COMMENTS: The provenience of seven examples, from the Cave Spring Site, (Moebes, 1974) used to define this type of Big Sandy point is as follows: Level 5, 2; Level 7, 1; Level 8, 1; Stratum II. Level 7, 1; Level 8, 1; Level 9, 1; Level 10, 2; Level 11, 1; Stratum III. A similar type was described by Jennings (1957) from Danger Cave, Utah is listed as Type W 17 where dates of 9787 plus or minus 630 B.P. and 8960 plus or minus 340 B.P. were secured from levels containing this type. Two examples were classified from the collection of Steve Maloney Site DK 2 in DeKalb County, Tennessee.
BIG SLOUGH, Hulse (Cambron and Hulse, 1960b): A-12
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large point with a broad expanded stem.
MEASUREMENTS: The range of measurements of 11 cotypes from Morgan and Limestone Counties near Decatur, Alabama are: length—maximum, 85 mm.; minimum, 49 mm.; average, 62 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 42 mm.; minimum, 29 mm.; average, 34 mm.: stem width—maximum, 28 mm.; minimum, 20 mm.; average, 25 mm.: stem length—maximum, 17 mm.; minimum, 14 mm.; average, 15 mm.: thickness—maximum, 9 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 8 mm. Measurements of the illustrated example are: length, 85 mm.; shoulder width, 38 mm.; stem width, 28 mm.; stem length, 14 mm.; thickness, 9 mm.
FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. The shoulders are inversely tapered with narrow barbs that may be expanded, especially on examples with recurvate blade edges. The blade may be excurvate or recurvate; rarely, excurvate-recurvate. One example of the cotypes has one straight and one recurvate blade edge. About half the blade edges are asymmetrical. The distal end is usually acute but may be apiculate. The stem is broad and long and expanded by shallow diagonal notches. The stem side edges may be slightly incurvate, slightly excurvate, or straight. The basal edge is excurvate, thin, and usually ground.
FLAKING: Most examples are made by broad, shallow, random flaking, but a considerable number show collateral flaking. Several have random flaking on one face and collateral on the other. The blade edges usually show rather broad retouching with some fine flaking along the retouched edges that gives a somewhat crushed effect, as does the baton method of percussion flaking. The notches appear to have been formed by indirect percussion flaking with some retouch. The basal edge is thinned by removal of broad, shallow flakes. The stem is usually finely retouched on all edges.
COMMENTS: The point is named for the Big Slough area in Limestone County, Alabama, where many examples are found on the surface with early Archaic types. The illustrated example is from Hulse Site 18, Limestone County, Alabama. At Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962), one example each was recovered from Levels 1, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of Zone A. At University of Alabama Site Ms 201, Rock House Shelter, in Marshall County, Alabama, Levels 4 and 5 produced one example each. One example was recovered from Zone C (Archaic) at Ma 48, Flint River Mound (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a). This evidence suggests a cultural association of from early Archaic to middle Archaic times, with a probable age range of about 5000 B.C. to 2000 B.C.