Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I, Point Types

by James W. Cambron; David C. Hulse

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Jude is a small, straight-stemmed point with a short blade.

MEASUREMENTS: Eight cotypes from the type site area and one example from Colbert County, Alabama provided the traits and the following measurements: length—maximum, 29 mm.; minimum, 19 mm.; average, 24 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 23 mm.; minimum, 17 mm.; average, 20 mm.: stem width—maximum, 16 mm.; minimum, 13 mm.; average, 15 mm.: stem length—maximum, 12 mm.; minimum, 10 mm.; average, 11 mm.: thickness—maximum, 6 mm.; minimum, 5 mm.; average, 5 mm. The illustrated example measures 25 mm. in length, 19 mm. in shoulder width, 15 mm. in stem width, 11 mm. in stem length and 5 mm. in thickness.

FORM: The cross-section is usually biconvex; rarely, plano-convex. Shoulders are usually horizontal; rarely, tapered or inversely tapered. Blade edges are nearly always straight; rarely, excurvate. The distal end is usually acute. The stem is straight or, rarely, slightly expanded. Stem width exceeds the stem length. Side edges of the stem are straight. The thinned basal edge is usually slightly incurvate but may be straight. All stem edges are usually lightly ground.

FLAKING: Broad, shallow, random flakes shape the blade and stem and are followed along all edges by similar but somewhat shorter secondary flaking. All measured examples were made of local material and except for one made of smoky quartz, all were patinated.

COMMENTS: The type was named after Jude Hollow in Madison County, Alabama, where examples were first recognized. The illustrated example is from Brosemer Site 6 in Jude Hollow. Examples from surface collections have produced a range of cultural material including Paleo-Indian and Transitional Paleo-Indian, as well as Archaic and Woodland. The most frequent associations indicate early Archaic or Transitional Paleo-Indian, as do patination and basal grinding. On at least one site in Colbert County, Alabama, later Archaic and Woodland artifacts are absent (Holland, personal communication). Several examples were recovered from the Cave Springs Site (Moebes, 1974) in association with and below Big Sandy and Dalton points. This association indicates a Transitional Paleo-Indian association at this site. The type seems to be somewhat similar to Elam points of Texas (Suhm and Jelks, 1962).

KAYS, Kneberg (Kneberg, 1956): A-49

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Kays point is a medium to large, straight-stemmed point with excurvate blade.

MEASUREMENTS: Seven plesiotypes from Cambron Site 4, Limestone County, Alabama, provided traits and the following measurements: length—maximum, 88 mm.; minimum, 56 mm.; average, 63 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 32 mm.; minimum, 26 mm.; average, 30 mm.: stem width—maximum, 17 mm.; minimum, 16 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem length—maximum, 14 mm.; minimum, 13 mm.; average, 14 mm.: thickness—maximum, 11 mm.; minimum, 9 mm.; average, 9 mm. The illustrated example measures 59 mm. in length, 30 mm. in shoulder width, 17 mm. in stem width, 14 mm. in stem length, and 9 mm. in thickness.