Projectile point · Late Archaic
Etley
2000–1000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
Etley is the signature point of the Titterington phase of the Late Archaic in the lower Illinois and adjacent Missouri valleys, named for the Etley site in Calhoun County, Illinois. It was usually made from Burlington chert, often heat-treated to a pinkish white, and functioned as a knife as much as a dart point. Etleys can reach 200 mm and are among the most sought-after Late Archaic points in the Midwest, often found in caches with Wadlow and Sedalia blades.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2000–1000 BCE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands |
Diagnostic traits
Long, narrow, recurved blade with the widest point just above sharp downward barbs, and a short straight to slightly expanding stem with a straight base.
Identification
Etley is longer and narrower than Buck Creek Barbed and has the characteristic incurving blade edge above the barbs; Wadlow is the unstemmed, unbarbed blade of the same tradition. Karnak Stemmed lacks barbs, and Stone Square Stemmed has a straight blade without recurve. Resharpened Etleys with the recurve worn away resemble Smith Basal Notched only superficially, since Smith is basally notched.
Reproductions and fakes
Etley is heavily reproduced in heat-treated Burlington chert; fakes show uniformly glossy surfaces, unweathered flake scars and barbs too perfect to have survived burial, whereas genuine pieces carry a chalky patina in the flake scars and tiny impact fractures.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q138712408
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Etley" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/etley. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-etley,
title = {Etley},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/etley}},
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.