Projectile point · Middle Archaic
Northern Side-notched
5500–2500 BCE, Desert Archaic
Northern Side-notched was defined by Gruhn in 1961 from Wilson Butte Cave in southern Idaho and is the Middle Archaic side-notched form of the northern Great Basin and Snake River Plain, extending into Oregon, Nevada and Utah. Obsidian, chert and basalt are used. It is common in surface collections from Idaho and eastern Oregon.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 5500–2500 BCE |
| Period | Middle Archaic |
| Cultures | Desert Archaic |
| Regions | North America — Great Basin & Plateau |
Diagnostic traits
Large side-notched dart point with notches set relatively high on the blade, a straight to concave base that is often ground, and a broad triangular blade.
Identification
The high notches separate Northern Side-notched from Bitterroot and Mummy Cave, whose notches sit low near the base. Elko Side-notched is later and smaller; Desert Side-notched is a tiny arrow point.
Reproductions and fakes
Obsidian reproductions lack the hydration sheen and rounded edges of genuine desert finds.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q138715072
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Northern Side-notched" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/northern-side-notched. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-northern-side-notched,
title = {Northern Side-notched},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/northern-side-notched}},
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.