Name Details:
Named By: Ripley P. Bullen
Named For: Type Site
Date Identified: 1958
Type Site: Suwannee Site on the Suwannee River, Suwannee County, Florida
Suwannee
Cluster:
Commonly Utilized Material:
Date:
Cultural Period:
10,800 -10,000 B.P.
Late Paleo
Late Pleistocene
Glacial Period:
Culture:
Outline is Representative of Size and Shape:
Description of Physical Characteristics and Flaking Pattern:
This is a thick medium to
large articulate lanceolate with a flattened to elliptical cross section. The blade is recurvate, curving in at the tip and flaring out towards the base. The base is concave. The base is commonly thinned and grinding is seen on the hafting region,
but this type is never fluted. This point has a
random flaking pattern.
Size Measurements: Total Length - 40 to
120 mm (average 75 to 80 mm), Blade Width - 25 to 40 mm (average 28 to 34 mm),
Waist Width - 2 to 4 mm narrower than blade, Basal Width - 25 to
43 mm (typically 3 to 5 mm wider than waist), Thickness - 7 to 10
mm, Basal Concavity - 2 to 5 mm
Distribution:
Distribution Comments:
This point is primarily found in Florida and into southern Georgina, southeastern Alabama, and southwestern South Carolina.
Additional Comments:
This point is similar to the Simpson point except that it does not have the narrow waist commonly seen with the Simpson point. Other differences is that the hafting region is not as long and the the point is
generally thicker than seen in the Simpson point (Farr, 2006). The Suwannee Waited type proposed by Dunbar and Hemming (2004) has a narrow constricting waist similar to the Simpson point.
Bullen (1975) points out that Simpson points are similar, but have a
narrower base with a narrower waist and can be fluted.
See link below for additional examples
Other points in this Cluster:
Point Validity: Valid Type
Bullen was a distinguished
anthropologist and Curator Emeritus of the Florida Museum of Natural History. He was dedicated to identifying and typing projectile points from Florida. This point was named in a professional publication and is professionally a widely recognized type. This is a valid type.
.
Age Details:
Suwannee points like similar Simpson points are part of the Middle
Paleoindian period. A date range of 10,800 to 10,500 B.P. is suggested
by Anderson and Sassaman (l996l). However, it is thought to occur slightly
later than Simpson points.
References: (See Reference Page, Entry Number):
23, 30, 58, 59, 162, 167, W18
Suwannee Projectile Point, Suwannee Arrowhead,
