SIZE: Length = 30-54 mm (mean of 38.9 mm); Stem Length = 7-12 (8.6); Blade Length = 19-36 (30); Width = 19- 26 (22.5); Basal Width = 8-14 (10.3); Thickness = 4-10 (6.3).

SHAPE: A small, “Christmas tree-like” form with a relatively broad, triangular blade and short, narrow stem. Fore-section edges range from slightly convex to straight to incurvate and rarely, are serrated. Stems are parallel-sided to mildly contracting towards the base and sometimes exhibit a small amount of ear flaring. The juncture of the stem and blade is usually right-angled to slightly obtuse and is rounded rather than abrupt in plan. Bases can be straight but more often are shallowly notched or concave. Cross-sections are generally lenticular but can be a flat plano-convex.

FLAKING: These points appear to have been made largely on small, thin flakes and some points retain an unflaked surface remnant of the flat interior of the flake blank. Flaking is generally unpatterned and consists of a shallow, small, expanding surface retouch. Edges were regularized by the application of a fine and generally discontinuous retouch. Bases are almost always thinned by the removal of a short (ca. 5-10 mm) flake on one face. Base and stem edges are rarely ground.

RAW MATERIAL: Ontario examples are known on Onondaga, Selkirk, Gull River, Kettle Point and Upper Mercer cherts.

DISTRIBUTION: These points occur widely throughout eastern North America from the Great Lakes area south to Alabama and the Carolinas and as far east as Maine. They are documented throughout south-western Ontario as far north as the southern Lake Huron basin (Dellar et al. 1986; Wright 1978). They also occur as far east and north as Rice Lake (L.J. Jackson: pers. comm.).

AGE AND CULTURAL AFFILIATION: Absolute dates are lacking for the few known Ontario sites. However, in areas to the south of Ontario they are consistently C-14 dated to the beginning of the Middle Archaic around 8,000 to 7,500 B.P. A similar age is strongly suggested for the Ontario finds.

REMARKS: These points can be reworked into “drills” and end scrapers. Some of the earliest known fully ground and polished stone tools including grooved axes and bannerstones have been recovered in association with these and other stemmed Middle Archaic point forms at sites in New Hampshire, North Carolina and Tennessee.

REFERENCE: Ellis, C. – 1987 Stanly/Neville Points. KEWA 87-9. ( Text of Original Publication )