The find that got me hooked!

[OuterCapeFlakeFlipper]

Hey Guys, thanks for putting your energies towards figuring this one out! I will post some better pictures when I get a chance. I had no idea about Black Argillite, only the pale green/blue type that I used to find in RI. On another side note I recently found a nice Squibnocket triangle a few days back that I want to photograph to share with you all. Happy Hunting!

[SDhunter]

The members on here really impress me with their knowledge.

[CMD]

Well Charlie, now that you have driven me nuts, I'll also add, you have to consider which authors opinion is closer to be more accurate. Anyone who authors and publishes a book on typology or lithics, will do so based on his/her research. These people really don't argue to make a point, but their opinions may vary, to the point you really don't know which one is closest to being the most accurate. I bet if the Indians would have known they were causing so much confusion among the educated collectors, they might have flaked some weird looking points, on purpose, just to drive us more nuts than we already are!! But with that said, I do see a considerable difference in form, outline, and shape of the same point between Pa. and N.Y., and the northeast. Especially in the Transitional Period. The Perkiomen Broad point is a good example. Most of the Pa. Perks are asymetrical at the shoulders, while N.Y. Perks have a more symmetrical balanced shoulder area, with a smaller, button type base. A lot of this also comes down to the fact that, " There are exceptions to every rule."

Paul, in part, I think it might come down to the fact that in 60 years I've just never heard another SE New England collector say "I found a Lackawaxen", or mention the type at all. I can think of a couple of reasons. Maybe it's so rarely found here, like Dovetails, which are found here very, very rarely, but just are not included in our regional typology guides, that they just never rose to the point of being recognized by collectors here, or maybe even by the pros working here, and just are not included in any of our New England-specific typologies. Or, maybe it's possible it's been subsumed by a type with the same or similar morphology, so what few are found are identified with those other forms. In other words, it might be going by a different name. Bare Island or Merrimack? I don't know, but I suspect any that are found get associated with points with similar morphologies and the names used for those points. Whatever is in common usage and recognized does make a difference from a practical point of view. 60 years, and a whole lot of collectors and the name Lackawaxen never comes up must mean they are either extraordinarily rare here, or they are being lumped in with a similar point or points.

I could go out and find what I absolutely know is an Atlantic. So, I'd call it an Atlantic. But, if I drive just 200 miles west of here, and I'm on the Ct/NY border and I find an identical point, it's a Snook Kill when I find it there. I hear collectors in western southern New England refer to Snook Kill points, but, around here, in the small amount of real estate that is Southeastern New England, collectors all refer to similar points as Atlantics, and I never really hear collectors say they found a Snook Kill. So, maybe it just comes down to what the common practice is in the area where one hunts.

But I think really it does come down to never hearing another Southeastern New England collector ever mention finding a Lackawaxen. Rightly, or by unfortunate omission, the name just isn't used, there's no common usage of the name that I've noticed in decades hunting and knowing other collectors in my local/regional area. Having looked st some Lackawaxens online and in Overstreet, I'm willing to bet any that are found are being called by the names of points that have a similar morphology.

Somebody from the home region of Madison points once told me it was wrong for me to refer to the tiny triangles that represent the last points in use here before Contact as Madisons. That maybe Late Woodland triangles would be better, because Madisons are associated with a culture other then my local historic tribes. But, as I pointed out at the time, collectors and pros alike have simply adopted the name Madison, or borrowed it. So, I suggested, why insist that I not call it that when, when I get up the next morning, it's still going to be called Madison in our typologies, and our local collectors are still going to use that name. It can't be my responsibility to actually change the name that is in common usage.

This is to point out, then when one is only dealing with terms and collectors local and regional to one, everybody understands the terms and types in common usage there. But, on a forum, with members from all over the country, confusion can easily develop because collectors elsewhere might be using a different type name, or they may feel a particular type name should be used here. But, when I get up the next morning, I'm not going to discover that everybody here is suddenly now calling certain points a Lackawaxen. It may be all screwed up from some points of view, but the fact that in 60 years I have never heard anyone in these parts talk about finding a Lackawaxen just tells me that the name does not enjoy common usage or recognition here, and people are lumping any found in with types they are more familiar with.

Well, certainly never my intention to drive you nuts. I consider you far more knowledgeable on Northeast typology then I will ever be, and I wish you had included examples from the Northeast for that section of the info center. It's southern New England-centric, and for that reason, I have often felt it should be deleted entirely, as it is just not representative of the Northeast, and all the examples used are from Southeastern New England, using type names in common usage there.

[TSUMS]

I find points that you cant really type because they look like a dozen different types....there are ones that seemed to be made on the spot for whatever reason or purpose and have no real type...