Projectile point · Early Archaic
Graham Cave
8000–6500 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
Graham Cave takes its name from the deeply stratified Graham Cave in Montgomery County, Missouri, excavated by Logan in the early 1950s and later by Chapman, where these points lay in the earliest Archaic levels. It is a Missouri and Illinois form on Burlington chert and extends into Iowa, Arkansas and Kentucky.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8000–6500 BCE |
| Period | Early Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Southeast |
Diagnostic traits
Large side-notched point with a deeply concave base, well-defined ears, ground base and notches, and a broad triangular blade that may be serrated.
Identification
Graham Cave is larger than Cache River and has a much deeper basal concavity, giving it distinct ears; Big Sandy bases are straight or only slightly concave. Raddatz and Godar are later, thicker and have straight bases.
Reproductions and fakes
Burlington chert reproductions are common in Missouri; genuine points show basal grinding, an ivory to tan patina and often plow scars.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q138712647
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Graham Cave" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/graham-cave. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-graham-cave,
title = {Graham Cave},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/graham-cave}},
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.