NANTICOKE NOTCHED POINTS
Late Woodland: 500 to 350 BP
DESCRIPTION: Nanticoke Notched points range in size
from 24 to 55 mm in length, 12 to 22 mm in width, and 3 to 7 mm
in thickness. Basal width between notches tends to be about 5
to 12 mm. This is a side notched isosceles triangular point,
on which both lateral edges are either slightly convex or straight,
depending on the resharpening. Basal edge configuaration ranges
from relatively straight to concave. The cross sections are lenticular
bi-convex. Side notches can vary from deep and narrow to the shallow
and wide variants characteristic of many of the later specimens.
Workmanship shows complete bifacial flaking in most cases, but
some examples display total secondary retouch over one face and
only edge retouching on the other side.
DISTRIBUTION: Nanticoke Notched points are distributed
throughout southwestern Ontario. They have been found as far east
as the St. Lawrence Valley and Jefferson County, New York, and
occur commonly as far north as the south shore of Georgian Bay.
RAW MATERIAL: Obviously Onondaga chert is the predominant
raw material, but a number of specimens were manufactured from
Kettle Point chert as well.
AGE AND CULTURE: This point was in use among Ontario Iroquoian
groups from about 1400 to 1500 A.D. The vast majority were manufactured
by prehistoric Neutral craftmen, often right at the Onondaga outcrops
where workshop sites were set up. Some also appear to have been
produced "in house" on the Parsons and Draper Southern
Division Huron villages. These points have been recorded on many
prehistoric Northern Division Huron, and some St. Lawrence Iroquois
village sites as well.
REFERENCES: London Chapter, Ontario Archaeological Society.
W. A. Fox, 1981 Nanticoke Notched Points KEWA 81-3.