near Wade Landing on the Tennessee River, Limestone County, Alabama, where they were first recognized. The illustrated example is from Cambron Site 148 (Ray Site) in Limestone County, Alabama. Three Wade points were found with pre-ceramic sitting burial No. 66 at the University of Alabama Site Lu 59 (Webb and DeJarnette, 1942) along with one beaver incisor, three bone awls, one distal end of a point or knife, one two-hole stone gorget, and one gorget fragment. At the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962), points were more numerous in late Archaic and early Woodland levels. At the University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama, one example was recovered from Woodland Level 2. One example was recovered from the Woodland stratum at Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961). At the Little Bear Creek Site (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948b) one example was recovered from the Woodland stratum and one from late Archaic. Three examples were recovered from the Woodland stratum and seven from late Archaic at the Flint River Shell Mound (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a). The above evidence indicates a strong late Archaic association and suggests that the type continued in use as late as middle Woodland, with a probable date of 2500 B. C. to 1500 B. C.