Projectile point · Late Prehistoric
Washita
1000–1500 CE, Plains Village
Washita is the common Plains Village side-notched arrow point of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Nebraska, named by Bell for the Washita River and dated to about 1000–1500 CE. It is abundant on Washita River phase and other Southern Plains village sites, usually in Alibates, Florence and local cherts. It is inexpensive but a key marker of the period.
| 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 narrow side notches set well up from the base and a straight or slightly concave base as wide as the blade.
Identification
Washita's notches sit higher on the blade and its base is wider than on Reed; Harrell adds a basal notch, and Huffaker has two pairs of notches. Plains Side-notched of the northern Plains is similar and separated mainly by region.
Reproductions and fakes
Not usually faked; Alibates examples should show the material's natural banding and matte weathering.
Elsewhere
- Wikidata: Q138717796
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Washita" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/washita. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-washita,
title = {Washita},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/washita}},
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.