HI-LO POINTS

Paleo-Indian: 10,000 to 8,000 BP

DESCRIPTION: Hi-Lo points range in size from 26 to 59 mm in length, 18 to 29 mm in width, and 6.5 to 11 mm in thickness. These lanceolate points have eared concave haft elements exhibiting basal and lateral grinding, and basal facial thinning, usually attained by the removal of one or more parallel-sided flakes. There is considerable variability in blade shape, largely due to resharpening. Unresharpened or lightly resharpened points have excurvate blade edges with maximum width and thickness at blade midpoint, a biconvex to plano-convex cross section and a slight shoulder at the blade element/haft element juncture. Resharpened points have straight to incurvate lateral edges, with maximum width and thickness at the top of the lateral grinding, a biconvex to "twisted" parallelogram cross section and little or no shoulders. Un resharpened specimens display well executed collateral to rough parallel flaking, but resharpened points show little consistent pattern to removals. About 66% of available samples exhibit edge beveling, predominantly on the left and on alternate edges.



DISTRIBUTION: Hi-Lo points are found throughout southwestern Ontario and along the north shore of Lake Ontario. They also occur in Michigan, Wisconsin, and possibly Minnesota and northern Illinois.

RAW MATERIAL: Onondaga, Haldimand and Kettle Point cherts are the predominant identifiable materials on Ontario sites..

AGE AND CULTURE: Hi-Lo points are considered to be a late Paleo-Indian point form. The combination of a lanceolate shape and a high incidence of edge beveling only occurs elsewhere on Dalton points (Chapman 1948), and its regional variants such as San Patrice-Hope (Duffield 1963). These forms are dated between 10,500 and 9,500 B.P.

REFERENCES: London Chapter, Ontario Archaeological Society. Chris Ellis, 1981 Hi-Lo Points. KEWA 81-2.Justice, 1995, pp.44-46.