Other Websites with Detailed Information:
Name Details:
Named By: Stanley South
Named For:
Date Identified: 1959
Type Site: Roanoke River
Small Savannah River
Cluster:
Commonly Utilized Material:
Cherts and rhyolite
Date:
Cultural Period:
4,500 - 2,600 B.P.
Late Archaic to Early Woodland
Neoglacial
Glacial Period:
Culture:
Outline is Representative of Size and Shape:
Description of Physical Characteristics and Flaking Pattern:
This is a medium (1.5 to 2.5 inches) triangular stemmed point with an elliptical cross section. The blade may vary from straight to slightly excurvate. The shoulders may range from horizontal to having an upward angle and may be weak. The stem is straight with a base that is slightly concave. This point has a random flaking pattern.
Size Measurements: Total Length - 33
to 55 mm (average 40 to 50 mm), Stem Length - 9 to 16 mm
(average 11 to 13 mm), Blade Width - 25 to 39 mm (average 28
to 32 mm), Stem Width at Shoulders - 15 to 26 mm (average 19
to 21 mm), Basal Width - 11 to 22 mm (average 16 to 18 mm),
Thickness - 7 to 12 mm (Whatley, 2002).
Distribution:
Distribution Comments:
This point is primarily found in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia and into the Piedmont region of these areas. These points are found
into the Coastal regions of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina.
Related / Associated Points:
Otarre Additional Comments:
The Otarre and Savannah River Small can be confusion. The same points shown in two different books will list differently. Ward and David (1999) shows
the Savannah River Small as a point with a slightly concave base and an Otarre as a straighter or slightly convex base (as labeled here). Bill Oliver (1999, state Archeologist for North Carolina) shows
the exact same points and has flipped the names (Otarre / Small Savannah River Stemmed). WM Hranicky shows examples in his books that does not fit into this category showing a
point with a narrow long stem with upward angled shoulders. Lloyd Schroder (2012 W18) list this point as a smaller version of the Elora point and shows examples with barbed shoulders. (Click on links
above to see examples as typed by Bill Oliver).
Other points in this Cluster:
Point Validity: Valid Type
South is a distinguished anthropologist and was a professor at the South Carolina
Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology. This type was named in his masters thesis in Anthropology at University of North Carolina, and has many professional references. This is considered a valid type.
.
Age Details:
Whatley (2002) states that the Savannah River
Small evolved from Savannah River points in the latter years of the Late
Archaic period. A date range of 3,400 to 3,800 B.P. is estimated for the
Small Savannah River point.
References: (See Reference Page, Entry Number):
23, 30, W18
Savannah River Small Projectile Point, Savannah River Small Arrowhead
