FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are formed by broad, shallow, random flaking. Retouching was done by carefully controlled, broad, shallow secondary flaking followed by fine retouching along the blade edges. Broad flakes were struck off to form the notches, which were then finely retouched. This point is usually made of local materials.
COMMENTS: The type was named after the Jacks Reef Site in Onondaga County, New York. Ritchie previously referred to the type as "broad corner notched" or corner notched with angular edges. The illustrated example is from Cambron Site 116, Limestone County, Alabama. A radiocarbon date of 1056 ±250 B. P. was obtained for samples from the White Site, Norwich, New York (Ritchie, 1961). It is considered to be late middle Woodland and early late Woodland in New York. It is an important type in central New York and occurs in Ohio (Ritchie, 1961). An example from Site Ct 27 was illustrated (Plate 294, No. 1) by Webb and DeJarnette (1942) as Type 47. For several years, the type has been referred to in the Tennessee Valley where it is found on late Woodland sites, as "Corner Notched Woodland". One example was recovered from Level 3, Zone A at Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962), six from Zone A (Woodland) at Ma 48 (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a) and one example each from Levels 1 and 2 at Ms 201, Rockhouse Shelter, in Marshall County, Alabama. Examples from P-12 Pit at Russell Cave in Jackson County, Alabama, were dated by radiocarbon method at 1500 ±175 B. P. (John W. Griffin, personal communication).
JACKS REEF PENTAGONAL, Ritchie (Ritchie, 1961): A-60a
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a thin, small to medium-sized pentagonal point.
MEASUREMENTS: Fifteen plesiotypes, including the illustrated example from Cambron Site 27, Limestone County, Alabama, provided the following traits and measurements: length—maximum, 61 mm.; minimum, 25 mm.; average, 42 mm.: width—maximum, 31 mm.; minimum, 14 mm.; average, 20 mm.: width at base—maximum, 23 mm.; minimum, 13 mm.; average, 16 mm.: thickness—maximum, 8 mm.; minimum, 3 mm.; average, 4 mm.: length of hafting area—maximum, 28 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 20 mm.
FORM: The cross-section is flattened. The blade is straight; the distal end, acute. The hafting area consists of one-half to one-third (usually about two-fifths) of the length of the point. It is contracted, with straight side edges. The basal edge may be straight or incurvate 1 or 2 mm. and is thinned. There is usually a sharp break between the blade and the hafting area.
FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are shaped by broad, shallow, random flaking. Fine retouch was used to finish all edges. The basal edge is treated in the same manner as the blade and hafting area edges. Local materials were used.
COMMENTS: The type was named after the late Point Peninsula Jacks Reef Site in Onondaga County, New York. The illustrated example is from Cambron Site 27, Limestone County, Alabama. Alabama examples are narrower and longer than New York examples as described by Ritchie (1961). The type has been classified locally as "Mississippi Pentagonal". The type was dated at the White Site near Norwich, Chenango County, New York, at 1057 ±250 B. P. (Ritchie, 1961). Ritchie also mentioned a thicker, cruder middle Archaic variant. The type is coeval with Jacks Reef Corner Notched at Point Peninsula and Owasco sites in New York. At the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962), two examples were recovered from Level 1 and one from Level 3. This indicates a late Woodland association at this site. At the University of Alabama Site Ms 201, in Marshall County, Alabama, one example was recovered from Level 1, two from Level 2 and one each from Levels 4 and 5. This occurrence indicates a Woodland association. Associations in surface collections indicate a late Woodland association. The larger, broader examples may be derived from Copena Triangular points, but all examples were made in a manner similar to the way in which Madison points were made. This indicates a transitional placement between Copena and Mississippian. The type is probably around 1000 years in age or older in Alabama.