Projectile point · Late Archaic
Genesee
2500–1500 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
Genesee is a Late Archaic broad stemmed point of western New York, Ontario and northern Pennsylvania, named by Ritchie for the Genesee River and dated to about 2500–1500 BCE. It is a large, heavy point, usually of Onondaga chert, and is associated with the Genesee phase, which was contemporary with the later Laurentian and early Susquehanna traditions. Big, well-made examples are among the more valuable New York points.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2500–1500 BCE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands |
Diagnostic traits
Large, broad, thick stemmed point with a straight-edged triangular blade, squared shoulders and a wide straight stem with a straight or slightly convex base.
Identification
Genesee is thicker and more squarely shouldered than Snook Kill, which has a shorter contracting stem, and lacks the broad expanding stem of Susquehanna Broad. Compared with Savannah River of the Southeast it is more crudely percussion-flaked and thicker in section.
Reproductions and fakes
Fakes in Onondaga chert are uncommon; genuine pieces show a uniform gray-blue patina and edge rounding.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Genesee" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/genesee. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-genesee,
title = {Genesee},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/genesee}},
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.