Projectile point · Paleoindian
Clovis
11050–10800 BCE, Clovis
The Clovis point is the earliest widespread projectile point in the Americas, used by mammoth and bison hunters around 11,000 BCE from coast to coast. It armed thrusting spears or darts and was frequently resharpened, and caches of oversized examples suggest ritual deposition as well as use. It is the most coveted single object in North American prehistoric collecting.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 11050–10800 BCE |
| Period | Paleoindian |
| Cultures | Clovis |
| Regions | North America — Great Plains, North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Southeast, North America — Southwest |
Diagnostic traits
Lanceolate with a concave base; short flutes on one or both faces; lower lateral edges ground.
Identification
Clovis is separated from Folsom by its shorter flutes, which usually run less than half the length of the face, its larger size and its heavier outline, and from Cumberland by its parallel rather than waisted sides and lack of flaring ears. Basal and lateral grinding on the lower third is nearly universal. Later unfluted lanceolates such as Plainview lack flutes and show basal thinning only.
Reproductions and fakes
Reproductions are common and often excellent, fluted with modern indirect percussion on old chert and then aged with acid, heat or burial. Watch for flutes struck after final edge retouch, sharp unweathered flute ridges, uniform artificial patina and no grinding. A point with no documented find history should be treated as modern until shown otherwise.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q140654
- Wikipedia: Clovis point
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Clovis" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/clovis. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-clovis,
title = {Clovis},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/clovis}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, 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.