Projectile point · Early Archaic
Bolen
8500–7000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
Bolen was named by Bullen from the Bolen Bluff site on Paynes Prairie in Alachua County, Florida, and is the earliest Archaic point of Florida and south Georgia, following the Paleoindian lanceolates. It is the Florida counterpart of Big Sandy and Taylor. Florida chert and agatized coral are typical, and river-found examples carry the same dark stain as Suwannee points.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8500–7000 BCE |
| Period | Early Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Southeast |
Diagnostic traits
Side-notched point with a straight to slightly concave ground base, notches set low, and a triangular blade that is either alternately beveled (Bolen Beveled) or plain (Bolen Plain).
Identification
Bolen is separated from Big Sandy by geography and by the frequency of beveling, and from Taylor by its lower notches. Kirk Corner Notched is corner rather than side notched. Later Florida side-notched points are unground.
Reproductions and fakes
Reproduced as often as the Florida Paleoindian forms; stained fakes show blotchy colour that stops at flake ridges, while genuine river points are evenly stained and have ground notches and base.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Bolen" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/bolen. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-bolen,
title = {Bolen},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/bolen}},
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.