Projectile point · Middle Woodland
Copena
100 BCE–500 CE, Woodland (Eastern)
Copena is the Middle Woodland lanceolate of the Copena mortuary culture of northern Alabama and Tennessee, named for the copper and galena grave goods that characterize that culture. Points came from mound burials as well as villages and are usually made of Fort Payne and Bangor cherts in a gray-blue color. The larger, thinner examples are prized and the name is often applied loosely to any thin Southeast triangular.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 100 BCE–500 CE |
| Period | Middle Woodland |
| Cultures | Woodland (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Southeast |
Diagnostic traits
Thin, unstemmed triangular to lanceolate point with slightly convex to recurved edges and a straight, concave or slightly auriculate base, finely flaked and often of blue-gray chert.
Identification
Copena is thin and unstemmed, which separates it from Bakers Creek; Late Woodland Greeneville and Camp Creek are smaller and thicker. The Copena Auriculate variety has slight basal ears that can lead to confusion with much older Dalton derivatives, but the Copena flaking is broad and thin with no basal grinding.
Reproductions and fakes
Thin blue Fort Payne reproductions are sold as Copena; genuine pieces show a chalky bloom on the chert and old, rounded edges.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q138712248
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Copena" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/copena. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-copena,
title = {Copena},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/copena}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata. 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.