Question about Clovis points in particular

[IAMZIM]

Here is my question: Why does it seem that most Clovis points in particular have more of a rounded point than other points? And also, do yo think they were mostly used as knives or lancelet's? I can't seem to find anything in google about the answers to these particular questions, maybe I'm not wording it right?

 

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[Rege-PA]

The rounded point design is ideal for penetrating thick hide with out breaking. Mammoth, Mastadon, Archaic Bison etc.
All things evolve and through trial and error they discovered that this particular point design could penetrate the deepest and still stay intact in a thrusting mode.
They had huge choppers and a square knife which they preferred, the rectangular shape basically gave four sharp corners to continue cutting. These people were at the cutting edge of their technology, nothing was used that did not give them the best results with the least effort expended. Hope this helps.

 

[tonykidd]

Here is my question: Why does it seem that most Clovis points in particular have more of a rounded point than other points? And also, do yo think they were mostly used as knives or lancelet's? I can't seem to find anything in google about the answers to these particular questions, maybe I'm not wording it right?

I believe it depends upon the region and usage. I've seen a number from Utah that tend to be less rounded, and others from the southeast that have the typical rounded shape. I also think that it was like today's multi-tool, and was used for things other than hunting: cutting, skinning, etc. The fluting makes an almost perfect area to place one's thumb, if needed. During the Clovis time, which from my recollection didn't last for more than a few hundred years, it was the dominant blade and makes sense for use as a multipurpose tool. Just my opinion.

 

[unclemac]

Simply put, Clovis technology is often associated with mega-fauna...mammoths and such. With the extinction of these animals the classic point ( a hunting point) was no longer useful. It was a sturdy large point for sturdy large animals.

 

[Igyjastabay]

They were used for everything. If memory serves me, a Texas Clovis point was examined under spectrometry, tissue from plant matter was found, the conclusion was this greatly worn Clovis was used for cutting grass. Now that's exciting!

 

[Jon Stewart]

Can a clovis be as small as a nickel?

 

[monsterrack]

Can a clovis be as small as a nickel?

Jon I'm not sure about that small of a size but most Clovis points range around 3-5 inchs but larger ones have been found no doubt. JMO.

 

[Road Dog]

I found a Clovis that was under 1 1/4" long.

 

[Igyjastabay]

Yes they can be as small as a nickel. Hi Low points can be very small. It's all Paleolithic in my book.

 

[Jon Stewart]

I found a point week ago that several clovis points have been found over the past couple of years. It has the ears and is the size of a nickel or so. I can't do photo's so I will have to check this out on my own.

 

[Igyjastabay]

There is a style of intrusive mound point technology that resembles hi-lo points. Fluted and all. I found one, I'll have to dig it up and post.

Any larger than 5", Clovis points are "woody's". Oh yes I forgot about the world famous monster found in a Kentucky creek papered by Davis. That one is real.

 

[Jon Stewart]

Can a clovis be not have a flute? Found a second point 50' from the first point I described. It is two inches long, looks to have the ears but no flute.

 

[Igyjastabay]

Yes. They exist but they are harder to come by than a fluted point. Very rare tools indeed. Unfluted Clovis points are super rare. To distinguish the two, fluted points generally have over shot flaking on one side. Unfluted Clovis points have overshot on both sides.

 

[Igyjastabay]

Of course, just to make life more confusing; not all fluted points have over shot flaking. Single fluted Clovis may not.

 

[Buckleberry]

They were used for everything. If memory serves me, a Texas Clovis point was examined under spectrometry, tissue from plant matter was found, the conclusion was this greatly worn Clovis was used for cutting grass. Now that's exciting!

There was also some lab work done on some clovis points from the Nobles Pond site in Ohio and they had, primarily, the blood of....wait for it....rabbits..... on them.

 

[joshuaream]

Clovis points are really knifes, scrapers, butcher tools, and lastly points. I think Collins, or one of the other Clovis experts, said only maybe 10% of their use was as a true projectile point.

Plenty of them have perfectly normal tips, but there are a lot that do have rounded tips. If you are using the sides for cutting, you don't really need the tip and a narrow tip might actually be weaker and more prone to breakage. You can always add a point to a rounded tip without losing too much material. If you have snap the tip with torque or dropping it, you'll risk losing more length and width as you rework it. There has been some discussion around rounded tips for penetrating hides, I don't know if it makes that much of a difference.

Can a Clovis be unfluted? Sure, many of their larger bifaces are unfluted, but those aren't often recognized as Clovis artifacts unless they come from a known site or quarry deposit. When you get to Clovis projectile points, most are fluted just because they seemed to be creatures of habit. Some of the smaller clovis points are rebased tips (a tip that they put a base on) those might not be fluted. Many points are fluted on a single side. Some points were thin enough that fluting is just a light feather like flake from the base up.

Do all Clovis points show overshot? Nope. I tend to think that almost all Clovis bifaces were made with some overshot flaking, but quite often that flaking is covered up by subsequent flaking or fluting. Overshot flakes are just convenient ways to thin a biface, lots of groups used that technique. But if the spall was already thin enough, and the material nice enough, I don't think they would force overshot flaking just to follow their mental paradigm of how to make a point. If it needed to be thinned, they thinned it. If it was already thin enough, they skipped that step.

 

[Jon Stewart]

OK, I had a brain fart on this thread. I read clovis by all my questions are about folsums. Both points I found were found where folsums were found in the past. Sorry for the confusion but I am "old". lol

 

[Road Dog]

There was also some lab work done on some clovis points from the Nobles Pond site in Ohio and they had, primarily, the blood of....wait for it....rabbits..... on them.

Were they were those Giant Woolly Rabbits from "Night of the Lepus"? LOL

 

[Charl]

These two fluted points from Connecticut are not Clovis, but rather post-Clovis. Fluted point technology persisted longer in the New England region because the caribou herds persisted longer. Technically, these miniature fluted points classify as Barnes points. Numerous miniature Barnes points have been found in New England. Anyway, the point on the left is 21mm in length. The diameter of a US nickel is 21mm. Point on right is 25mm long.....

 

[BearCreek]

Love this thread! I'm learning a lot from all the thoughtful responses - thanks for taking time to share!