KNIGHT ISLAND, Hulse (This Paper): A-21-a
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium-sized, thin, side notched point.
MEASUREMENTS: Ten cotypes, nine from North Alabama and one from Washington County, Alabama, provided traits and the following measurements: length—maximum, 60 mm.; minimum, 40 mm.; average, 49 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 20 mm.; minimum, 15 mm.; average, 18 mm.: stem width—maximum, 20 mm.; minimum, 14 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem length—maximum, 11 mm.; minimum, 5 mm.; average, 9 mm.: thickness—maximum, 6 mm.; minimum, 3 mm.; average, 5 mm. The illustrated example measures 55 mm. long, 18 mm. wide at shoulders, 15 mm. wide across stem, 16 mm. in stem length, and 11 mm. thick.
FORM: The cross-section is usually flattened; rarely, plano-convex. The shoulders are usually straight on narrow-notched examples and inversely tapered on the broader-notched examples. The blade is usually excurvate, but may be parallel angular. Blade edges of the Washington County example are finely serrated. The distal end is acute. The hafting area is side notched about 3 or 4 mm. from the base. The notches average about 3 mm. deep and vary from 8 mm. to 3 mm. wide (average width, 5 mm.). The basal edge is straight except on the Washington County example, where it is slightly incurvate. The basal edge is usually thinned, and may be lightly ground.
FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are shaped by broad, shallow, random flaking and retouched by fine, secondary flaking. The notches, formed by the removal of broad flakes, are usually finely retouched.
COMMENTS: The type was named for Knight Island in the Wheeler Reservoir of the Tennessee River where examples were first recognized. The illustrated example is from Hulse Site 17, Limestone County, Alabama. The type may be related to "Upper Valley Side Notched," briefly described by Kneberg (1956). Ritchie's illustrations of Jacks Reef Corner Notched (1961, page 79, Figure 8 and possibly Figure 7) appear to be of the Knight Island type. Both types are usually found on late Woodland sites in North Alabama. One example was recovered from Hn 1, Hardin County, Tennessee (Webb and DeJarnette, 1942), below the three-foot level, which produced Mississippian point types. It is possible that the radiocarbon date of 1056 ±250 B. P. obtained for Jacks Reef Corner Notched at the White Site, Norwich, New York, (Ritchie, 1961) applies to Knight Island. A larger variant is also recognized from Alabama. Reed points (Bell, 1958) are similar to Knight Island except that Reed blade edges are usually straight.