Projectile point · Late Archaic
Smith
3000–1000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
Smith Basal Notched is a Late Archaic dart point and knife of the Ozark uplands in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas, named for a site in the Table Rock Reservoir area of Missouri. It was made from local Ozark cherts and often reaches large sizes, and the long barbs and squared stem make it visually striking. Whole examples with unbroken barbs are scarce and bring strong prices.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 3000–1000 BCE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Great Plains |
Diagnostic traits
Large basally notched point with a broad triangular blade, long sharp barbs that reach nearly to the base, and a straight stem with a straight base that is about as wide as the notches are deep.
Identification
The basal notches with barbs extending down beside the stem separate Smith from corner-notched types such as Afton and Table Rock Stemmed; Eva of the Tennessee Valley is basally notched too but is older, thinner and has a narrower, more tapered stem. Andice and Bell of Texas are similar in concept but much more finely flaked with longer, thinner barbs.
Reproductions and fakes
Reproductions tend to have barbs that are thin, even and unbroken and stems that are too crisp; genuine pieces almost always show at least one damaged barb tip and a soft, uneven patina.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q7545265
- Wikipedia: Smith Point
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Smith" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/smith. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-smith,
title = {Smith},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/smith}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata. 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.