This notched biface was found broken. The break may have been caused by ground pressure or a combination of a flaw in the stone & ground pressure or freezing and thawing. This notched biface is very similar to the slightly larger one it was found with and was most probably made by the same craftsman. They were both made of Burlington chert. This one measures approximately 11 inches (27.9 cm) long and 4 inches ( 10.2 cm) wide

The Neralich cache was discovered approximately 8 inches (20.3 cm) below the present level of the old railroad cut. The original surface in this area, before the railroad tracks came through, is estimated to have been approximately 24 to 28 inches (approx. 60 to 70 cm) above the cache.

PHOTO CREDIT LIZ KASSLY
FIND SITE OF THE NERALICH CACHE
OLIVE BRANCH SITE
ALEXANDER COUNTY, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

In and around this unexcavated block is where the two large notched bifaces were found. This area of the Olive Branch site is called the Elbow Sector after the configuration of the rock outcropping in this area.

The Neralich cache was found in an area of the Olive Branch excavations called the Elbow Sector. The area is named after the configuration of rock that curves on the surface in an elbow shape.

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE IMAGE
CLOSE-UP OF PRESSURE FLAKING
ON LARGEST NOTCHED POINT
OLIVE BRANCH SITE
ALEXANDER COUNTY, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

This picture shows a magnified view of the edge of the larger of the two notched bifaces from the Olive Branch Neralich cache. This style of narrow and parallel pressure flaking is usually associated with Early Archaic stone tool manufacturing. The longest flake scar in this picture measures almost one inch (2.5 cm) long.

Several caches of points have been found on the Olive Branch site, most of them Daltons. One other cache of notched points, besides the Neralich cache, were found at Olive Branch. This cache includes six "Thebes-like" points that were found by the Beasley family sometime in the 1960's. The points in this cache were much smaller, around 6 inches (15.2 cm) or slightly above. One of the main similarities between these different cache points is the notching. Both have narrow notches that angle in between 65 to 85 degrees with a slightly steeper downward angle right at the end of the notches. The notching is also farther down from the ends of the bases than most points.

CORNER NOTCHED POINT
FROM THE BEASLEY CACHE OF SIX POINTS
OLIVE BRANCH SITE
ALEXANDER COUNTY, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
PRIVATE COLLECTION

The picture above shows a cast of one of the six "Thebes-like" points that were found by the Beasley family sometime in the 1960's on the Olive Branch site. Notice the similarity of the notching to the large Neralich cache points. They are narrow notches that curve at the end of the notch towards the point. The Beasley cache of notched points were made of white Burlington chert. This example measures 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm) long.

Both of these two large notched bifaces were made from Burlington chert.

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE IMAGE
UNIQUE NOTCHES ON NERALICH CACHE POINTS
BOTH NOTCHES ON LARGEST POINT
OLIVE BRANCH SITE
ALEXANDER COUNTY, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

This picture shows a magnified area of both notches on the larger of the two Neralich cache bifaces from Olive Branch. These notches are very similar to the notches on the six "Thebes-like" points in the Beasley cache. The one striking difference is the abrupt downward angle at the end of the notch on both of the Neralich cache points. The Beasley cache points also have narrow notches like these but the downward angle at the end of the notches is not so abrupt. These notches are very unique. They may have been made with a copper punch. They measure 7/16 and 1/2 inches (1.1 & 1.2 cm) long.

The two Neralich cache points were found in an area of soil that was stained with red ochre. The red ochre was not found in a thick concentrated form but, as Dr. Gramly has stated, " the red ochre was thinly represented in the soil, it could have been in a liquid form when it was applied to the area."

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE AREA IMAGE
RED OCHRE ON THE SURFACE OF LARGEST NERALICH CACHE NOTCHED POINT
OLIVE BRANCH SITE
ALEXANDER COUNTY, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

The two large Neralich cache bifaces were found in a layer of red ochre stained soil. This picture shows a magnified area on the surface of the largest of the two bifaces where some of the ochre is adhering to the stone. The area of red ochre in this picture measures 1.7 mm across. Gramly reports that the six Beasley "Thebes-like" cache points also had traces of red ochre on their surfaces.

The Neralich cache is an important discovery. The fact that they were found in a controlled scientific excavation makes them all the more unique. The majority of all caches are found by farmers, surface collectors and by private digging. The knowledge that will be added to the archaeological record from this discovery is significant.

"REFERENCES"

1985, Perino, Gregory, "Selected Preforms, Points, and Knives of the North American Indians, Vol. I," Thebes, pp. 376, 377 & 378.
1995, Gramly, Richard Michael, "VI. The Olive Branch Site: The Initial Archaic Period In Southern Illinois," p.62.
2002, Gramly, Richard Michael, "Olive Branch, A Very Early Archaic Site On The Mississippi River."
Personal communications with Mike Gramly.
Personal communications with Larry Kinsella.

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