Another MA Projectile Point - Stark

[MAMucker]

My first find of this type. It’s a great example and in perfect condition: MID - LATE ARCHAIC 6500-7000 BP (Before Present) made of yellow rhyolite. Could be a type of argillite.

Last week (between the heavy rains) I found it below a tiny bluff that I visit two or three times per year. Quads have cut and beat the top edge knocking new dirt down over time. It’s a small area and a short walk in and out. I have only found a couple flakes roll out out of the top in the past. But, my patience finally paid off.

See center bottom in the 1st pic.
View attachment 1726169






Here it is laid against the examples in Boudreau’s New England Typology:




Close ups:

 

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[southfork]

Nice find persistence pays off .

 

[ptsofnc]

Good one. In my area that would definitely be called a morrow mountain....Morrow Mountain Projectile Point

 

[Joe-Dirt]

Wow, nice!! Found in Massachusetts??

 

[MAMucker]

Good one. In my area that would definitely be called a morrow mountain....Morrow Mountain Projectile Point

Thank you ptsofnc. The type site is in your back yard. (Morrow Mountain in Stanley County, NC)

These point types clearly fall into the same complex. But the feature dimensions of the STARK are extremely consistent in NE.
Here, the narrower type (STARK) is dominant. Also the archeological period/record of the STARK falls no later than 6500 BP, while the MORROW MOUNTAIN lasted an additional 1500 years.
The MORROW MOUNTAIN in NC includes both the narrow and a beautiful wide broad blade version.

THE MORROW MOUNTAIN wide variant is rare up here. This fact likely points to two consistent variant types in the same complex.

 

[MAMucker]

Wow, nice!! Found in Massachusetts??

Hi Joe! Massachusetts Point Find.

 

[GaRebel1861]

That's a really nice looking point.

 

[old digger]

Cool Find!

 

[Quartzite Keith]

That is a trophy. I've knapped a ton of quartzite and you have no idea how hard it is to make one that good. Flaking is very bold and aggressive but expertly controlled.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Awesome Point. I really like that one.

 

[MAMucker]

That is a trophy. I've knapped a ton of quartzite and you have no idea how hard it is to make one that good. Flaking is very bold and aggressive but expertly controlled.

Thanks for the kind observation. I thought it looked too fine grained to be Quartzite, but Im not confident either way. Quartzite was my first impression though.

There seems to be no end to the varieties of rhyolite utilized in my region. I would like to find a cheat-sheet to help with identifying lithics.

Thanks again.