Boggy Branch

[Bow Only]

Boggy Branch points are difficult to find because they were located in such a small geographical area in the SE. They were made by a specific band of peoples that in my opinion, either did not migrate like others or did not last very long in the chronology of pre-Columbian archaeology. There doesn't seem to be a lot of Boggy Branch I points out there and I am fortunate enough to know the owner of one of, if not, the finest example ever found. There is some variation or morphing of the point type from the Boggy Branch I to the Boggy Branch II types. Perhaps the influences of surrounding clans effected the type over time and the bases became more similar to Pine Tree base, which is a stylized Kirk IMO.

The first picture is of two Boggy Branch Type I points, or Boggy I as they are often called. These examples have had their tips repaired, but still show the original paddle base. The second and third pics show examples of what we call Boggy II points. The second pic also shows a Pine Tree type point next to a Boggy Branch II and the transitional similarities of the bases between the two.

 

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[sandchip]

Nice! That is another type that has eluded me for 30 years. I haven't found so much as a broke that I could say is a I or II. Thanks for sharing those with us.

I know that one of the primary diagnostics of the BB is the pronounced median ridge, but does the example on the left in the first picture exhibit a little beveling or is that just me? If so, that would seemingly be a rare variant. Way cool, either way.

 

[bookummdano]

Very nice now. This point type is a true hard to find type mostly found in the dale, Henry county area. I know of a few sites in coffee county as well as one found in Geneva county, near the Florida line. I nor any of my direct digging community have found any. I will post some local examples.

 

[Mrdigz]

Awesome examples! Thanks for the information. I could read posts like this one all day.

 

[bookummdano]

 

[bookummdano]

These are some boggy 1's not found by me but from a local southeast forum.

 

[dts52]

Beautiful points!
HH
dts

 

[Bow Only]

Nice! That is another type that has eluded me for 30 years. I haven't found so much as a broke that I could say is a I or II. Thanks for sharing those with us.

I know that one of the primary diagnostics of the BB is the pronounced median ridge, but does the example on the left in the first picture exhibit a little beveling or is that just me? If so, that would seemingly be a rare variant. Way cool, either way.

It is not beveled like a Bolen, the cross section is so thick that it just looks that way. These are very thick points and they are often found broken in half. Whatever they were used for, they broke them when they used them even though they're thick points.

 

[sandchip]

10-4. Thanks.

 

[Bow Only]

One of the quandaries regarding this point type has to do with it's design and use. A point with a great length to width ratio having so much thickness and increased surface area for hafting most certainly would be used for thrusting or high torque cutting. Given the great numbers of woodland bison and elk in the SE, they would be the most plausible target of such a weapon and the many broken examples indeed show breaks occurring around 1/2 the length of the point, possibly from limited penetration into big game. The quandary is that this point is found in such a limited geographic area, the people that made it did not follow the wandering herds of bison and elk. Perhaps they waited at limited water sources for their game, whatever the case may be, it is an interesting conversation to have.

 

[sweetmimzim3]

Is this a pine tree?

 

[joshuaream]

The build of the business end has always reminded me of Heavy Duty points from Ohio. Not suggesting there is a direct relationship, but might have had a similar taste specific function as Bow Only detailed. Like the Boggy Branch, Heavy Duty aren't common even in the area where they can be found and large archaic sites that produce lots of points might only spit out a handful of Heavy Duty points.

 

[NCPeaches]

They sure are pretty! Thank you for the info on them, I had no idea and loved learning more.

 

[Bow Only]

Is this a pine tree?
View attachment 1419711

My first thought is no, but I'm no expert on Missouri stone or points. Pine Trees were not made from heat treated material. I can not tell if your piece has been heat altered but there is an unusual flake towards the tip just on the left side that resembles heat altered stone. Your point has been heavily resharpened on one side while the other side has not. Pine Trees often have symmetrical resharpening.

 

[mainejman]

Wow those first two are just about as cool a point design as a person could ask for...

 

[sweetmimzim3]

My first thought is no, but I'm no expert on Missouri stone or points. Pine Trees were not made from heat treated material. I can not tell if your piece has been heat altered but there is an unusual flake towards the tip just on the left side that resembles heat altered stone. Your point has been heavily resharpened on one side while the other side has not. Pine Trees often have symmetrical resharpening.

Thank you very much