Projectile point · Middle Archaic
Benton
4000–3000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
The Benton point is a Middle Archaic stemmed point and knife of the Tennessee and Tombigbee valleys, about 4,000 to 3,000 BCE, famous for caches of oversized, thin examples in blue-grey Fort Payne chert. Benton caches with turkey-tail-like forms and stemmed bifaces are found in mortuary contexts. It is a marker of the Benton interaction sphere.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4000–3000 BCE |
| Period | Middle Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Southeast |
Diagnostic traits
Broad-stemmed knife or point with a straight or slightly expanding stem and an unusual steeply bevelled, ground base.
Identification
Benton has a broad, straight or slightly expanding stem with a steeply bevelled, ground base and an oblique-flaked blade, which separates it from Ledbetter with its contracting stem and from Savannah River with its wide, unground stem. The basal bevelling is unusual and diagnostic.
Reproductions and fakes
Cache Bentons are reproduced in Fort Payne chert with oblique flaking; fakes lack the basal bevel and grinding and have no patina in the scars. Genuine Fort Payne weathers to a lighter, matte surface.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Benton" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/benton. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-benton,
title = {Benton},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/benton}},
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.