Archaeology Terms
Durst Point Base
This Durst point base came from a lithic scatter in Rusk County, Wisconsin. It is made of quartz, as were many of the other stone artifacts from the site. Even though the tip and a good portion of the blade are missing, the length of the stem and how it expands or widens slightly toward the base help to classify it as a Late Archaic Durst point, about 3,000 years old. The remaining portion is 22.94 mm (9/10 inch) long, 13.20 mm (just over 1/2 inch) wide at its maximum width, and 7.65 mm (3/10 inch) thick, and weighs 3.1 grams (about 1/10 of an ounce. The stem, where it would have been hafted to a shaft, is 12.50 mm (just under 1/2 inch) long.