Steuben Expanded Stemmed / McCoy Corner-Notched / Monona Stemmed
Steuben Expanded Stemmed points were first defined at the Steuben
site in Illinois. McCoy Corner-Notched points are named after the Silver
Creek Site I within the bounds of Fort McCoy in the La Crosse River
valley of west-central Wisconsin. Monona Stemmed points are named after
the Black Hawk Village site near Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin.
Other Possible Names or Related Points: Steuben points are
also known as Lowe Flared Base in southern Illinois, and the type has
been divided into three varieties: long and slender, squat and thick,
and small and thin. Preston Notched points, a recently recognized Late
Archaic type, are similar to Steuben points and they may be mistaken for
one another.
Age: 1,700 to 1,500 B.P. The type is diagnostic of the
Millville phase in southwestern Wisconsin.
Distribution: Steuben points are common throughout Illinois,
Missouri, Iowa, and into southern Wisconsin.
Description: These are small to medium spear points. The
blades are triangular with convex edges, and shoulders are straight to
sloping. The basal edge is straight to slightly convex while stem edges
are concave. Stems expand from the shoulder to the base and account for
approximately one-quarter of the point's length. Basal edges are rarely
ground. These are sometimes difficult to distinguish from Durst points
of the Late Archaic. Both are characterized by expanding stems, but
points within the Steuben family usually have sharper shoulders and are
made of chert, whereas Durst points tend to have rounded shoulders and
may be made of chert or silicified sandstone.
Length: 3–10 cm/1.5–4 in. Width: 2.5–4 cm/1–2 in.
Material: These points are typically made of local cherts that
may be heat-treated.
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