Projectile point · Paleoindian
Angostura
8000–6500 BCE, Plano
Angostura was named by Wheeler from the Ray Long site at Angostura Reservoir in South Dakota and belongs to the late Paleoindian oblique-flaked lanceolate tradition. Its range runs from the northern Plains south into Texas, where it is common on Edwards chert, and it overlaps the earliest Archaic. Collectors prize the long, unresharpened examples with textbook oblique flaking.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8000–6500 BCE |
| Period | Paleoindian |
| Cultures | Plano |
| Regions | North America — Great Plains, North America — Southwest |
Diagnostic traits
Long, narrow lanceolate with parallel-oblique flaking, edges that contract slightly toward a straight or slightly concave base, and grinding of the base and lower edges.
Identification
Angostura is separated from Eden by its oblique rather than collateral flaking and its lack of shoulders, and from Jimmy Allen and Frederick by its narrower, less concave base. Later Archaic lanceolates are unground and lack regular oblique flaking.
Reproductions and fakes
Oblique-flaked lanceolates are widely reproduced; fakes show overly regular flaking, no basal grinding and glassy scars. Genuine points show grinding, patina and blade asymmetry from resharpening.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Angostura" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/angostura. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-angostura,
title = {Angostura},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/angostura}},
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.