Allendale

From the collection of Johnny Williams

Name: Allendale points, also known as MALA (Middle Archaic, Late Archaic) points, were reported by K.E. Sassaman in his survey of the Savannah River site in Aiken and Barnwell counties in South Carolina. John Whatley used the name Piedmont Allendale to represent a series of similar non-provenience points from the Piedmont region of Georgia (Whatley 2002:13-16).

Age: Allendale points from the Big Pine Tree site in Allendale County, South Carolina dated to the Late Archaic period. Whatley also tentatively dated the Piedmont Allendale of similar morphology to the Late Archaic period.

Description: The Allendale is a medium-sized point measuring between 33 and 51 mm in length. Examples generally fall into stemmed or notched categories. The blade of the stemmed form is thick and lanceolate with slight shoulders and a short square stem and flat to rounded basal edge. The blade of the notched type is often more broad and may have barbed shoulders and an expanding stem. Whatley noted that one corner of the stem is often removed through damage during use.

Distribution: Allendale point distribution focuses along the central Savannah River coastal plains area.