MEADOWOOD CACHE POINTS
Early to Middle Woodland: 3,000 to 2,000
BP
DESCRIPTION: Meadowood cache blades range in size from
45 to 90 mm in length, but averaging 50 mm to 75 mm. Maximum width
ranges from 20 mm to 40 mm, with 25-35 mm typical. Maximum thickness
is usually between 4 mm and 7 mm. Typically the cache blades have
convex lateral margins and convex bases. A notable feature is
their flattened lenticular (biconvex) cross section. The width
of the cache blades tends to be quite standardized, but the length
varies considerably. Accordingly, their breadth-to-length ratio
displays high variability (although within a site it may be fairly
uniform); some cache blades have rather squat proportions, while
other may have long, graceful outlines.
DISTRIBUTION: These Meadowood cache blades are found throughout
most of southern Ontario. Very similar types are also found to
the west, well beyond this area, and are known as Pomranky points
after a site in central Michigan.
RAW MATERIAL: Mainly Onondaga chert.
AGE AND CULTURE: These cache blades are characteristic
of the Early Woodland Meadowood culture. There is a 520 B.C. carbon-14
date for the Bruce Boyd site near Long Point on Lake Erie.
REFERENCES: London Chapter, Ontario Archaeological Society.
I. Kenyon, 1980. Meadowood Cache Blades. KEWA 80-5. Ritchie, 1961,
pp. 35-36. Justice, 1995, pp. 144-146, 170-172. Overstreet, 2003,
pp. 145-146, 516-517.