Projectile point · Middle Archaic
Calf Creek
3900–3000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern), Plains Archaic
Calf Creek was named by Dickson in 1968 from Calf Creek Cave in Searcy County, Arkansas, and defines a short but widespread Middle Archaic horizon across the Ozarks, Oklahoma and Kansas that is matched by Bell and Andice in Texas. Points are on Ozark cherts, novaculite and Florence chert. Complete examples with both barbs intact are rare and expensive.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 3900–3000 BCE |
| Period | Middle Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern), Plains Archaic |
| Regions | North America — Southeast, North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Great Plains |
Diagnostic traits
Thin, broad basal-notched point with long barbs that reach almost to the base, a narrow rectangular stem, deep narrow basal notches and a triangular blade.
Identification
Calf Creek is thinner than the later Smith point and has longer barbs than Bell; Andice is nearly identical but Texan and slightly broader. Basal-notched Woodland points are smaller and lack the long parallel barbs.
Reproductions and fakes
This type is heavily reproduced because whole examples are valuable; fakes show fresh notch scars and intact needle-sharp barbs, whereas genuine points almost always have a snapped barb and consistent patina in the notches.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Calf Creek" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/calf-creek. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-calf-creek,
title = {Calf Creek},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/calf-creek}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. 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.