"About, 75% (300) of the projectile points were of two types (on
the Godar type site); an
unnotched point with slightly convex sides and a bold side-notched point
(Godar point) of the same basic shape as the unnotched."---1950,
Dr. Paul Titterington, "Godar site," Illinois State
Archaeological Society," Vo. 1 No. 1, p. 22.
"About 75% (300) of the points were of the Godar side-notched and
unnotched forms".---1963,
Greg Perino, "Tentative Classification of Two projectile
Points----," Central State Archaeological Journal, Vol. 10 No. 3,
p. 95.

A CACHE OF UNNOTCHED GODAR POINTS
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MISSOURI
WILLIAM EILERS
COLLECTION
This article illustrates and describes a cache of 14 flaked stone artifacts that were
found on May 3, 2005 by construction worker William Eilers. He found the
cache on a construction site in O'Fallon, Missouri in St. Charles
County. The site and find area is near Pereque creek. He estimated the
depth of the cache to be somewhere between 1.5 to 2 feet deep. The
Eilers cache includes ten unnotched Godar points and four early stage
preforms. This cache dates to sometime during the
Middle to Late Archaic period approximately 5,000 years ago.
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CLICK ON
PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
CACHE OF UNNOTCHED GODAR
POINTS AND PREFORMS
ST. CHARLES COUNTY,
MISSOURI
WILLIAM EILERS
COLLECTION
This picture shows the complete "Eilers" cache of Godar
related points and preforms. Ten of the points are finished except
for side-notches. But, the lack of side-notches on so many Godar
points from different sites may be an indication that the Godar
knapper never intended to put notches on these points. If that
is true, they may represent a finished "unnotched"
projectile point. For example: unnotched Snyders points are North
points and unnotched Cahokia points are Madison points.
The finished points in this cache are very well made.
The Archaic flintknapper applied fine pressure
flaking along the edges. The exception is the four early stage preforms
located at the
bottom of the picture. Half of the points and all four preforms are made of local Burlington chert
and five of the points are made of Salem chert. They range in
size from 3 3/4 (9.5 cm) to 4 (10.1 cm) inches long. |
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Dr. Paul
F. Titterington was the first person to describe Godar points in 1950.
They were discovered on the Godar farm in Calhoun
County, Illinois. Mr. Godar had found hundreds of artifacts on this
site. Out of approximately 300 projectile points Dr. Titterington
describes both notched and unnotched forms of Godar points. In 1963 Greg
Perino also refers to them as "About 75 percent of the points (from
the Godar site) were of the Godar side-notched and unnotched
forms."
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PICTURE FOR LARGE TRIPLE IMAGE
UNNOTCHED GODAR POINT
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MISSOURI
WILLIAM EILERS
COLLECTION
This unnotched Godar point is one of the longest in the cache and
one of the most skillfully made. Fine delicate pressure flaking can be seen
on the upper edge in this picture. This point is made of white
Burlington chert and it measures 3 7/16 inches (8.7 cm) long and 1
1/8 inches (2.3 cm) wide. |
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Dr.
Titterington reported that Mr. Godar dug pits on the Godar site from 1
foot (30.5) to 4 feet (122 cm) deep. Some of the artifacts were found
with burials but he says that "They were not always in direct
association with the burials." He also reported that "The
flints were found scattered throughout the dirt singly and in groups
(caches), the largest cache contained fourteen pieces."
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PICTURE FOR LARGE TRIPLE IMAGE
UNNOTCHED GODAR POINT
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MISSOURI
WILLIAM EILERS
COLLECTION
This is one of the better examples of the unnotched Godar points in
the "Eilers" cache. It has very fine edge
pressure flaking. This unnotched Godar point is made of Salem chert
and measures 3 9/16 inches (9 cm) long and 1 3/16 inches (3 cm) wide. |
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The Eilers cache site
did produce at least two notched Godar points that
were also found by William Eilers. In outline the points in this cache match the
unnotched example that Titterington used to illustrate the type. The flaking pattern
of the points in this cache also matches the notched Godar points illustrated by Gregory Perino.
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CLICK ON
PICTURE FOR LARGE TRIPLE IMAGE
UNNOTCHED GODAR POINT
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MISSOURI
WILLIAM EILERS
COLLECTION
This is one of the smallest unnotched Godar points in the Eilers
cache. This one is skillfully made with uniform percussion flaking and fine edge
pressure flaking. This point is made of white Burlington chert and
measures 2 3/4 inches (7 cm) long and 1 3/16 inches (3 cm) wide. |
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Unnotched Godar
points might be compared to unnotched Snyders points that were named
North points by Gregory Perino. North points have also been found in
caches, either with burials or in house floors. A couple of other
unnotched forms are unnotched Etleys which are called Wadlows or
unnotched Cahokia points that are called Madison points. The author was informed
of another cache of both notched and unnotched Godar points that were
found many years ago on an Illinois lake shore. The points in the Eilers
cache are very well made and seem to reflect finished points. Since
there so many examples of unnotched Godar points turning up on different
sites it might be desirable to give them a name. A suggestion might be Eilers points after the finder of this
cache.
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"REFERENCES"
1950,
Paul Titterington, "Some Non-Pottery Sites in St. Louis Area," Illinois
State Archaeological Society, Vol. 1, Number 1, pp. 19-23.
1963, Gregory Perino, "Tentative Classification of Two
Projectile Points and One Knife From West-Central Illinois," Central
States Archaeological Journal, Vol. 10, Number 3, pp. 95-100.
1985, Gregory Perino, "Godar," Selected Preforms, Points
and Knives of the North American Indians, Vol. 1, p. 151.
Personal communications with Brad Koldehoff,
American Bottom Survey, University of Illinois.
Personal communications with William Eilers
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