Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I, Point Types

by James W. Cambron; David C. Hulse

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a small to medium-sized point with an expanded stem, incurvate base and random flaking.

MEASUREMENTS: Eight cotypes from sites in South Calhoun County and North Talladega County, Alabama provided traits and the following measurements: length—maximum, 52 mm.; minimum, 41 mm.; average, 45 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 31 mm.; minimum, 26 mm.; average, 28 mm.: stem width—maximum, 28 mm.; minimum, 21 mm.; average, 26 mm.: stem length—maximum, 13 mm.; minimum, 10 mm.; average, 12 mm.: thickness—maximum, 13 mm.; minimum, 8 mm.; average, 9 mm. The illustrated example measures 46 mm. long, 31 mm. wide at the shoulders, 27 mm. wide across the stem, 12 mm. in stem length, and 9 mm. thick.

FORM: The cross-section is usually flattened but may be biconvex. Shoulders are inversely tapered. The blade may be excurvate or straight. The distal end is usually acute but may be broad. The stem is expanded and the side edges may be ground. The basal edge is incurvate and thinned.

FLAKING: Because of the poor grade of material used, the shallow, random flaking which shapes the blade and stem is, in most cases, poor. Some blade edges may be finely serrated.

COMMENTS: The type was named from the Lehmann Rock Shelter in Texas by J. Charles Kelley (1947b) and was described by Suhm and Krieger who also give an estimated age of about 1000 B. C. to 500 A. D. or part thereof (Suhm, Krieger and Jelks, 1954). Suhm and Krieger list the Fairland type as characteristic of Central Texas. Occasional examples appear in collections throughout Oklahoma and elsewhere (Bell, 1960). Four of the eight measured examples are made of quartzite and four are made of a poor grade of flint The illustrated example is made of quartzite. All examples, including 39 that were broken and not measured, are from the collection of Eugene L. Grace of Anniston, Alabama. They were recovered from late Archaic and early Woodland sites.

FLINT CREEK, Cambron (Cambron, 1958b): A-37

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Flint Creek is a medium to large, finely serrated, stemmed point.

MEASUREMENTS: Examples which provided the features (including the illustrated example) ranged in measurements as follows: length—maximum, 76 mm.; minimum, 39 mm.; average, 55 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 29 mm.; minimum, 18 mm.; average, 23 mm.: stem width—maximum, 19 mm.; minimum, 13 mm.; average, 16 mm.: stem length—maximum, 15 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 11 mm.: thickness—maximum, 12 mm.; minimum, 7 mm.; average, 10 mm.