Description: Benton Stemmed is a large projectile point with distinct oblique parallel flaking on the blade and a flattened, plano-convex or biconvex cross section. Stems are slightly expanded or straight. Edge beveling occurs on the base, stem, and notch, and occasionally on the blade. The edge bevel is bifacially flaked, which produces a flattened, hexagonal shape in cross section at the haft. The shoulders of the point are never barbed, while blades are usually bifacially flaked but can be unifacially flaked. Points with unifacial oblique flaking tend to show large percussion thinning scars on the opposite face and to have a plano-convex cross section. Length ranges from 4.5 to 9.7 cm. Shoulder width ranges from 2.5 to 3.0 cm, and width from 0.5 to 0.9 cm. Distribution: Benton Stemmed points have a limited special distribution in the southeastern U.S., where they occur primarily in northern Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Benton Stemmed points have also been found north of the Ohio River valley into central Indiana. Age and Associations: In the Southeast, Benton Stemmed points are found in Middle to Late Archaic contexts that date around 3500 to 2000 B.C. The type predates later Archaic points in that part of the country, such as Cotaco Creek and Mulberry Creek, and is often found in association with Big Sandy components in Tennessee.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 01:14:15 +0000
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