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This is a medium-sized, stemmed point with the blade that is usually straight. Blade edges are usually finely serrated. Thirteen examples ranged in measurement from 46 mm to 27 mm long. The cross-section is bi-convex. Shoulders may be horizontal, slightly tapered or slightly inversely tapered. The blade is usually straight, but several examples have one excavate edge. The blade edges of nearly all examples are finely serrated. Distal ends are usually a key to identification. This stem is usually straight but several examples have expanded stems. Stem sides may be straight or incurvate. The basal edge of the stem is heavily thinned on most examples and is usually straight but may be excavate; rarely incurvate. At Flint Creek Rock Shelter expanded-stemmed examples appear to pre-date straight-stemmed examples.
Irregular random flaking shaped the blade and hafting area. Some large flake or blade scars may be evident on one or both faces. Flakes removed to form the stem were usually fairly deep and broad while the flakes are removed to thin the base were broad and shallow. Fine, often steep, retouch along the blade edges appears to have been accomplished by pressure flaking. Find serrations were formed by the removal of small flakes, opposite each other, from each face. The point is usually made of local materials.
The type was named for Crawford Creek in Morgan County, Alabama. This Creek is near the Flint Creek Rock Shelter where the type was first found. The name Crawford Creek was used by Cambron and Halse. One example from the Eva site is illustrated by Lewis and Lewis (1961) as a unique point. One example was found among other artifacts in association with a Morrow Mountain burial at this Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter. Zone A (Woodland and Archaic) at this Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter also yielded two examples from level, 2 from level 8 and 1 from level 9. At University of Alabama site MS201, in Marshall County, Alabama, one example was recovered from level 5, one from level 7 and one from level 10. Of the 20 examples from Flint Creek Rock Shelter, 2 were recovered from Stratum 1 (Woodland) and the other 18 from Stratum 2 (Archaic), particularly from the lower half. Surface finds are usually made on Early Archaic sites. All of the above evidence indicates an Early Archaic association that lasted into the Late Archaic. A suggested date is sometime before 5000 BC.
Information for this article was derived from James W. Cambron and David C. Hulse, Handbook of Alabama Archaeology, Alabama Archaeological Society
