Kirk Snapped Base or Kirk Broke Base

[Tnmountains]

Robert Overstreet Typed this point as a snapped base point. It has been "hotly" (understatement) debated by hunters and collectors since being published. I am going to show 2 examples I found in almost the exact same area if not the same area that he hunted here in Tennessee. Most examples he shows are from Tennessee. One I am showing I dug from a rock shelter the other was from an open air site. In one of his books his description on this type is as follows.

9000 to 6000 bp. Location : Southeastern to Eastern States. Description: A medium to large size,usually serrated blade with long tangs and a base that has been snapped or fractured off. The shoulders are also fractured on some examples. This proves that the fracturing was intentional as in Decatur and other types.

I do not know if it is a true type or just a broken Kirk. The examples I have show the same patina at the break or snap as the rest of the point and seems that the break or snap was done during manufacture. The quality of the knapping is very skilled though the pictures may not show it.

So is it broke or snapped? If snapped why? Feel free to post any like examples and give your opinions on what they were doing 11,000 years ago. Be nice to see other like examples for comparison.
Thanks !!





2nd knife/point

 

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[rock]

I could see them being used as Spearheads or even for a Lance. Knifes also.

 

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[1320]

What is to say they didn’t have it figured out to work just the way they wanted it to 1320?

As I stated in my previous post, the projectile point was secondary with the shaft being a much more
valued part of the weapons system. A panicked animal with a dart sticking out of it has a very good
chance of breaking the shaft unless something gives. With the violent motions of a hit animal there is
a lot of movement and stress put on the shaft, if the stem of the barbed point breaks the shaft has a
much better chance of falling away and surviving for another hunt.

My mind is wide open regarding your opinion that a shaft was valued more than the tool itself, that could very well be true. However, the atl atl was a close range tool that had tremendous velocity, it wouldn't require a straight, narrow, perfectly aligned/tuned shaft or even parts of a shaft assembly at close range to be effective. Even the truest of shafts at those speeds would create some crazy dynamics. Perhaps those very same dynamics are why the shaft received so much attention? We just don't see alot of tools that suggest that archaic man was spending time on the shafts but then again, maybe the tools of the time frame were multi purpose.
The "counter weights" suggest that archaic man recognized the wobbling shaft down range and maybe at some point addressed the shaft so that he could eliminate that time consuming task. Regardless, I would think that hafting and rehafting would have taken as much if not more time than any of the processes, had to be a pain in the butt....lol.

 

[1320]

Many examples exhibit fracturing at the base as well as both "ears" or "tangs", is it possible that we have a misunderstanding as to exactly how they were hafted? Although not impossible, I can't imagine all three breaks occuring while embedded in an animal or while doing a routine chore.

 

[Tnmountains]

When I hold a fine sharp kirk in my hand I see a knife. Take a lot of force to drive that into a hide of a live animal. Had to be hafted on a long spear shaft. But it could bleed an animal out.