FLAKING: The blade and hafting area were shaped by random percussion flaking. Many of the flakes are rather deep. Some retouch appears along the edges, especially along the blade edges, of about half the examples.
COMMENTS: The type was named after Flint River Mound at the mouth of Flint River in Madison County, Alabama (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a), where the illustrated example was recovered. Of the 41 examples from this site, 24 were from upper Zone A (Woodland), 14 from lower Zone A and Zone B (Woodland) and three from upper Zone C (Archaic). Two examples were recovered from Level 3 (Woodland) at University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama. Six examples (excluding material from the 100-foot trench) were recovered at the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962): two examples were recovered from Level 1, Zone A, one each from Levels 2, 3 and 6, Zone A, and one from Level 1 of Zone B. Flint River Spike and Bradley Spike appear to be of late Woodland cultural association and may be typologically related. Unlike Bradley Spike, however, Flint River Spike has no stem and may be retouched along the blade edges. A late Woodland association is suggested for Flint River Spike in North Alabama.
FORT ANCIENT, Bell (Bell, 1960): A-39
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a small to medium, thick, triangular point that may be serrated.
MEASUREMENTS: Bell (1960) lists the length as from about 30 mm. to 50 mm. and the width as about 15 mm. or less. The illustrated example measures 32 mm. long, 14 mm. wide, and 6 mm. thick.
FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex. The blade is usually straight but may be slightly incurvate near the distal end or, rarely, excurvate. Blade edges may be serrated. (Serrated examples are more readily identified.) The distal end may be keenly acute or acuminate. The base may be straight or excurvate. It is usually thinned and may be slightly expanded.
FLAKING: The point displays random flaking which is usually broad and fairly deep, with some fine retouch near the distal end. The serrations on the serrated examples are the result of the removal of broad regular flakes from the edge of alternate faces, leaving an irregular pattern along the blade edges. Occasionally the basal edge was retouched as well as thinned by removal of broad flakes.
COMMENTS: "The Fort Ancient points are associated with the Feurt Focus of the Fort Ancient aspect of the Ohio Valley. The Fort Ancient point has been recognized among archaeologists, both amateur and professional, in the Ohio region for a number of years." (Bell, 1960). The illustrated example is from Cambron Site 27, Limestone County, Alabama. This Woodland-Mississippian site has produced Fort Ancient, Madison, Jacks Reef Corner Notched, Knight Island, Swan Lake and Copena points. One Fort Ancient point was recovered from Level 1 at University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama. Bell (1960) dates the type at some time from about 1200 A. D. to 1600 A. D. Morgan (1952), in summarizing the prehistoric Indian cultures of the Ohio region, says of the Fort Ancient aspect of the Mississippian period: "Their trait assemblage is indicative of a people with a mixed cultural background, both Woodland and Mississippi elements being involved. White trade goods at one site show that some of these people were probably still in existence as late as the last quarter of the seventeenth century."