KRAMER POINTS
Early to Middle Woodland: 3,000 to 2,000
BP
DESCRIPTION: Kramer points range in size from 40 to
71 mm in length, 17 to 40 mm in width, and 5 to 14 mm in thickness.
The stem length varies from 10 to 22 mm with a stem width from
12 to 20 mm. This is a stemmed lancelate point that tends to have
a straight to slightly convex base. The stem is usually about
one third of the point length and the stem sides are relatively
straight or contracting. The shoulders are pronounced, sometimes
barbed, and arc down into the stem. The blade is triangular or
excurvate in shape and are often heavily reworked. The cross sections
usualy show bi-convex, but occasionally plano-convex shape. The
knapping is poorly done, often leaving promary surfaces on one
or both faces. Percussion flaking was used to shape the point
from a leafe-shaped preform. The stem was shaped by percussion
flaking before pressure flaking was used to shape final blade
edges, tip and hafting elements.
DISTRIBUTION: Kramer points are found primarily in the
lower Great Lakes areas (Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, northern
Ohio, and southern Ontario. Similar point types are also seen
throughout eastern Ontario, western New York and Quebec.
RAW MATERIAL: In southwestern Ontario these points have been manufactured
from Kettle Point, Onondaga and Selkirk cherts. Any exotic cherts
tend to be from Michigan, such as Bayport and Norwood material.
AGE AND CULTURE: This point reflects the Early to Middle
Woodland periods, and are dated to 500 B.C in Michigan at the
Schultz site (Fitting, 1972) and at other Early Woodland sites
in Illinois and Indiana. Kramer points were likely in use about
1 A.D in the midwest USA and southwestern Ontario. It is suggested
that Adena, Robbins, Cresap and Kramer points are contemporary
in southern Ontario, beginning circa 500 B.C. until about 1 A.D.
or later.
REFERENCES: London Chapter, Ontario Archaeological Society.
L. Parker, 1982 Kramer Points. KEWA 92-8. Perino, 1968, pp. 44-45.
Justice, 1995, pp. 184-187. Overstreet, 2003, p. 894.