Jeff

NAME: James Cambron and Frank Soday identified this point type from their survey of the Jeff area of Madison County, Alabama where several examples were first recognized.

AGE: The Jeff point is always found in association with unifacial tools and other early point types, but are not found on the shell heaps of the Archaic periods. This fact, coupled with their field observations, led Cambron and Soday to conclude that this type belonged to a transitional Paleo association.

DESCRIPTION: The Jeff is a medium-sized, broad, auriculate point with straight a basal edge and expanding auricles.Examples from the Tennessee Valley measured from 69mm to 28mm in length with an average of 47mm.The average basal width measured 25mm.The cross-section is flattened.The blade is excurvate and may be slightly beveled on one side of each face and/or serrated.The blade is formed with broad shallow flaking with shorter, deeper secondary flaking along the blade edges that may result in weak serrations.The distal end is acute.The hafting area is auriculate and expanding with rounded ears.The basal edge is usually flat, but may be slightly concave (2mm) and may be beveled by the removal of short, angled flaking or it may be thinned.The basal edge and sides of the hafting area are usually smoothed.

DISTRIBUTION: Jeff points were recovered from the Tennessee Valley in Madison and Limestone counties, Alabama.Overstreet illustrated examples from Walker County and Florence, Alabama, the Sequatchie River area of Tennessee and Barren County, Kentucky.