Projectile point · Late Prehistoric
Prairie Side-notched
1000–1500 CE, Plains Village
Prairie Side-notched is the Late Prehistoric arrow point of the northern Plains in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana and the Dakotas, defined by Kehoe and dated to about 1000–1500 CE within the Old Women's phase. It was made from Knife River flint, Swan River chert and local quartzites and is found on bison kill and camp sites. It precedes and partly overlaps Plains Side-notched.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1000–1500 CE |
| Period | Late Prehistoric |
| Cultures | Plains Village |
| Regions | North America — Great Plains |
Diagnostic traits
Small, thin triangular arrow point with a pair of shallow side notches set low on the blade and a straight, slightly convex or irregular base, often somewhat asymmetric.
Identification
Prairie Side-notched is less regular than Plains Side-notched, with notches set lower, a narrower base and a less finely finished outline; Avonlea is older and thinner with tiny notches near a concave base. Washita of the southern Plains is separated mainly by region.
Reproductions and fakes
Rarely faked owing to low value.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Prairie Side-notched" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/prairie-side-notched. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-prairie-side-notched,
title = {Prairie Side-notched},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/prairie-side-notched}},
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.