FLAKING: Broad, shallow, random flaking was used to shape the blade and hafting area. Small, fairly deep flakes were removed in retouching the blade and stem edges. Most stem bases have been thinned, but a few are crudely finished.
FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders are usually tapered but may be horizontal and are sometimes rounded. Blade edges are excurvate. The distal end is sharply acute or acuminate. The stem is expanded, sometimes only slightly. Side edges are usually straight. The basal edge is usually thinned and straight but may be excurvate. About half of the examples have ground bases, and several bases retain rind from the parent material.
COMMENTS: It is named from points found on sites near Mud Creek in Limestone County, Alabama. The illustrated example is from Hulse Site 50 in Limestone County, Alabama. The type is similar to Lange points (Bell, 1958) in outline, but is narrower in proportion and differs in other features. At Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962) one example each was recovered from Levels 1, 2, and 3; two from Level 5; one from Level 7; two from Level 9. This indicates a late Archaic to Woodland association at this site. At Flint Creek Rock Shelter (Cambron and Waters, 1961) two examples were recovered from the bottom of Stratum I (Woodland) and two from the top of Stratum II (Archaic). One example appeared in Zone A (early Woodland or late Archaic) at the Little Bear Creek Mound (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948b). At Flint River Mound (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948a) Zone A (Woodland) produced one Mud Creek point; Zone B (lower Woodland), two examples; while the Archaic zones produced 25 examples, 22 from Zone C (upper Archaic), one from Zone C-D and two from Zone D (bottom Archaic). This indicates a strong late Archaic association at this site. This evidence and surface associations suggest a strong late Archaic type that existed into Woodland times.
MULBERRY CREEK, DeJarnette (DeJarnette, Kurjack and Cambron, 1962): A-63
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is a medium to large, stemmed point with pronounced excurvate blade.
MEASUREMENTS: Ten cotypes, from the Little Bear Creek Shell Mound (Webb and DeJarnette, 1948b) provided the following measurements and traits: length—maximum, 116 mm.; minimum, 81 mm.; average, 96 mm.: blade width—maximum, 36 mm.; minimum, 22 mm.; average. 30 mm.: shoulder width—maximum, 30 mm.; minimum, 20 mm.; average, 25 mm.: stem width—maximum, 20 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 17 mm.: stem length—maximum, 16 mm.; minimum, 12 mm.; average, 15 mm.: thickness—maximum, 12 mm.; minimum, 9 mm.; average, 10 mm. The illustrated example provided the following measurements: length, 81 mm.; blade width, 30 mm.; shoulder width, 28 mm.; stem width, 17 mm.; stem length, 13 mm.; thickness, 10 mm.
FORM: The cross-section is biconvex. Shoulders are narrow, usually tapered, and may be asymmetrical. Blade edges are excurvate, with the widest point near the midsection, and may be finely serrated. The distal end is usually acute but may be acuminate. The stem may be tapered or straight, rarely expanded. The basal edge is usually excurvate, but may be straight, and is poorly thinned. Stem edges are usually ground.
FLAKING: Broad, shallow, random flaking was used to shape the faces. Fine retouch was carried out along the blade edges. The stem edges were usually more crudely retouched. Local materials, especially Ft. Payne chert, were used.