LARGE NOTCHED
BIFACE

NERALICH CACHE
OLIVE BRANCH SITE

ALEXANDER COUNTY, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

PRIVATE COLLECTION
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   This is the largest of the two large notched bifaces

that were discovered during the August 2003 excavation

on the Olive Branch site. It is probably the largest Early

Archaic corner notched point ever found during a

controlled scientific excavation and may in fact be the

largest ever found in the Mississippi Valley. This point

was probably never used domestically because of its

size, style and the fact that it was found in a cache.

These characteristics place it far outside the parameters

of "normal" functioning tools. It is made of Burlington

chert and measures 11 inches (27.9 cm) long and 4 1/2
inches (11.4 cm) wide. There is one "hump" in the center

that measures 11/16 inches (17 mm) thick but most of this

biface is less than 1/2 of an inch (12 mm) thick.
COPYRIGHT AUGUST 31, 2003 PETER A. BOSTROM

3 views of the largest notched point from Olive Branch site.

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