THE PROJECTILE POINT CLASSIFICATION PROJECT: The ...

FINAL REPORT

THE PROJECTILE POINT CLASSIFICATION PROJECT: The Classification of Projectile Points in Existing Archaeological Collections from North Carolina (Phase I)

by R. P. Stephen Davis, Jr.

and I. Randolph Daniel, Jr.

R. P. Stephen Davis, Jr. Principal Investigator

(Technical Report No. 19) Research Laboratories of Anthropology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

March, 1990

Report prepared under a Survey and Planning Grant from the United States Department of the Interior and administered by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History

FINAL REPORT

PROJECTILE POINT CLASSIFICATION PROJECT: The Classification of Projectile Points in Existing Archaeological Collections from North Carolina

by R. P. Stephen Davis, Jr.

and I. Randolph Daniel, Jr.

R. P. Stephen Davis, Jr. Principal Investigator

Research Laboratories of Anthropology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

March, 1990 Report prepared under a Survey and Planning Grant from the

United States Department of the Interior and administered by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History

ABSTRACT Typological classification of projectile points found on prehistoric archaeological sites has long been recognized and employed by archaeologists as a reliable means of assessing site age and cultural affiliation. The purpose of this study was to classify projectile points from prehistoric sites in North Carolina recorded by early archaeological surveys in order to provide more detailed cultural and chronological information about those sites. Most of the analyzed artifacts were collected prior to about 1960, and are curated at the Research Laboratories of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This study resulted in the classification of 22,244 projectile points and 105 other artifacts, and provides important new information for 1,313 presently-known archaeological sites in 50 separate North Carolina counties. This information should greatly assist efforts directed toward historic preservation planning, archaeological site prediction and evaluation, and research. It is also hoped that this project has demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of enhancing the quality of North Carolina's archaeological site files through the systematic analysis of extant artifact collections.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (original pagination not preserved)

SECTION

PAGE

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................... 1

BACKGROUND...................................................................................................................................... 1

ARTIFACT ANALYSIS .........................................................................................................................3

Site Number ......................................................................................................................................3

Catalog Number................................................................................................................................3

Projectile Point Type Descriptions...................................................................................................4

Other Artifact Type Descriptions...................................................................................................11

Raw Material Types........................................................................................................................12

Modification Types.........................................................................................................................12

RESULTS ...............................................................................................................................................12

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................17

REFERENCES CITED..........................................................................................................................18

APPENDIXES (on file at the Research Laboratories of Anthropology and Office of State Archaeology)

Appendix 1. List of RLA Collections Accessioned Before 1980, With Analyzed Samples Identified......................................................................................................................................A-1

Appendix 2. Inventory of Analyzed Artifacts by Site................................................................... A-103

Appendix 3. Summary of Analyzed Artifacts by Site................................................................... A-220

Appendix 4. Summary of Cultural Components by Site. ............................................................. A-305

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INTRODUCTION

The Projectile Point Classification Project was undertaken to provide more detailed cultural and chronological information about numerous prehistoric archaeological sites recorded during early archaeological surveys of North Carolina. Although the locations of these sites have been known for many years, the cultural components at these sites were largely unknown or poorly recognized. The project's goal was accomplished by the systematic classification of culturally and chronologically sensitive lithic artifacts (namely, projectile points and a few other tool types) and the subsequent compilation of a classified artifact inventory. Although the primary purpose of this inventory is to upgrade the State's archaeological site files housed at the Office of State Archaeology, the data contained in this inventory also comprise an important source of information for future research and will allow the Research Laboratories of Anthropology (RLA) to manage and utilize its collections more effectively.

This study was partially funded by a survey and planning grant from the United States Department of the Interior and administered by the Office of State Archaeology, North Carolina Division of Archives and History. These funds were matched by cash and in-kind support from the Research Laboratories of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The study also was conducted at the Research Laboratories of Anthropology.

Artifact classification was performed by I. Randolph Daniel, Jr., in consultation with R. P. Stephen Davis, Jr. Ms. Heather Pearcy assisted with entering data onto computer files. All computer analyses were conducted by Davis using microcomputers at the Research Laboratories of Anthropology and the mainframe computers at the University of North Carolina.

BACKGROUND

Background research and preparation was undertaken in four phases. First, an analysis format was developed for coding projectile points and selected other artifacts by site number, catalog number, formal type, raw material type, and type of modification (if any). This format closely follows a lithic artifact analysis format currently used by the Research Laboratories of Anthropology for its Siouan Project (Table 1).

Second, comparative type collections were developed. Most of the artifacts in these collections are illustrated specimens that accompanied the original type descriptions (large defined by Coe 1964, Keel 1976, and Oliver 1981) and are on file at the RLA.

Third, the accession records and specimen catalogs at the Research Laboratories of Anthropology were used to identify early survey collections that could be efficiently targeted for

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