Harpeth River

The Harpeth River point is a medium to large side-notched point with a flattened blade, beveled on both sides of each face and displays shallow serrations. Seventeen examples from sites in Cheatham and Dickson counties, Tennessee, along the Harpeth River and one example from near McMinnville, Tennessee, averaged 67 mm in length, the largest of which measured 90 mm and the smallest 53 mm.

The cross-section is flattened. Shoulders are tapered. The blade may be excurvate or straight with finds serrations and is beveled on each side of both faces. The distal and is usually acute but may be acuminate. The half thing area displays broad, shallow side notches and is well-defined by a sharp change in the contour of the edge of the point at the junction of the blade and is auriculated with expanding-rounded auricles. Side edges of the hafting area are incurvate and ground. The basal edge is straight, usually ground, and is thinned.

The blade and hafting area were shaped by broad, shallow, random flaking. Blade edges are steeply beveled on each side of both faces by the removal of deep, short, narrow flakes which result in fines serrations along the blade edges. The shallow notches that form the hafting area are steeply flaked. This usually leaves expanded shoulders and barbs.

The type was named from sites along the Harpeth River in Cheatham and Dickson counties, Tennessee, where 60% of the 50 odd examples were recovered from one site that had also produced a Big Sandy, Dalton, Greenbrier, Pinetree, Cumberland, LaCroy, and Copena points. In general outline the Harpeth River points may somewhat resemble Dalton, Russell Cave, Greenbrier or Pinetree points. One example has strong basal thinning on one face and what appears to be a flute struck from a prepared striking platform and the other face. One example has been recovered from Overton County and one from Humphreys County, Tennessee. One site along the Harpeth River from which five examples were recovered produced Big Sandy, Pinetree, Turkey Tail and Cotaco points. The associations of Harpeth River points with other Early Archaic and transitional Paleo points as well as their hafting area and flaking characteristics, indicate a placement of the type in very Early Archaic or late transitional Paleo cultural association.

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