Projectile point · Middle Archaic
Matanzas
4000–2000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
The Matanzas point is a Middle to Late Archaic side-notched point of the Midwest, about 4,000 to 2,000 BCE, named after a site in Illinois. It is common on Helton-phase sites and is often crudely made. It is a workaday dart point rather than a collector's prize.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4000–2000 BCE |
| Period | Middle Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands |
Diagnostic traits
Medium side-notched point with a straight base and shallow notches placed high; often crudely made.
Identification
Matanzas has shallow side notches placed relatively high, a straight base and a narrow blade, and is typically thick, unlike Big Sandy with its low notches and ground base and Godar, which is larger and thinner. Notches are often asymmetric. Size is medium, around 4 to 6 cm.
Reproductions and fakes
Rarely faked; the main issue is confusion with other side-notched types. Genuine pieces are frequently in poor local chert with heavy use wear.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Matanzas" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/matanzas. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-matanzas,
title = {Matanzas},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/matanzas}},
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.