Seeking info on my first Arrowhead find

[CMD]

So a state forest is a state park? Next to the Pachaug State Forest is Hopeville Pond State Park, so it seems that there's a difference.

A member of the local Mohegan Tribe said, "This is a small stemmed quartz projectile point, possibly with a date range of 4000 years Before Present to 1500 Before Present (Late Archaic- Early Woodland)". I'm not sure of her sources and she didn't seem like an expert so she could be wrong. What do you guys think of that ID?

I would add that Boudreau shows illustrations of 8 Wading River points with as much as 4mm of the tips worn away through a graving or drilling operation. The tip wear on your point matches the examples he includes exactly. So, in all likelihood, your Wading River point was not used as a projectile point, but as a different tool altogether. Having said that, it is perfectly acceptable to call it a Wading River "point" or a Small Stemmed projectile point. Collectors and professionals alike will so call it. Just bear in mind they were often used for other purposes then projectile points used to hunt game.

[Joecontois]

You have been most informative CMD, thank you very much.

[Hoss]

The base actually looks like it was ground to me. Wading rivers are not ground.

[Joecontois]

The saga continues. The gratitude continues.

[CMD]

The base actually looks like it was ground to me. Wading rivers are not ground.

"Ritchie said of the Hornblower II site, on Martha's Vineyard,...'from the deeper levels came a quartz industry comprising small, narrow, stemmed points of the Bare Island type'. These same points he later renamed and defined as the Wading River type.........It is important to remember that Ritchie pointed out the similarities between the technology of Lamoka and Wading River points. His suggested age for Lamoka was 5500-4500 BP. A "narrow stem" date of 4610 +/- 80 BP from Granby, Ct indicates a possible continuity with Lamoka." (From Boudreau unpublished revised typology)

"The length of Bare Island points was reported to range from 30.48mm-96.5mm with an average of slightly over 50.8 mm. Kinsey described the Bare Island blade as symmetrical isosceles triangles with slightly convex edges and with sharp tips that are,..."always on center with the stem...". Stems have parallel or nearly so sides forming, "...nearly perfect square or rectangle." Bases are straight or slightly convex. Stem edges and bases are often ground. Kinsey added that the Bare Island type intergrades with the Poplar Island type.( Boudreau, unpublished revision)

"The most dominant form of Wading River has a square or rectangular stem with well defined shoulders. It is that form which resembles Kinsey's Bare Island"......."It should be noted that the Merrimack-Bare Island-Wading River form persisted through the Woodland period."( Boudreau, unpublished revision)

"In defining "narrow-bladed" points which Brennan said is the only diagnostic of his Taconic tradition, he states "....the best known examples are the Lamoka and Bare Island(Ritchie 1961) but which are found from Georgia where Wauchope lists them as 'stemmed narrow blade', to Martha's Vineyard, where Ritchie calls them Wading River points, to the classic Lamoka site and thence to Michigan, where they are called Dustin points"(Boudreau, unpublished revision)
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(CMD note: although Boudreau includes Bare Island in his revised New England typology, it sounds above as if Ritchie actually renamed Bare Island as Wading River when found in southeastern New England? Adding to the confusion is the earlier New England typology by Hoffman, still in print by MAS, and itself a revision of Fowler, includes Merrimack, but not Bare Island, and instead lists Bare Island as an outside the New England region-correlate of the Merrimack type. I know, personally, I cannot separate the two types by morphology)

The point in question falls within the size range of Bare Island. I have never stopped calling these types all "small stem points". I wish I could reproduce Boudreau's entire essay here in which he describes the problems associated with typing all the various points that fall under the general heading Small Stem tradition, including his discussion of the relationship of Wading River-Lamoka-Bare Island, but, unfortunately, Vol. 69(2008) of the Bulletin of the MAS is not yet available in digital form. The digital library ends with Vol. 66 at the present time. He reproduced that article from Vol. 69 in his typology revision.

All the above said, Hoss's call of Bare Island may be the best match. I think most collectors here in the southeastern end of New England, at least old timers like myself, would just go with small stem quartz point, but if grinding disqualifies Wading River specifically, so be it. Ritchie does state Wading River points are not ground on stem or base. I honestly can't tell from the photos, and I think Hoss is better at seeing that in photos then I am.

For my part, when a point conforms to the type long known as "small stem point", and if it is not an obvious Lamoka, or an obvious Squibnocket Stemmed, since the classic forms of those two types would not be too easily confused with a Wading River, then I call it a Wading River. Although, other then Squibnocket Stemmed, I'll probably never get over just calling them small stem points, since that was the term used for decades here. And, it really does sound like Ritchie, called what looked like Bare Island points Wading River points when he first excavated them in his several Martha 's Vineyard digs. Was it lack of grinding that produced a different name? That may be the one thing that separates them. I don't think morphology does.

[CMD]

Interestingly, given the conversation here, one of the most popular area for collecting artifacts in southeastern New England, is located on state land, a wildlife preserve, in southern RI. For at least 100 years, collectors from Ma and RI have journeyed to this location. Obviously, it is not what it once was, because, truthfully, it was one of the top 5 sites in southeastern New England. I know of one prominent collector/dealer who regarded it as the best site southeastern New England ever produced. I still collect here once or twice a year. My friends collect there. It was not unusual, in the 90's, when the wife and I first started hunting there, to get there and find a dozen artifact hunters or more walking those fields. I have attended lectures, by prominent local archaeologists, in which they described important collections produced by old timers walking those fields in that state owned wildlife preserve. Not once did any of those archaeologists mention it isn't legal. Every collector I know from Ma and RI has hunted there. And most still do. The farmers lease the fields from the state.

[Joecontois]

Thank you for the informative read CMD. I'm a bit curious of the differentiation between Wading River and Bare Island points now.

[Hoss]

Here is another link for you. I would add that descriptions I have seen for Wading River say no basal grinding but also when looking at the type I see only sketches. Charlie has access to Boudreau's as yet un published latest edition which may have more information than available to me. From sketches I have seen the wading river type is small and the bladed edges are more convex. This is the Native Tech site which gives great descriptions along with metric data to actually measure and see where your point may fall. I am pretty sure that Tara's work predates some of Boudreau's work therefore she probably worked with assemblages which she had access to and followed along the lines of Ritchies description. In any case this is a very good site I encourage you to check it out. http://www.nativetech.org/stone/pointtypes/index.html

[Hoss]

WHen I mentioned only sketches that is all that Ritchie provided in his Nomenclature and typology book of 1961. I have many study pieces in my collections. I would provide photos however the points are framed and under glass and I am afraid the photos would not do justice to this subject.

[Hoss]

i have more but i need to find the picture files

[Hoss]

look at the frames in the reflection. LOL That was in my Dad's man cave back in CT. All of it is in boxes I swear this year will be the year I get my Man cave out of the boxes and back on the walls

[Joecontois]

Holy Crap! Did not see the reflection!

[CoachG]

Ha. That reflection was the first thing I noticed. Good luck on the man cave.

[Joecontois]

Yes, very cool Hoss. My son said, "Whoa, did he find all of those?"

[Hoss]

MSecond generation hunter here. My Dad passed in 96 I curate both of our collections.

[Joecontois]

That's cool that your dad passed all of those onto you!

[TSUMS]

Here are some wading rivers from Dighton Massachusetts and Tiverton Rhode Island. .

[Hoss]

second from bottom has an expanding stem and is not in my opinion a wading river point!