Projectile point · Late Archaic
Buck Creek
2000–1000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
Buck Creek Barbed is a Late Archaic type of the lower Ohio Valley, best known from Kentucky, southern Indiana and Illinois, and named by Kentucky archaeologists for a creek in the Green River country. Many were made from Kentucky and Indiana cherts including Wyandotte and are well thinned by pressure flaking. Collectors value the larger, strongly barbed examples, which are among the more attractive Late Archaic points of the region.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2000–1000 BCE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands |
Diagnostic traits
Medium to large point with a triangular blade, prominent downward-pointing barbs and a straight or slightly expanding stem with a straight base.
Identification
Buck Creek has more pronounced barbs and a squarer stem than Pickwick, and its blade is straighter-edged. It differs from Etley in being shorter and lacking the long, narrow, recurved blade; from Wade in size and in the straight rather than expanding stem. Karnak Stemmed lacks the barbs.
Reproductions and fakes
Reproductions in glassy Wyandotte or Burlington chert show even, machine-like pressure flaking and no edge rounding; authentic pieces usually carry a light patina and minute nicks on the barbs.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Buck Creek" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/buck-creek. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-buck-creek,
title = {Buck Creek},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/buck-creek}},
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.