Projectile point · Paleoindian
Goshen
11000–10300 BCE, Plano
Goshen was named by Irwin from the Hell Gap site in Goshen County, Wyoming, and was confirmed as a distinct early complex by Frison's work at Mill Iron, Montana, where it dates to about the same time as Clovis or just after. It is a northern Plains form; the southern Plains equivalent is Plainview, and many workers treat the two as one Goshen-Plainview complex. Genuine Goshen points in private hands are rare.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 11000–10300 BCE |
| Period | Paleoindian |
| Cultures | Plano |
| Regions | North America — Great Plains |
Diagnostic traits
Thin, finely flaked unfluted lanceolate with parallel to slightly convex edges, a concave base thinned by several short flakes, and grinding of the base and lower third of the edges.
Identification
Goshen is morphologically almost identical to Plainview and is separated chiefly by age and geography, with Goshen earlier and northern. It differs from Clovis by lacking true flutes and from Midland by its greater size and less delicate flaking.
Reproductions and fakes
Rarely targeted by name, but Plainview-style fakes are common; genuine points have basal grinding, transverse or collateral flaking of high regularity and a uniform patina on Knife River flint or local porcellanite.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q5587298
- Wikipedia: Goshen point
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Goshen" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/goshen. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-goshen,
title = {Goshen},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/goshen}},
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.