Gadsden

Gadsden points (photo courtesy of Paleo Enterprises)

The Broward point was named by Ripley P. Bullen (1975) for examples reported by Wilma Williams from the Peace Camp site in Broward County, Florida. The Gadsden point, named by Ripley Bullen for Gadsden County, is included here since it appears to be a subtype of the Broward point.

The Broward is a medium to large size blade form measuring 2.5 to 4 inches in length. The blade is developed through broad random percussion flaking. The bi-convex cross-section is frequently fairly heavy. Blade edges are convex and meet at an acute distal end. The shoulders are sharp or slightly barbed and meet the stem with a moderate curve. Stem edges are typically expanding to a basal edge nearly equal in width to the blade. The basal corners are rounded and the basal edge may be flat, convex or concave which is the defining characteristic of the various subtypes. The Gadsden shares many of the same blade characteristics, but the shoulders appear rounded and the basal edge is deeply concave so as to appear bifurcated. These characteristics make the Gadsden blade extremely rare.

Bullen places the Broward point between A.D. 200 and 1250. Some earlier examples appear at the Canton Street site (Bullen 1978), consistent with the Perco Island ceramics recovered there. The Hawthorne mound and village site (8AL462) (Milanich 1978) contained several examples of Broward blades in a Cades Pond context with Bradford points dating between 200 and 800 A.D.

The association of the Broward blade with Deptford, Perco Island, Swift Creek, St. John’s, Cades Pond and Weeden Island cultures would give the Broward a distribution of Northwest to Eastern Florida and at least as far South as Broward County.