Projectile point · Paleoindian
Silver Lake
10000–7000 BCE, Western Stemmed Tradition
Silver Lake was defined by Amsden in 1937 from the Silver Lake playa next to Lake Mojave and is the companion form to Lake Mojave in the Western Stemmed tradition. Its range covers the Mojave Desert, the western Great Basin and parts of the Colorado Plateau. Materials match Lake Mojave: obsidian, chalcedony, jasper and basalt.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 10000–7000 BCE |
| Period | Paleoindian |
| Cultures | Western Stemmed Tradition |
| Regions | North America — Great Basin & Plateau, North America — Pacific Coast, North America — Southwest |
Diagnostic traits
Stemmed point with a short, broad stem, distinct sloping to squared shoulders, a rounded or straight base, ground stem edges and a relatively thick blade.
Identification
Silver Lake has a short stem and definite shoulders where Lake Mojave has a long stem and barely perceptible shoulders. Windust is similar but Plateau in distribution. Later Elko and Gatecliff stems are unground.
Reproductions and fakes
As for Lake Mojave: genuine desert finds show varnish, wind polish and grinding; fresh obsidian with no hydration sheen is a reproduction.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Silver Lake" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/silver-lake. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-silver-lake,
title = {Silver Lake},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/silver-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.