Projectile point · Early Archaic
Lost Lake
8000–6000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
The Lost Lake point is a corner-notched, alternately bevelled Early Archaic knife of the Southeast and Ohio Valley, about 8,000 to 6,000 BCE, named after a site in Alabama. It is closely related to Thebes and Dovetail and is often serrated. Fine examples in Fort Payne chert are sought after.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8000–6000 BCE |
| Period | Early Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Southeast |
Diagnostic traits
Corner-notched with a straight to slightly convex base and strong alternate bevelling; often serrated.
Identification
Lost Lake has corner notches and a straight to slightly convex base that is usually unground, unlike Dovetail with its ground, convex expanding base and Thebes with squared side notches. The alternate bevelling and serration are shared with those types. Kirk lacks bevelling.
Reproductions and fakes
Bevelled points are attractive to reproducers; look for uneven bevels and worn serrations on genuine pieces and for uniform pressure work and fresh scars on fakes. Reworking of genuine Kirk points into Lost Lake outlines is another trick.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Lost Lake" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/lost-lake. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-lost-lake,
title = {Lost Lake},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/lost-lake}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum. 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.