Here are more artifacts found in the last four years, with the exception
of the little point on the left in the fourth row. In 1976 we, like
others, built our house on a hill and moved in that October. The
following Spring, after our front yard was worked up in preparation for
seeding, it rained pretty hard and that was when I first saw that we had
built our house upon an ancient habitation site. There were literally
thousands of flakes and chunks of chert material, and this is one of the
artifacts I found out near the road, which actually cuts through part of
the site. I haven’t been able to find out what type point this is
but I haven’t quit trying. The other point found was a white Kirk
and I haven’t seen it for twenty years or so as it “mysteriously” disappeared
from my jewelry box. My two children, young at the time, said “I don’t
know” took it so I have spent the last twenty-some years looking for the
person named “I don’t know”! Another point of interest would be the
fourth point from the left in the top row. I say it is a broken Kirk,
reworked to make it still usable, and I found it right across the street
a few years ago.....Stone will probably have a different opinion.....
Margo Hupe
This frame of points presents a number of typologies dating from both the
Early Archaic and Late Archaic Periods. In the first row, left, a Kirk
Corner-notched blade exhibits the extensive resharpening and rework
given a hard-used blade. From the angles of the blade’s edges, it would
seem this specimen was used heavily as a knife. The second popint appears
to be a rough, battered and heavily worn Cossatot River point. Third from
the left is an unusually small Hardin-like blade—it’s serrated edges appear
to be well-worn.
The fourth point in this first row is a Kirk Snapped Base point, here
exhibiting the typical classic basal fracturing, which left a flattened,
convex basal edge. Some examples display a slit remnant of a
basal notch which provided the striking platform for removal of the two
flakes which give this type it’s most characteristic feature. Blows struck
from the base-midline outwards were used to accomplish basal fractuing.
Last in the first row is a small Hopewell Blade which has suffered some
basal damage.
Among others worth noting of here are the second specimen in the second
row—a Raddatz point that was heavily resharpened, and last in this row,
a Hopewell blade’s base with lower blade portion still intact. Resharpening
of Hopewell blades can remove so much of the shoulder-tangs that a side-notched
appearance results, whereas Hopewell Blades are generally corner-notched.
The third row contains side-notched and stemmed points which exhibit heavy
wear and damage—these and similar points are difficult to type, due to
variables in form and workmanship being partly obliterated by wear and
damage.
In the fourth row, the first point appears to be a worn and resharpened
Fox Valley Bifurcate, with the corner of one shoulder and upper portion
of the blade missing. Following this are an ovate blade/preform, then two
Gibson-like points and lastly, a Kirk Corner-notch point with it’s upper
blade missing.
The last row displays three uniface scrapers. The first example is
roughly ovoid in form, and lacks the finer workmanship seen in other specimens.
The middle specimen is especially interesting in that it is well-formed
and bears hafting notches near the tapered end. Notice the well-worn appearance
of the broad, rounded working edge. The final example is likely to have
been used as a knife or reamer. Such tools were used to shape other materials,
or to scrape hides with.
Stone Sweet
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