EASTERN STYLE
CLOVIS POINT
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK
10,500 to 11,000 years
ago
CHRISTOPHER LAMB COLLECTION
CAST #P-11
EASTERN STYLE CLOVIS POINT
LAMB-74/87
GENESEE COUNTY,
NEW YORK
CHRISTOPHER LAMB
COLLECTION
by Michael Gramly PhD.
This deeply
indented fluted point was restored from two fragments unearthed during
archaeological excavations conducted by the Buffalo Museum of Science in 1986.
It is fashioned of semi- translucent gray honey-colored Vanport chert or
chalcedony, presumed to be derived from outcrops at Flint Ridge, Licking
County, Ohio. The point may have been longer when freshly made but later
resharpened.
This point is identical in basal shape and length of its channel
flake scars to specimens from the Vail Paleo-Indian site, Oxford County,
Maine.
Lamb-74/87 belongs to an assemblage of 23 fluted projectile
points and knives, a fluted drill and point preforms that were discovered at
the Lamb site. This extraordinary group of artifacts were made of raw
materials exotic to western New York and may represent a hunter's toolkit,
which accompanied its owner to the grave.
by
Pete Bostrom
This fluted point is one of the best examples that was found on the Lamb
site. It was found broken as were all the other fluted points on this site but this one was not
missing any pieces.
The Lamb site is located in a cultivated field in Genesee County, New York
on an inconspicuous knoll, barely six feet high, bordering Murder creek, a
tributary of Tonawanda creek. The farm is owned by Christopher Lamb who
surface collected the site adding to a family collection accumulated, over
the years, by his father and grandfather. After studying fluted
point fragments and preforms in the Lamb collection Dr. Mike Gramly of the
Buffalo Museum of Science began excavation of the site in 1986 with
volunteer help from the Houghton Chapter of the New York State
Archaeological Association. Twelve fluted points and twelve preforms were
eventually recovered. All material was found in the plow zone and no
evidence of a storage or burial pit was found. It was determined that this
material was either a cache by itself or at one time with a burial.
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LARGE IMAGE
FLUTED POINTS
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK
CHRISTOPHER
LAMB COLLECTION
These five points represent some of the best most complete examples found on
this Lamb site. All of the points found on this site were broken and have
restoration to repair missing pieces except for the example at the top of
the page. The point at the top is made of Flint Ridge chert from Ohio. The
point to the left is made of Upper Mercer chert from Ohio. The point to the
right was believed to be made of Knife River chert from North Dakota but may
also be made of Cattail Creek chert from the eastern U.S. around Virginia.
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