Hamilton (Florida)

a. Picture by Paleo Enterprises, b. Dr. Rozier Collection

The Hamilton point in Florida (not to be confused with the Hamilton point of Tennessee) was named by Ripley P. Bullen for Hamilton County, Florida. It is clearly linked with the Arredondo point in Florida and is not part of the Savannah River family of points as suggested by John Powell.

The Hamilton is a medium to large size blade averaging 3 to 5 inches in length. A cash of two unusually large examples was recovered near Gainesville, Florida. These points measured over 9 inches in length. The blade is most often developed by crude, broad percussion flaking forming a thick by-convex cross-section. The convex blade edges are pressure flaked and meet at a broad to acute distal end. The shoulders are distinctively broad, square and very thick at the juncture of the stem and blade. The thickness of the juncture is further pronounced by a thinning flake which is struck from the prepared platform at the center of the basal edge of the tang. Tang edges may be smoothed and taper slightly to rounded basal corners and a concave basal edge.

Hamilton points were recovered in an Early Archaic context with Arredondo points at the Trilisa pond site in Marion County, Florida (Neil 1963). The blue Springs site in Jackson County, Florida contained a Hamilton point in context with 18 Arredondo points and a Sumpter-like point. The frequent occurrence of Hamilton and Arredondo points in the same Early Archaic context and close diagnostic comparison leaves little doubt that these points are related.

The distribution of Hamilton points follows bad and the Arredondo point very closely. Their range extends from central Florida to Georgia.