LARGEST COMPLETE CLOVIS
POINT FOUND ON THE COLBY SITE

COLBY SITE---NORTH CENTRAL WYOMING
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT COLLECTION

  

This  is the largest complete Clovis point found on the

Colby mammoth kill site. It was found by Donald Colby

in 1962 while using heavy earth moving equipment

during the construction of a reservoir. It's made of

banded chert from the Madison Formation and it

measures 3 11/16 inches (93mm) long.
   The peculiar base style of this particular point has

always been a topic of conversation among archaeologists

studying Clovis lithics. That's because it's probably one

of the most  exaggerated examples ever found that has

the rounded looking "ears". Several others are known

but most don't have the wide and rounded base design

and wide "ears" this one has. This one has been described

as having a basal notch rather than noting that it has either

a shallow or deep concave base as would be the case for

descriptions of most Clovis points.
   It is theorized that the base of this point may have been

altered to it's current form from the repair and reshaping

of a previously damaged base. The step fracture on one

of the channel flakes has been removed with a long

percussion flake. An attempt to remove the hinge fracture

on the opposite side was unsuccessful because of a flaw

in the stone. This Clovis point may also have been

resharpened at least once for tip damage.

Largest Clovis point found on the Colby mammoth kill site.

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