Clagett: Top Row: quartz, rhyolite, tuff, quartz; Bottom Row: rhyolite, rhyolite, quartz, tuff.
Otter Creek: Top Row: quartzite, rhyolite, tuff, tuff; Bottom Row: quartzite, rhyolite, quartz, quartz.
Type Side Notched Middle-Archaic
Defining Attributes
The Clagett is a long, slender, thick point with pronounced shoulders, a constricted stem, and expanded, straight or concave base.
Chronology
The Clagett point dates to the Middle Archaic period, 4000 to 3000 BCE. The type has not been well-dated in Virginia or surrounding states.
Description
Discussion
Clagett points are very similar in general shape to the Halifax point, except their size range is longer. Similar to the Clagett is the Otter Creek type defined by Ritchie (1961) and the late Big Sandy type from Tennessee. However, many of the Otter Creek and Big Sandy points have well defined notched and squared-off wide bases, while the Clagett type has a more generalized side-notched base. McAvoy (1997) Rowan point description (a term used by avocational archaeologists and collectors in Virginia and North Carolina) is similar to Clagett, and although undated, clearly falls into the late Middle Archaic period. McAvoy notes the similarity of the Rowan type to Halifax points.
Defined in Literature
Originally defined by Stephenson (1963) based on points recovered from the Accokeek Creek Site in Maryland.
References
Updated: July 23, 2018