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LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

est. 12,700 (calibrated) years ago

CHRISTOPHER LAMB COLLECTION

PAGE 1 OF 1 PAGES
COPYRIGHT AUGUST 31, 2012 PETER A. BOSTROM
Fluted points & Lamb site excavation.
FLUTED POINTS & EXCAVATION
LAMB SITE

Fluted points from the Lamb site.

ABSTRACT
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

est. 12,700 (calibrated) years ago

    This article illustrates and describes the Lamb site and many of the artifacts that were discovered during a five year project of excavation by Dr. Richard Michael Gramly and a group of volunteers. The Lamb site is a late Clovis period site that may date to 12,700 years ago. This location, in western New York, was used as a habitation site and a stone tool manufacturing and cache site. A cache of fluted points and bifaces were discovered that were made from non-local cherts.

    "The discovery of biface fragments of exotic chert in Chris Lamb's planted field on April 12 and 19, 1986, marked the beginning of a five year project---."--------1999, Richard Michael Gramly, "The Lamb Site, A Pioneering Clovis Encampment" p. 19.
    "Thousands of man hours were invested in the Lamb site excavation--."------1999, Richard Michael Gramly, "The Lamb Site, A Pioneering Clovis Encampment", p. 2.
     "Artifacts at the Lamb site occurred predominantly in three clusters."----2006, Bradley T. Lepper & Robert E. Funk, "Paleo-Indian: East," Handbook Of North American Indians, Environment, Origins, And Population, Vol. 3, p. 179.
    "The Lamb site was investigated in 1986-1990 by a team of amateur archaeologists directed by Dr. Richard Michael Gramly."
---------1999, Richard Michael Gramly, "The Lamb Site, A Pioneering Clovis Encampment", p. back cover page.
    "The Lamb site assemblage has been divided into six primary classes of artifacts, namely (1) fluted projectile points, (2) fluted knives, (3) preforms and other bifaces, (4) unifaces, (5) un-shaped flaked tools and, (6) debitage."---------1999, Richard Michael Gramly, "The Lamb Site, A Pioneering Clovis Encampment", p. 36.
    "---the strongly concave bases and long ears of Gainey-like (Debert-like) northeastern fluted points from Debert, Vail, and Lamb appear to be derived elaborations of the basic Clovis prototype and should, therefore, be expected to yield relatively late dates."--------2006, Stuart J. Fiedel, "Points In Time, Establishing A Precise Hemispheric Chronology For Paleoindian Migrations," Paleoindian Archaeology, A Hemispheric Perspective, p. 39.

Fluted points from the Lamb site.
 
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

est. 12,700 (calibrated) years ago

     The discovery of the Lamb site happened in the same way that most Clovis sites are found. Usually by farmers, surface collectors, heavy equipment operators, hunters, gardeners or by anyone else who walks across eroded or otherwise disturbed ground. The first evidence of the Lamb site turned up in 1965 when John Wells, an employee of the farm, found an early stage bifacial preform that was made of non local chert. Chris Lamb later added to the growing collection of bifaces and a Clovis point base by surface collecting the same small area in one of the fields. A five year investigation of the site began when archaeologist R. M. Gramly, PhD. of the Buffalo Museum was sent a local newspaper that published an article about the Lamb farm and printed a picture of Curtis Lamb holding a frame of artifacts that were found on the family farm.

Aerial view of the Lamb site excavation.
PHOTO CREDIT RICHARD MICHAEL GRAMLY
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
ARIEL VIEW OF THE LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

    This picture was taken in 1986 and it shows an aerial view of the Lamb site. The excavation area can be seen just above and to the left of the circular tree rimmed pond and bog terrain in the center of the cultivated field.

     The Lamb site is located in western New York in Genesee County near the town of Darien. The site is situated in a cultivated field on a knoll that is barely six feet high. Murder creek borders the site and the farm is owned by Christopher Lamb.

Excavation in progress on the Lamb site.
PHOTO CREDIT RICHARD MICHAEL GRAMLY
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
EXCAVATION AREA
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

     This picture was taken in 1988. It shows a portion of the excavation area of the Lamb site. Jack Holland at left is uncovering one of the preforms. Chris Lamb is at right screening dirt.

     The Lamb site is believed to be a very late Clovis occupation site. In fact, it's described as a pioneering Clovis encampment. An estimation of the age of the site comes from radiocarbon dating and pollen analysis. The samples were taken from a layer of brown peat where it made contact with a stiff, gray clay. The clay is a type that is thought to originate from ice-contact lake glacial moraine deposits. An estimated calendar year calibrated date for the Lamb site is 12,700 years ago (R. M. Gramly personal communication).

