“Clovis Point”
Pronunciation: /ˈkloʊvɪs pɔɪnt/ (KLOH-viss poynt)
Part of Speech: Noun
Quick Definition: A fluted bifacial stone projectile point used by Paleo-Indians approximately 13,000 years ago.
General Use: The archeologist discovered a pristine chert Clovis Point while excavating the mammoth kill site. Consequently, the discovery provided excellent evidence of early human predation and provided a clear record of lithic craftsmanship.
ART — Lithic Symmetry – The aesthetic quality of the Clovis Point is defined by its remarkable bifacial symmetry and the technical difficulty of its creation. Craftsmen utilized over-shot flaking, a technique where flakes travel across the entire face of the stone, to achieve an incredibly thin yet durable profile. Furthermore, the final removal of the “flute” flake at the base represents a high-risk artistic choice that could shatter the entire piece. This precision reflects a culture where functional utility and visual elegance were perfectly integrated.
HIDDEN TRUTH — The Engineering of the Flute – The technical secret behind the Clovis Point lies in the structural purpose of the basal flute, which serves as a shock-absorption mechanism. By thinning the base, the hunter could wedge the point deep into a wooden or bone foreshaft without creating a bulky joint. Therefore, when the spear struck a thick-skinned mammoth, the force of the impact was distributed through the fluted channel rather than snapping the stone. Moreover, this innovation represents the first standardized industrial “part” in American history, allowing for interchangeable weaponry.
FACT — The Chronological Marker – The historical value of the Clovis Point is its role as the “gold standard” for dating the arrival of humans in the Americas. For decades, the “Clovis First” model asserted that these tool-makers were the very first inhabitants to cross the Bering Land Bridge. While modern evidence suggests earlier arrivals, the Clovis Point remains the most recognizable and widespread lithic tradition of the Ice Age. Consequently, finding one of these points in a geological layer provides an immediate and precise temporal anchor for researchers.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Detail |
| Era | Paleo-Indian (Late Pleistocene) |
| Date Range | 13,000 to 12,600 years ago |
| Primary Material | Chert, Flint, Jasper, Obsidian |
| Defining Feature | Basal Fluting |
| Shape | Lanceolate (Leaf-shaped) |
| Function | Projectile Point / Butchery Tool |
| Discovery Site | Clovis, New Mexico (1929) |
| Technique | Bifacial Percussion and Pressure Flaking |
| Target Prey | Mammoth, Mastodon, Ancient Bison |
| Hafting Style | Split-shaft or Foreshaft mounting |
| Distribution | Found in all 48 contiguous US states |
| Predecessor | Unknown (Possible El Jobo or Solutrean) |
| Successor | Folsom Point |
Did you know?
The typical Clovis hunter viewed the Clovis Point as a highly portable survival kit that could be resharpened into a knife once it became too small for hunting. Because high-quality stone was often hundreds of miles away, the hunter developed an intimate relationship with their lithic supply. Furthermore, the inclusion of exotic stones in Clovis caches suggests that these points may have held symbolic value beyond their utility. Therefore, the presence of a point far from its source material reflects an integration of high-speed travel and inter-tribal exchange.
Primary Context Definition
The Clovis Point is built almost entirely of microcrystalline quartz, such as chert or flint, which fractures predictably along conchoidal planes. Craftsmen prepare these materials by heat-treating the stone to improve its workability before initiating the reduction process. The point is subsequently thinned through a series of “over-shot” flakes that stretch across the width of the tool. Moreover, the characteristic flutes are removed from the base, creating a thin channel that facilitates mounting to a wooden shaft.
Etymology: Named after the town of Clovis, New Mexico, where the points were first found in association with extinct fauna.
Synonyms: Fluted point, Paleo-point, Lanceolate biface.
Antonyms: Stemmed point, Notched point (later styles).
Thesaurus: Lithic, Bifacial, Pleistocene, Projectile.
The open plains and river valleys of North America served as the primary locus of activity for the hunters who carried these points. Today, these fragile artifacts are continuously maintained in museum collections to prevent the loss of data regarding early human migration. Furthermore, the study of these points remains a communal task for archeologists and indigenous historians seeking to reconstruct the landscape of the Ice Age.
Historical Context of Clovis Point
The development of the Clovis Point is historically linked to the dramatic environmental shifts at the end of the last Ice Age. As the glaciers receded, a vast “mammoth steppe” opened across North America, providing a corridor for highly mobile hunting groups. While the exact origins of the technology remain debated, the Clovis Point appeared suddenly and spread rapidly across the continent. By 12,600 years ago, however, the technology disappeared as the megafauna went extinct. Additionally, the move toward smaller, more specialized points like the Folsom style signaled a shift in hunting strategies toward smaller game like bison.
Social Context of Clovis Point
The Clovis Point process perfectly encapsulates the social structure and hierarchy of the early Paleo-Indian bands. The production of a high-quality point required a high degree of skill, suggesting that master knappers may have held significant status within the group. Within the band, the possession of exotic stone points signaled a group’s wide-ranging travel and its connection to distant landscape features. Maintaining these toolkits was a communal effort that defined the group’s identity and ensured its survival in a changing world.
Terms Related to Clovis Point
| Term/Concept | Description and Relevance |
| Flute | The longitudinal groove removed from the base of the point. |
| Biface | A stone tool that has been worked on both sides. |
| Chert | A hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock used for knapping. |
| Knapping | The process of shaping stone through controlled fracturing. |
| Percussion | Striking the stone with a hammerstone or antler billet. |
| Pressure Flaking | Using a pointed tool to press off small, delicate flakes. |
| Lanceolate | A slender, leaf-shaped profile tapering at both ends. |
| Hafting | The process of attaching a stone point to a handle or shaft. |
| Foreshaft | A removable wooden piece that holds the point. |
| Mega-fauna | Large Ice Age animals like mammoths and mastodons. |
| Pleistocene | The geological epoch lasting from 2.5 million to 11,700 years ago. |
| Over-shot Flake | A flake that travels across the entire face of the tool. |
| Concave Base | The inward curve at the bottom of a Clovis point. |
| Patina | The surface film produced by oxidation over long periods. |
| Lithic | Relating to stone or stone tools. |
| Diagnostic | An artifact that identifies a specific culture or time period. |
| Atlatl | A spear-thrower used to increase the force of a projectile. |
| Conchoidal | The shell-like fracture pattern typical of flint and obsidian. |
| Debitage | The waste flakes produced during stone tool manufacture. |
| Cache | A hidden store of tools or raw materials left for later use. |
| Retouch | Fine flaking used to resharpen or finish an edge. |
| Striking Platform | The area on a stone where a blow is directed. |
| Billet | An antler or wood tool used as a “soft” hammer. |
| Obsidian | Volcanic glass used to create extremely sharp points. |
| Cortex | The weathered outer “skin” of a raw stone nodule. |
| Ear | The protruding corners at the base of the point. |
Sources & Credits
Sources
- The Clovis First Model – Waters, M. R. Nature, 2020. [Archeological dating source]
- Lithic Technology – Andrefsky, W. Cambridge University Press, 2005. [Technical knapping source]
- Clovis: Ancient Haunts of the Mammoth Hunters – Smithsonian Institution. [Historical archive]
- Paleoamerican Origins: Beyond Clovis – Center for the Study of the First Americans. [Migration source]
- The Art of Flintknapping – Whittaker, J. C. University of Texas Press, 1994. [Craftsmanship source]
