clovis

[1442]

Made this from a George town slab.

[Tower]

That’s one heck of a pig sticker!

[sleek]

Why is the Clovis a thing? It's so long, difficult to make, and I dont understand the flutes. What advantages does the Clovis offer over a smaller point?

[Tower]

I can’t speak for others but for me it’s about the “technology “ at the time & the population of the Americas. The mythical white buffalo so to speak.    Yes I have read & believe in pre Clovis sites.
I guess it’s the 1st distinguishable culture on the Western Continents  . It’s a very difficult tool to replicate, but it must have had an advantage over the point types at the time, otherwise why would they take the risks in fluting .

[1442]

The flutes make a thinned area that would slip into the end of a split stick real good and allows the transition from stick to point to be made smooth with less notch cutting on the stick. I think that was the main purpose of the flute channel, but it also makes for more efficient penetration too.
The Cumberlands and Folsoms that are fluted to the tip have to be the most efficient penetration of all points ever made. they are so streamlined and slow taper to a paper thin tip that's supported by the ridges along the edge of the flute that gradually get thicker towards the base.
All the fluted points where made to hunt very big animals and I don't know if the Clovis points where used on thrusting spears or atlatl darts or both or what. I don't think there has been any conclusive evidence to prove how they where used exactly.

I think the majority of clovis points where smaller than the one I posted here and the average flute went about one third the length of the point.
Clovis knappers where masters of taking large thinning flakes and overshots or coast to coast flakes which are hard to do and require more force applied than say normal knapping. They where strong and understood the angles and contours needed to do that kind of knapping and the actual flute was the easiest part of the whole process I bet. It was only being fluted far enough to get it on a stick and wrapped good enough to hold up to poking through mammoth hide or some other really big animal.

I want to say more about flutes but I gotta git for now. Headed out of town until Sunday night fishing a  big bass tournament.