Dovetail Typology: Pro vs. Amatuer

OntarioArch

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Nov 26, 2017
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Cayuga County NY
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First pic is from a well known and very well respected dealer/authenticator's website: a Pro. He has obviously identified this piece as a Dovetail. We can leave the G9+ grade for another discussion...
The second and third pics are my piece purchased from a local Old Timer, said to be found in Central New York, but of course not 100% sure. I have never really settled on the typology for my piece: Strictly Amatuer!

Could my piece be a "dovetail"? To my eye...it sure looks the same as the piece from Dealer's website. I appreciate your opinions!
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I'm no expert by any means but notch based Dovetails are common and I would say that's what yours seems to be. Actually I would type your Dove as more typical than the dealers. That one has characteristics of other style points as well. JMHO
 

I think the dealers description is way off. The coshocton piece is not a Dovetail/St Charles. Your piece IS a dovetail. Nice!
 

Could be Thebes.


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Also called Archaic Bevel

Blade edges straight to slightly excurvate, sometimes ending in barbed shoulders

Blade edges resharpened by beveling, sharpened by striking off flakes from one side only, giving the blade a rhomboidal cross section

Shoulders prominent, often exhibiting barbs

Base strongly corner- or side-notched

Basal edge flared or straight and heavily ground

Likely functioned as knives

Size: 2 to 4½ inches

Early Archaic: ca. 8000-6000 BC
https://oplin.org/point/identify/bifacial/points/corner/thebepts.html
 

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They both look to be Early Archaic points to me, and while I wouldn't call the first one a Dovetail a lot of people would. Yours is a much more classic example in my opinion.

The reality is that Dovetails are part of a cluster of points, if you apply some statistical analysis of measurements/traits of a range of dovetails there are multiple distinct 'types' in the cluster. Thebes, Lost Lakes and even Andice points down in Texas as well as other regional types are part of the same broader tradition that are of similar age and manufacturing techniques.
 

I agree with joshuaream.

The dealer point does look like coshocton to me from what I can see in the photo.

You point does look to be a notched base dove. From the photo it looks like there is rhomboid cross section due to the edge beveling. Possibly made of Onondaga Chert. ?? Is the base notched knapped or is it a small ding in the base?
 

I agree with joshuaream.

The dealer point does look like coshocton to me from what I can see in the photo.

You point does look to be a notched base dove. From the photo it looks like there is rhomboid cross section due to the edge beveling. Possibly made of Onondaga Chert. ?? Is the base notched knapped or is it a small ding in the base?

Here are some close-ups of the base: does that look like an intentionally notched base? I can't tell... And that black chert looks like the black Normanskill chert from lower Hudson Valley, as pictured in Boudreau's New England typology - not all Normanskill is greenish. The 150+ Onondaga Chert points I have are primarily various shades of gray.

Thanks to all - very interesting.
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