Lafayette

Name: The Lafayette name was given by Ripley Bullen for this type for Lafayette county in Florida. The type has been is sometimes combined with the Clay point because archaeological evidence at Shell Point in Bay County, Florida, indicates that both point types are the same except for the barb shape. A cash of points were recovered having identical basal construction, but with Lafayette and Clay variant barb styles.

Age: Bullen believed Lafayette points dated to the pre-ceramic Late Archaic period between 5000 and 3000 RCYBP. Lafayette examples were dated to 960 BC at the Zabski site in Florida. Whatley reported that nine points of this type were recovered at the Furman Sholes site (9BL69) in Baldwin County. Six examples were in an Early Woodland Refuge context and three were from three were from deeper levels. The use of Lafayette points seem to extend far beyond the Clay type.

Description: Lafayette points are medium to large measuring 1.75 to 4 inches or more in length. The cross-section above the barbs is lenticular, but becomes flattened at the barbs. Rejuvenation normally occurs above the barbs. Stem configuration can be straight to expanding with straight, excurvate, or incurvate basal edges. Basal thinning is often evident up the stem.

Distribution: Along the southern end of the Fall Line and at least as far north as Baldwin County.