Projectile point · Early Archaic
St. Charles (Dovetail)
8000–6000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
The St. Charles or Dovetail point is a large Early Archaic knife and point of the Midwest and Ohio Valley, about 8,000 to 6,000 BCE, prized for its size and its frequent manufacture in colourful Flint Ridge and Wyandotte chert. It is one of the most valuable Archaic types. Caches are known.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8000–6000 BCE |
| Period | Early Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands |
Diagnostic traits
Also called Dovetail; broad corner-notched blade with a convex, ground, expanding base and a bevelled edge on resharpened examples.
Identification
Dovetail has a broad blade, corner notches, and a convex, ground, expanding base that resembles a dovetail joint, with alternate bevelling on resharpened pieces; Thebes differs in its squared or key notches and straighter base, and Lost Lake in its narrower barbs and unground base. The base is thinned from below. Hardin has a straight stem.
Reproductions and fakes
Dovetails are heavily faked because of value, usually in heat-treated Flint Ridge or Wyandotte with bevelling that is too neat and a base without grinding. Genuine bevels come from repeated resharpening and are asymmetric. Ultraviolet examination can show modern heat treatment.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "St. Charles (Dovetail)" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/st-charles-dovetail. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-st-charles-dovetail,
title = {St. Charles (Dovetail)},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/st-charles-dovetail}},
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.