MEASUREMENTS: The maximum measurements, in mm., of 59 examples from 44 sites in the Tennessee River valley (Soday and Cambron, n. d.) average: length, 66; width, 27; thickness, 7. The length of the longest example is 154; of the shortest, 35. The weight of the largest is 60 grams; of the shortest, 5 grams. Maximum measurements of fourteen examples of "Fine Clovis" from 13 sites average 59 mm. long, 25 mm. wide, 6 mm. thick. The length of the longest is 109 mm.; of the shortest, 29 mm. The weight of the longest is 27 grams, of the shortest, 3 grams. Texas examples (Suhm, Krieger and Jelks, 1954) range from 69 mm. to 140 mm. in length and 20 mm. to 40 mm. in width. The range of 66 examples from New York State (Ritchie, 1961) is: length, about 25 mm. to about 127 mm.; thickness, 3 mm. to 10 mm. The illustrated example measures 110 mm. long, 31 mm. wide at widest point, 28 mm. wide at base, 27 mm. wide across basal constriction, 9 mm. thick. The longest flute measures 29 mm.; the shortest flute, 28. Flute width is 19 mm.
FORM: The cross-section in the fluted area of the blade is fluted; in the unfluted area, biconvex. The blade is usually excurvate but may be slightly recurvate; the distal end is usually acute but may be broad. The hafting area is auriculate and may be pointed or rounded. It is usually parallel, but on a few examples may be expanded or contracted. The basal edge is incurvate. The hafting area is usually fluted on both faces; rarely, on one. Either single or multiple flutes may be present. Most examples are fluted about one-third of the total length, but some may be fluted to near the distal end. Most examples have ground basal edges, which may determine the hafting area.
FLAKING: The flaking is usually random but may be somewhat collateral, leaving a low median ridge. All examples are retouched along the edges; many are very finely pressure flaked. Flutes appear to have been struck by indirect percussion after preparation of a "striking platform" at the base. On the multiple fluted examples, two or more primary flutes appear to have been removed leaving a striking area near the center of the base from which the main flute was struck. After one face was fluted the base was beveled to facilitate striking flutes from the opposite face. This resulted in a basal concavity (Cambron and Hulse, 1961a).
COMMENTS: The point is named for the Clovis, New Mexico, area, where examples were found in association with mammoth remains. The illustrated example from Hulse Site 54, in Limestone County, Alabama, was selected for its similarity to the type specimens from New Mexico. A date of over 37,000 B. P. was taken from a hearth containing a Clovis point at Lewisville, Texas (Crook and Harris, 1958), but the association has been questioned. The date from the Naco mammoth find in Arizona is 9250 ±300 B. P. Many early-man authorities suggest a date of about 15,000 years ago. This range of dates may indicate long use of the type. The type is distributed over most of North America. Alabama examples are found on early sites with blade tools.
CLOVIS, UNFLUTED, Soday and Cambron (This Paper): A-19-a
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Unfluted Clovis point is a medium to large, auriculate point with incurvate base.
