Projectile point · Paleoindian
Holcombe
10000–9500 BCE, Clovis, Plano
Holcombe was defined by Fitting, DeVisscher and Wahla in 1966 from the Holcombe Beach site in Macomb County, Michigan, a late Paleoindian camp on a former lake shoreline. It sits at the transition from fluted to unfluted lanceolate points in the Great Lakes. Bayport chert is the usual material. Points are small enough to be overlooked among later triangular forms.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 10000–9500 BCE |
| Period | Paleoindian |
| Cultures | Clovis, Plano |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands |
Diagnostic traits
Small, thin lanceolate with a slightly concave base, fine collateral flaking, basal thinning by short flakes or an occasional short flute, and grinding along the lower edges.
Identification
Holcombe is smaller and thinner than Hi-Lo and lacks the Hi-Lo waist and thick cross-section. Compared with Crowfield it is narrower and only occasionally fluted; compared with later Woodland triangles it has ground basal edges and a concave rather than straight base.
Reproductions and fakes
Rarely reproduced because it is unspectacular; the risk is misidentification rather than forgery. Genuine points show edge grinding under a loupe and Bayport chert's speckled grey patina.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Holcombe" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/holcombe. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-holcombe,
title = {Holcombe},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/holcombe}},
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.