Decatur: Top Row: all quartzite; Bottom Row: all quartzite.
Type Corner Notched Early-Archaic
Defining Attributes
The Decatur is a small to medium corner notched point with a straight or concave base, and a straight or incurvate blade which has an alternate beveled edge. Decatur points are very thin with a parallel or rhomboid cross section.
Chronology
The Decatur point dates to the Early Archaic period, 7200 to 7000 BCE. At the Cactus Hill Site (44SX202) in Sussex County, Virginia, McAvoy (1997) obtained a carbon date of 7190 +/- 50 BCE.
Description
Discussion
Cambron first described the type from sites near Decatur, Alabama. Decatur is sometimes called Angelico in Virginia, which Painter (1964) named for Angelico Creek in Southampton County. Upon the Nottoway, Decatur points are most frequently made of fine grain quartzite, silicified rhyolite, silicified slate and quartz. Some examples of the Decatur blend into, and derive from, the earlier Palmer Corner Notched type.
Defined in Literature
Decatur points were first described by Cambron from sites near Decatur, Alabama. Painter called this type Angelico in Virginia.
References
Updated: July 23, 2018