FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders are usually asymmetrical, with one being wider than the other. Shoulders may be tapered or straight. "The distinctive feature of the blade is its asymmetry. The side edges are usually recurvate, but the recurvature is reversed on the two side edges." (Kneberg, 1956.) The distal end is acute. The stem may be straight or slightly expanded. The basal edge is usually straight; rarely, excurvate and thinned.
FLAKING: The blade and hafting area are shaped by broad, shallow, random flaking. Secondary flaking ranges in extent from regular flaking along the sides to the faces with fine retouch along the blade edges, to practically non-existent secondary flaking on some examples. Local materials were generally used.
COMMENTS: The type was named for the Ledbetter Site in Benton County, Tennessee. The illustrated example is from Cambron Site 48 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. One example was recovered from Level 4 at the University of Alabama Site Ms 201 in Marshall County, Alabama. This indicates a late Archaic or early Woodland association. At the Eva Site (Lewis and Lewis, 1961) most examples appear to have originated late in the Archaic period. Examples were recovered from the Big Sandy component and Stratum II (top) of the Three Mile component. Examples are found on Archaic sites in North Alabama. Kneberg (1956) suggests a date of from about 2000 B. C. to early centuries A. D.
LERMA POINTED BASE, Termed "Lerma" by MacNeish (Suhm, Krieger and Jelks, 1954): A-54
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large, lanceolate point with a pointed base.
MEASUREMENTS: Twenty points from 15 sites in the Tennessee Valley (Soday and Cambron, n. d.) provided the following measurements; length—maximum, 104 mm.; minimum, 48 mm.; average, 74 mm.: width—average, 23 mm.: thickness—average, 10 mm. The illustrated example is 110 mm. long, 28 mm. wide, and 9 mm. thick.
FORM: The cross-section may be plano-convex or biconvex. The widest part of the point is usually about one-third of the length of the point from the base. From its widest part to the distal end, the blade is excurvate or sometimes nearly straight. The distal end is acute. The base is pointed and may be broad or acute.