GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Ecusta is a small, triangular, side-notched point with serrated and beveled blade edges.
MEASUREMENTS: The illustrated example measures 37 mm. long, 24 mm. wide at the base, and 7 mm. thick.
FORM: The cross-section is rhomboid. The shoulder barbs are weak, and are usually the result of beveling of the blade. The blade is straight, and beveled on one side of each face and, usually, serrated. The distal end is acute. The sides of the hafting area display shallow side notches. The base of the hafting area is usually broad and rounded but may be straight or incurvate. Striking of diagonal flakes from the basal edge on some examples results in flattening of the base.
FLAKING: This is a well-made point, shaped by random, percussion flaking and retouched with serrations along the blade edges.
COMMENT: The point was named "Ecusta" since this is the Cherokee Indian name for Davidson River, where the type was first recognized at the Osborne Site in Transylvania County, North Carolina (Harwood, 1958). The illustrated homotype is from Kyle Hardin's Baker 1 Site in Blount County, Alabama, where it was recovered along with four other examples. One example (No. 1, p. 42) was illustrated by Lewis (1961) from Guntersville Basin in North Alabama. Other examples were found on the surface in North Alabama, Kentucky Lake in Tennessee, and Madison County, North Carolina. The Ecusta is similar to Decatur and Plevna points inasmuch as all of these types are notched, beveled and may have diagonal flakes struck from the base. Plevna and Decatur points from Kyle Hardin's Baker 1 Site were very similar in workmanship to Ecusta points from this site. All examples are found with early Archaic materials. An Alabama pre-shellmound association is suggested, with a probable date prior to 5000 years ago.
ELK RIVER, Cambron (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962): A-33
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large, stemmed point with oblique-horizontal flaking on the blade faces.
MEASUREMENTS: Measurements of the 15 paratypes (specimens of the original series including the holotype) range as follows: length—maximum, 92 mm.; minimum, 48 mm.; average, 72 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 38 mm.; minimum, 30 mm.; average, 31 mm.: stem width—maximum, 19 mm.; minimum, 15 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem length—maximum, 17 mm.; minimum, 11 mm.; average, 14 mm.: thickness—maximum, 11 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 9 mm. The illustrated example measures 128 mm. in length; 27 mm. in shoulder width; 20 mm. in stem width; 14 mm. in stem length; 9 mm. in thickness.