Projectile point · Late Archaic
Afton
2500–1000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
Afton is a Late Archaic corner-notched point of the Ozark region, concentrated in northeast Oklahoma, southwest Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas, and named for the Afton Springs site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, where large numbers were found. Its angular five-sided blade is unusual among North American points and makes it a favorite with collectors. Most are made of Ozark cherts and range from about 40 to 90 mm.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2500–1000 BCE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Great Plains |
Diagnostic traits
Distinctive pentagonal blade whose edges angle sharply inward above the shoulders, with narrow corner notches and an expanding stem with a straight to convex base.
Identification
The angular pentagonal outline, produced by a sharp change in edge angle midway up the blade, separates Afton from any other corner-notched Late Archaic type; Table Rock Stemmed and Smith have the same regional distribution but lack the angled blade. Heavily resharpened examples can lose the angle and then resemble a generic expanding-stem point.
Reproductions and fakes
Because the outline is so recognizable, fakes are cut from modern Ozark chert with an exaggerated angle; real examples have a subtler blade angle, worn shoulders and a dull patina.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Afton" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/afton. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-afton,
title = {Afton},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/afton}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Study 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.