Projectile point · Paleoindian
Alberta
9000–8300 BCE, Plano
Alberta was named by Wormington in 1957 from surface finds in the Canadian province and was later found in situ at the Hudson-Meng bison kill in Nebraska and the Fletcher site in Alberta. It is the earliest of the stemmed Cody-complex forms and is thought to lead into Scottsbluff. Knife River flint and Swan River chert are common materials. Long complete examples are scarce and expensive.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 9000–8300 BCE |
| Period | Paleoindian |
| Cultures | Plano |
| Regions | North America — Great Plains |
Diagnostic traits
Large, thick stemmed lanceolate with a wide, long stem, weak sloping shoulders, straight base, ground stem edges and bold collateral to parallel flaking.
Identification
Alberta is thicker and cruder than Scottsbluff, with a proportionally longer and wider stem and less distinct shoulders. Hell Gap has a contracting stem with no real shoulder; Eden is narrow with a diamond cross-section.
Reproductions and fakes
Large stemmed Plano points are a favourite of reproducers, especially in Knife River flint; genuine Albertas have ground stem edges, uneven patina by face and an aged, slightly hazy translucency in the flint.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Alberta" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/alberta. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-alberta,
title = {Alberta},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/alberta}},
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.