Insitu fluted point base found on the Lamb site.
PHOTO CREDIT RICHARD MICHAEL GRAMLY
BASE OF FLUTED POINT
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

     This picture shows the base of a fluted point just as it was found in the area of excavation designated as cluster C on the Lamb site. This is the location area where ten large fluted points and eleven bifaces were found. The point and the trowel lie at the very base of the plow zone. The plow zone is about 12 1/2 inches (32 cm) deep.

    On site investigation and excavation of the Lamb site continued for five years from 1986 to 1990. Richard Michael Gramly and a team of volunteers were able to catalog three distinct groups of artifacts indicating three different activities. Cluster A, produced a group of miscellaneous tools that indicated a habitation area. Another area, designated as cluster B, produced debris fragments from stone tool manufacturing and a third area, cluster C, produced a cache of Clovis points and bifaces.


CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
CACHE OF FLUTED POINTS
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

      This picture shows all ten of the large fluted points that were found in the cluster C cache area on the Lamb site. The five examples in the top row are the original points and four of the five at the bottom are casts of the original points. The lower broken base is taken from a black & white photo of the original point. All of the Lamb site fluted points are broken and fragmented from years of contact with agricultural equipment. For example, the basal fragment and the tip-section of the point at bottom right are reported to have been found 15 meters apart.
    Eight of the fluted points in this cache are described as fluted projectile points. Two of the points in the cache are described as fluted knives. The large point at top center has been identified as a fluted knife from use wear that was observed on both faces near the hafting area and near the tip. The polished areas are in the form of heavy silica phytolith sheen caused from cutting plant fibers. The other point that is described as a fluted knife is second from right bottom row.
    Most of the fluted points in the Lamb cache were made from Ohio or Indiana cherts from the Pennsylvania geological formation. The point at top right is made of Vanport chert from the Flint Ridge, Ohio source. The widest point, at top center, is made from Indiana hornstone. The point at top left is made of a dark brown semi-translucent chert that is heavily patinated white. It's been visually identified as Knife River chert from North Dakota but further technical analysis may change this assessment. If it could be scientifically proven to be Knife River it would be the farthest recorded distance that a Clovis artifact was anciently transported. Although, the source for Knife River is North Dakota, pieces have been reported from gravels in the Missouri River.
    The longest point in the cache, at bottom row right side, measures 5 1/2 inches (14 cm) long. The widest point at top center measures 5 1/4 inches (13.4 cm) long and 1 3/4 inches (4.5 cm) wide. The point in the first row and second from the right has the longest channel flakes. One measures 2 1/8 inches (5.3 cm) long and the other side measures 2 inches (5.1 cm) long.

    The large number of  big Clovis points that were found on the Lamb site is unique. Although they were originally intact and complete, years of contact with agricultural equipment has either fragmented or broken all of them. Years of cultivation also spread the pieces over a wide area. Ten fluted points were found in the cluster C cache area. Eight of them are described as projectile points and two of them are described as knives.

Cache of 10 early stage fluted point preforms, Lamb site.
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR BOTH SIDES LARGER IMAGE
BIFACE CACHE
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

      The ten bifaces in this picture are casts of the original bifaces that were found on the Lamb site and identified as a cache. Two fragments of one additional biface was also found. Most of these bifaces are described as fluted point preforms. The two examples at top right are described as blocky ovate biface knives. All of the bifaces were made from light and dark gray and bluish-gray colored non-local cherts. The material is identified as coming from the Pennsylvanian geological formation either from Ohio or Indiana. The longest biface measures 4 1/4 inches (10.7 cm) long. Two of the widest bifaces both measure 1 3/4 inches (4.4 cm) wide.

     All ten of the fluted points from the cache area, designated as cluster C, were made of non-local cherts originating somewhere outside the state of New York. Most of them are described as Ohio or Indiana cherts from the Pennsylvania geological formation. One of the fluted points is identified as Vanport chert from the Flint Ridge, Ohio source and another is identified as Indiana hornstone. But the most interesting point is made of a dark brown semi-translucent chert that is heavily patinated white. It's been visually identified as Knife River chert from North Dakota but further technical analysis may change this assessment. If it could be scientifically proven to be Knife River it would be the farthest recorded distance that a Clovis artifact was anciently transported. Although, the source for Knife River is North Dakota, pieces have been reported from gravels in the Missouri River.

Fluted point from the Lamb site.
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
FLUTED KNIFE
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

    This is the widest fluted point that was found in the Lamb site cache of Clovis points. One ear and a portion of one blade edge has been restored.  This Clovis point was identified as a fluted knife from use wear that was observed on both faces near the hafting area and near the tip. The polished areas are identified as a heavy silica phytolith sheen caused from cutting plant fibers. This point is thought to be made from Indiana hornstone and it measures 5 1/4 inches (13.4 cm) long and 1 3/4 inches (4.5 cm) wide.

