Outline is Representative of Common Shape:
Square Shoulder
Barbed Shoulder
Sloping Shoulder
Shoulderless
Name Details:
Named By: William Campbell / Elizabeth Campbell
Named For: Type Site
Date Identified: 1935
Type Site: Pinto Basin Site, Riverside County, California
Sloping Shoulder Variant:
Named By: C. Melvin Aikens
Date: 1970
Pinto Basin (Pinto)
AKA: Little Lake (Lanning 1963 )
Cluster: Pinto Cluster
Commonly Utilized Material:
Date:
Cultural Period:
5,000 - 2,700 B.P.
Middle Archaic
Middle Holocene to Neoglacial
Pinto Culture
Glacial Period:
Culture:
Description of Physical Characteristics and Flaking Pattern:
This is a medium to large
triangular stemmed point with an elliptical cross section. The blade is primarily straight to excurvate. The shoulder may vary
from barbed to having an upward angle (see additional comments). The stem is primarily straight, but may be slightly expanding towards the ears. The base is concaved to bifurcated. This point has is most commonly random flaking pattern, but points found within the northern distribution commonly have
parallel oblique flaking. Most examples have fine, high quality flaking.
Size Measurements: Total Length - 25 to 100
mm (average 40 to 55 mm), Stem Length - 8 to 25 mm (8 to 16 mm on
the Square and Barbed Shoulder variations while the Sloping and Shoulderless varieties
have a longer stem at 14 to 25 mm), Blade Width - 14 to 40 mm,
Stem Width - 11 to 32 mm, Thickness - 5 to 10 mm
Distribution:
Distribution Comments:
This point is most commonly associated with the Great Basin. It is also found across the northern Colorado Plateau and the Uncompahgre Plateau. It has been reported with decreased frequency into
southern Oregon and Idaho. These points are not a common, but have been reported along the coastal regions of California.
This type was reported at the La Playa site in northern Sonora,
Mexico
Similar Points:
Bajada, Duncan, Elko Eared, Elko Split Stem, Escobas, Gatecliff Split Stem, Jalama, Lovell, Oxbow, Pryor, San Jose, Ventana Additional Comments:
Harrington breaks the Pinto Series into 5 varieties; Shoulderless, Sloping Shoulder, Square Shoulder, Barbed Shoulder, and One Shoulder.
Deeply bifurcated examples may be Gateclif Split Stem
This point was first thought to be an Early Archaic point, but after may site reviews, Hester places this point in the Middle Archaic period. Older examples have been found in Hidden Cave, Hogup Cave, and
Weston Canyon Rock Shelter, but these may be isolated examples and not the main time period that these points were used.
Pinto type points found in Arizona and New Mexico are related to the indigenous Bajada, San Jose, and Ventana Side Notch points (Justice, 2002). Pinto type points found in this region should be evaluated to see
if they fall into these typologies.
It has been suggested that the Little Lake points (Edward Lanning, 1963), are a unique type and not the same as the Pinto points. They are differentiated by being longer and thinner than commonly seen in the
Pinto type points (Hranicky, 2011).
Point Validity: Valid Type
This type is highly references in many professional publications. This is considered a valid type.
.
Age Details:
References: (See Reference Page, Entry Number):
16,
32, 33, 34, 35, 39, 176, 188
Pinto Projectile Point, Pinto Arrowhead
Pinto Basin Projectile Point, Pinto Basin Arrowhead
