Projectile point · Late Archaic
Ashtabula
1500–500 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
Ashtabula is a Late Archaic broadspear of northeast Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania and southwest New York, named for Ashtabula County, Ohio. It is the Ohio Valley counterpart of Susquehanna Broad and was made largely of Upper Mercer and Flint Ridge flint, often thin and well flaked. Fine examples are among the more valuable Ohio Late Archaic points.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1500–500 BCE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands |
Diagnostic traits
Large, broad, thin point with a triangular to slightly excurvate blade, barbed or angular shoulders and a short expanding stem with a straight to slightly concave base.
Identification
Ashtabula is typically thinner and better flaked than Genesee and has a more expanding stem; it is distinguished from Susquehanna Broad mainly by material and the more pronounced barbs. Late Archaic Terminal Stemmed points of the same region are narrower with a straighter stem.
Reproductions and fakes
Ohio flint reproductions are common; look for the frosty patina and hinge-fracture wear on genuine Upper Mercer, versus glassy black fresh scars on fakes.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q138711948
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Ashtabula" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/ashtabula. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-ashtabula,
title = {Ashtabula},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/ashtabula}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.