Projectile point · Paleoindian

Hi-Lo

9500–8500 BCE, Plano

Hi-Lo was named by Fitting in 1963 from the Hi-Lo site in Ionia County, Michigan, and is the common late Paleoindian point of Michigan, Ontario, Ohio and Indiana. It is broadly contemporary with Dalton in the Southeast and with Plano forms on the Plains. Most examples are heavily reworked, and collectors value the few long, unresharpened points.

ObjectProjectile point
Dates9500–8500 BCE
PeriodPaleoindian
CulturesPlano
RegionsNorth America — Eastern Woodlands

Diagnostic traits

Thick, narrow lanceolate with a slight waist or shallow side notches just above a concave base, heavy grinding of the base and lower edges, and a blade that is often steeply resharpened to a stubby, asymmetric outline.

Identification

Hi-Lo is thicker than Holcombe and has a waist or weak notches that Holcombe lacks. Dalton has a serrated, beveled blade and flaring ears; Plainview is thinner and lacks the waist. Late Archaic lanceolates are unground at the base.

Reproductions and fakes

Little reproduced. Look for basal grinding, a lustrous patina on Upper Mercer or Bayport chert, and resharpening that narrows the blade while leaving the ground haft width intact.

Elsewhere

Cite this article

Stratum Study. "Hi-Lo" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/hi-lo. Accessed 2026-09-21.

@misc{stratum-hi-lo,
  title        = {Hi-Lo},
  author       = {{Stratum Study}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/hi-lo}},
  year         = {2026},
  note         = {Artifact type article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
}

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Sources for this article: Stratum editorial (Stratum editorial);Wikidata (CC0). As of 2026-09-21; Study pack 2026.09. Data reproduced under the licences shown; text in Stratum's own words unless a section names its source.

Found an error? Write to drew@tyr.ac with the article id artifactType:hi-lo.

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