Named By: Richard G. Forbis
Named For:
Date Identified: 1962
Type Site: Old Woman's Buffalo Jump, Alberta, Canada
Prairie Side Notch Variant
Cluster: Plains Small Side Notch Cluster
Cultural Period:
Glacial Period:
Developmental
Vandal Minimum to
Medieval Warm
Scandic to Pacific periods
This is a thin small triangular side notch point with a flattened cross section. The blade may range from straight to excurvate. This point has broad and shallow parallel notches creating shoulders that are slightly angled upward. The notches are slightly higher on the blade than commonly seen with other Prairie variations, but more in lines with notch placement on Plains variations. The notches form a wide U or V shape. The stem is expanded with rounded ears. The basal area is greater than commonly seen on the Prairie Side Notch point, The base is as wide as, or wider than the shoulders. The base is most commonly straight, but may be slightly concaved or convex with rounded basal corners. This point has a random flaking pattern.
Size Measurements: Total Length - 18 to 38 mm, Stem Length - 4 to 8 mm, Blade Width - 13 to 18 mm, Neck Width - 9 to 11 mm, Stem Width - 15 to 18 mm (***based on small sample size***)
This point is associated with nomadic bison hunters of the plains and prairie region. This point is found from the plains of Saskatchewan and Alberta into the Plains of Montana, North and South Dakota. May be found into the plains region of Colorado, Nebraska and into Kansas.
Besant, Billings, Bitterroot, Buffalo Gap, Cayley, Cluny, Cut Bank, Desert, Emigrant, Galt, Harrell, Irvine, Mortlach, Nanton, Pekisko, Paskapoo, Swift Current, Washita
Plains Side Notch, Prairie Side Notch
It is argued that this point represents the transitional point between the Prairie Side Notch and the Plains Side Notch (Drager and Ireland, 1986)
23, 30, 36, 79, 176, W2
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Forbis is an eminent anthropologist and was a professor for the Department of Anthropology at the University of Calgary. He was responsible for development of the Archaeological Research Program for the Glenbow Museum and is considered the “Father of Alberta Archaeology”. This point was named in a professional publication and has many professional references. This is considered a valid type.