Projectile point · Late Archaic
Frio
200 BCE–600 CE, Plains Archaic
Frio is a Transitional Archaic dart point of central and south Texas, named by Suhm and Krieger for the Frio River and dated to about 200 BCE–600 CE. It is made from Edwards chert and is common on Edwards Plateau and south Texas sites. It overlaps Ensor and Fairland in time and often occurs with them.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 200 BCE–600 CE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Cultures | Plains Archaic |
| Regions | North America — Great Plains, North America — Southwest |
Diagnostic traits
Medium-sized dart point with a triangular blade, corner or basal notches that create an expanding stem, and a deeply concave or notched base that forms two basal ears.
Identification
The notched or deeply concave base distinguishes Frio from Ensor, which has a straight base; Fairland has a wider, flaring expanding stem with a concave base but shallower notches. Montell is older and larger with a deep basal notch and a straight stem.
Reproductions and fakes
Edwards chert Frios are reproduced; genuine ones show a light tan-to-white patina and rounded ears.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Frio" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/frio. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-frio,
title = {Frio},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/frio}},
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.