STANLEY/NEVILLE POINTS
Early to Middle Archaic: 8,000 to 4,500
BP
DESCRIPTION: Stanley/Neville points range in size from
30 to 54 mm in length, 19 to 26 mm in width, 4 to 10 mm in thicknessand
a basal width is 8 to 14 mm. This is a small Christmas tree style
form with a relatively broad triangular blade, and short narrow
stem. The edges range from slightly convex to straight to incurvate,
and rarely are serrated. Stem sides are parallel to mildly contracting,
and sometimes exhibit a small amount of ear flaring. The juncture
of the stem and blade is usually right angled to slightly obtuse,
and is rounded, rather than abrupt in plan. Bases can be straight
to shallowly notched or concave. The cross section is generally
lenticular, but can be flat plano-convex. Base and stem edges
were rarely ground.
DISTRIBUTION: These points occur widely throughout eastern
North America, from the Great Lakes area south to Alabama and
the Carolinas, and as far east as Maine. They are documented throughout
southwestern Ontario as far north as the southern Lake Huron basin
(Dellar 1986; Wright 1978). They also occur as far east and north
as Rice Lake.
RAW MATERIAL: Ontario examples recorded range from Onondaga,
Selkirk, Gull River, Kettle Point and Upper Mercer cherts. These
points appear to have been made largely from small, thin flakes,
and some retain an unflaked surface remnant of the flat centre
of the flake blank. Flaking is generally unpatterned and consists
of a shallow, small, expanding surface retouch. Edges were regularized
by fine retouching. Bases were thinned by the removal of a short
(ca. 5-10 mm) flake on one face only.
AGE AND CULTURE: Absolute dates are lacking for the few
known Ontario sites. However, in areas to the south of Ontario
they are consistantly C-14 dated to the beginning of the Middle
Archaic around 8,000 to 7,500 B.P. A similar age is strongly suggested
for the Ontario finds.
REFERENCES: London Chapter, Ontario Archaeological Society.
C. Ellis, 1987 Stanley/Neville Points. KEWA 87-9.