Beacon Island

This is a medium-sized point with expanded-rounded stem, straight blade edges and weak to strong shoulder barbs. Several examples from Franklin County, Alabama, Beacon Island and Bear Creek along the Tennessee River below Florence, Alabama, had a maximum length of 73 mm and an average of 61 mm. The cross-section is by convex. Shoulders may be barbed or inversely tapered. Blade edges are straight and maybe finely serrated. The stem is expanded-rounded with diagonal notches at the shoulders. The distal end is acute. Shallow random flaking was employed to shape the faces of the blade and stem. Careful pressure flaking was used to finish the blade edges and to thin the base.

The type was named from Ralph Alan site 41 on Beacon Island and was associated with Cotoco Creek, Flint Creek and Wade points on this site. A suggested placement is in the Late Archaic and Early Woodland times.

Information for this article was derived from James W. Cambron and David C. Hulse, Handbook of Alabama Archaeology, Alabama Archaeological Society