    The Lamb site fluted points are "classic" eastern style Clovis points. They are similar to the western Clovis prototype but the eastern examples are clear variations. The most obvious difference is the deeper basal concavities. Western Clovis points tend to be more shallow while some of the eastern examples from Debert and Vail have extremely deep concave bases. The eastern fluted points are also known for very large channel flake removals.

Fluted points from the Lamb site.
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
CLOVIS POINTS
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

    Both of these Clovis points were found in the cluster C area where the Lamb site cache of ten fluted points were found. The point on the left has been restored on the tip of the point and two triangular segments at the mid-section. This point is most interesting for the heavily patinated dark brown semi-translucent chert it's made of. The material has been visually identified as Knife River chert from North Dakota but further technical analysis may change this assessment. If it could be scientifically proven to be Knife River it would be the farthest recorded distance that a Clovis artifact was anciently transported. Although, the source for Knife River is North Dakota, pieces have been reported from gravels in the Missouri River. This point measures 4 9/16 inches ( 11.6 cm) long.
    The point on the right was reassembled from three pieces plus one ear and a portion of one side of the base has been restored. It's made of Ohio or Indiana chert and it measures 4 13/16 inches (12.2 cm) long.

    Four small fluted points were also found on the Lamb site. They were discovered in an area designated as cluster A in the habitation area. All four of these points were anciently damaged and discarded. Two of the points are nearly complete. One is missing an ear and the other is missing an ear and the tip of the point. The longest example is about 1 3/8 inches (3.5 cm) long. Both of these points were fire damaged. The other two points are represented by midsections and are fluted.

Fluted points from the Lamb site.
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGES
CLOVIS POINTS
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

     Both of these points were found during the excavation of the Lamb site in cluster C where a cache of 10 points and 11 bifaces were found. Both of these points are impressive for there "classic" eastern style long channel flute flakes on both sides and their deep concave bases.
    The point on the left is interesting for the fact that it has the longest channel flakes compared to the nine other points that were in the cache. One measures 2 1/8 inches (5.3 cm) long and the other side measures 2 inches (5.1 cm) long. This point is complete but was found in three pieces. It measures 4 3/4 inches long (12.1 com) long and it's made of Ohio or Indiana chert from the Pennsylvania geological formation.
   The fluted point on the right is also a complete point but it was found in two pieces. This fluted point is made of Vanport chert from the Flint Ridge, Ohio source. It measures 3 5/8 inches (9.2 cm) long.

    Seven fragments of a very large fluted point or knife was also found in the cluster A habitation area. It's described as being intentionally broken into smaller pieces for cutting and scraping purposes. The material is identified as Carter Cave chert.

Early stage fluted point preform.
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FLUTED POINT PREFORM
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

     This picture shows both sides of a fluted point preform that was found during the excavation of cluster C where a fluted point and biface cache was found. This early stage Clovis point preform is made of dark gray Ohio or Indian chert. It measures 4 3/16 inches (10.7 cm) long and 1 9/16 inches (3.9 cm) wide.

    Eleven bifaces are reported to have been found on the Lamb site and identified as a cache. They are described as fluted point preforms and blocky ovate biface knives. All of the bifaces were made from light and dark gray and bluish-gray colored non-local cherts. The material is identified as coming from the Pennsylvanian geological formation either from Ohio or Indiana.

Early stage fluted point preform.
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
FLUTED POINT PREFORM
LAMB SITE
GENESEE COUNTY, NEW YORK

    This fluted point preform was found on the surface on the Lamb site by Chris Lamb. Its made of Ohio or Indiana chert from the Pennsylvania geological formation. It measures 4 1/8 inches (10.5 cm) long and 1 3/4 inches (4.4 cm) wide.

    The Lamb site was discovered after a local newspaper published a picture of someone holding a frame of "arrowheads" So luck still seems to be a factor when finding these important sites and there probably are many more to find.

"REFERENCES"

1999, Gramly, Richard Michael, "The Lamb Site, A Pioneering Clovis Encampment" p. 19.
2006
, Lepper, Bradley T. & Funk, Robert E., "Paleo-Indian: East," Handbook Of North American Indians, Environment, Origins, And Population, Vol. 3, p. 179.
2006, Fiedel, Stuart J., "Points In Time, Establishing A Precise Hemispheric Chronology For Paleoindian Migrations," Paleoindian Archaeology, A Hemispheric Perspective, p. 39.
Personal Communication, Richard Michael Gramly, PhD.

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