Name Details:
Named By: Patrick J. Munson
(named) / Gregory Perino (further discussed)
Named For:
Date Identified: 1966 / 1968
Type Site: Sheets Site, Illinois
Kramer
Cluster: Early Woodland Stemmed Cluster
Commonly Utilized Material:
A variety of locally heat treated cherts including Kettle
Point chert, Onondaga chert, Selkirk chert and sometimes exotic cherts
such as Bayport chert and Norwood chert.
Date:
Cultural Period:
3,000 - 1,900 B.P.
Early Woodland
Neoglacial to Roman Warm
Red Ocher Culture
Glacial Period:
Culture:
Outline is Representative of Size and Shape:
Description of Physical Characteristics and Flaking Pattern:
This is a medium
narrow
lanceolate shaped stemmed point with an elliptical to plano-convex cross section. The blade is primarily excurvate
and elongated. The shoulders are primarily
shallow varying from weak to moderately pronounced and may vary from horizontal to having a upward tapper. The stem is long
(longer than wide and commonly over 1/3 the total length of the point) and may be straight to slightly contracting.
The stem commonly is unfinished and may be thicker than the blade. The base may range from straight to convex with basal corners
that may be rounded or square.
Alternating beveling is commonly present on the stem, but not the
blade. Heavy lateral and basal grinding is commonly seen on the stem. This point
are commonly crudely manufactured using broad random percussion flaking with minimal
pressure flaking. Cortex or primary material are commonly present on
one or both faces forming a random
flaking pattern
Size Measurements:
Total Length - 40 to 100 mm (average 49 to 53 mm), Blade Length - 22
to 73 mm, Stem Length - 10 to 27 mm, Width - 17 to 40 mm, Stem Width - 12 to 20
mm, Thickness - 5 to 14 mm
Distribution:
Distribution Comments:
These points are primarily found in the Ohio River valley and into
southwestern Ontario. These points are found into eastern Iowa and
southeastern Minnesota in areas associated with the Red Ocher Culture.
Related / Associated Points:
Adena, Adena Blade, Adena Dickson, Adena Narrow Stem, Adena Robbins, Adena Snapped Base, Adena Vanishing Stem, Adena Waubesa, Cresap, Gary, Little Bear Creek Additional Comments:
Points in this cluster were commonly used from the late Archaic period through the early to middle Woodland period (Justice 1987).
This type is associated with the Red Ocher culture which has lead to
considerable confusion. The Red Ocher was thought of as an exclusively
Late Archaic phenomenon because Red Ocher burials lack pottery. It has
since been recognized that Red Ocher is the mortuary component of the
earliest Early Woodland period in the upper Midwest. Kramer points date to
circa 1000 to 500 B.C.E. (Morrow, 2016).
Morrow (2016) notes that the stem is formed using alternate unifacial
retouch; meaning, the stems were made in a fashion that they resemble the
resharpened blades of Early Archaic points and knives and have a rhomboidal
cross section. This technique is also seen on Adena and Waubesa
points. The stem commonly exhibits a technique seen on the Lamoka point
(W14).
Point Validity: Valid Type
Munson is an anthropologist and professor of anthropology at the Indiana University. He has conducted extensive studies into the archaeology of
Indiana. This point was named in a professional publication and has many professional references. This is considered a valid
type.
.
Age Details:
Kramer points are often found with Marion Thick
Early Woodland pottery. Munson (1966, 1982) considers both artifact types
part of the non-mortuary aspect of the Late Archaic Red Ocher complex
(Morrow, 2016)
References: (See Reference Page, Entry Number):
10, 12, 23, 30, 37, 168, 179, W2, W11, W14
Kramer Projectile Point, Kramer Arrowhead
