Name Details:
Named By: William Richie
Named For: Points found by Thomas Daniels in Otter Creek Valley, Vermont
Date Identified: 1971
Type Site:
Otter Creek
Cluster:
Commonly Utilized Material:
quartz, quartzite, rhyolite, chert
Date:
Cultural Period:
6,000 - 4,300 B.P.
Middle to Late Archaic
Neoglacial
Glacial Period:
Culture:
Outline is Representative of Size and Shape:
Description of Physical Characteristics and Flaking Pattern:
This is a
medium to large triangular side notched point with an elliptical cross section. The blade may resemble a lanceolate to ovoid or excurvate, but many examples have a
straight blade. Parallel notches in the blade create shoulders that are horizontal to having an upward slope. The stem
is expanding with "squarish" tangs or ears. The base is primarily concave, but may occasionally be straight.
Occasionally basal thinning is present. This point
has basal grinding and a random flaking pattern.
Size Measurements: Length - 25 to 115 mm
(average 70 to 89 mm), Stem Length - 10 to 18 mm, Width
(blade and stem) - 18 to 33 mm, Neck Width - 14 to 24 mm, Thickness - 6 to
13 mm
Distribution:
Distribution Comments:
This point is primarily found in the Otter
Creek region of Vermont and into the surrounding region of Maine, Quebec
and Ontario. This point has been found through out the Hudson
River basin of New York and the Susquehanna River basin of Pennsylvania.
Has been reported in New Brunswick, Canada
Additional Comments:
Many point may exhibit unilateral wear, even blades that have had heavy re-sharpening tend to remain symmetric with the bases. However, these points may have an asymmetrical cross section.
Heavily re-worked points may take on an appearance of a Brewerton Eared Notch point (Ebright, 1992).
Other points in this Cluster:
Point Validity: Valid Type
Richie was a prominent
anthropologist who served as the state archaeologist for the State of New York, the State Museum and Science Service. He excavated over 100 sites in the state of New York
and published over 150 professional publications. He named this type in a professional publication and this type has many professional references. This is considered a valid type.
.
Age Details:
This is part of the Vergennes Phase of the Archaic Laurentian manifestation in western Vermont.
Pictures Provided By:
Sherrie Pellerin
Terry Summers
Lee W.
Dan OHora
Dexter Johnson
Windy City Artifacts
References: (See Reference Page, Entry Number):
23, 30, W9, W10, W11
Otter Creek Projectile Point, Otter Creek Arrowhead
