Pace Folsom / San Patrice
by Bill Breckinridge
This interesting piece was found by King Steward near Tanglewood Community
on the Arkansas River below Keystone Dam, Tulsa Co. Oklahoma. It is Ex- Larry
Shope and Ex- Don Shope, two well known Tulsa County collectors, and was
examined and papered by Greg Perino for Larry Shope. Mr. Perino was very
familiar with Arkansas River points from N.E. Oklahoma. His opinion was that
the point was a Clovis re-worked by the San Patrice culture.
The material used for this piece is Boone chert. It has a very heavy stain and river
patina. There is moderate sand polish, typical of the Arkansas below Keystone
Dam. In local collections from the river, Clovis points are often made of Boone,
Folsoms are made of Boone approximately 30% of the time, and San Patrice
points are seldom made of Boone.
Mr. Pace acquired the point at the beginning of the dispersal of Don Shope's
collection late in 2006. Having viewed Folsom material at the Stone Age Fair in
Loveland, Colorado and from the Arkansas River in N.E. Oklahoma and noticing
similarities to the recycled fluted point, Mr. Pace asked me to examine the piece. I
was able to keep the point for several days.
Clovis points and tools are far more numerous and wide spread than Folsom. The
two overlap in time, with Clovis persisting until nearly the end of the far briefer
Folsom Period. Folsom is almost certainly a technological off shoot of Clovis, and
is confined to a limited geographical range. Clovis points reworked by early
archaic cultures are not uncommon, but the lighter, more fragile (and scarce!)
Folsom points were seldom recycled.
The Arkansas River below the dams in Oklahoma has revealed an astonishing
array of Paleo point types, including Folsom. Many Early Archaic types are also
found in the river, including several varieties of San Patrice and even Pelicans. I
have also observed that there is a commensurate diversity in each type, from
early stage bifaces and quarry blanks to absolutely spent points. This has allowed
myself and other collectors in these areas to develop a familiarity with blades
and "pre-forms" from many Paleo cultures that are not often seen in collections.
These early stages of the tool cycle are often unrecognized, and I believe the
original piece found by the San Patrice culture was such a biface made by the
Folsom culture.
I compared Mr. Pace's point to casts of Clovis points from six different excavated
and dated sites, including Blackwater Draw (the Clovis type site). I also
compared the point with Folsom material, including several from the river in
Tulsa County. It most resembles the early stage Folsom bifaces found by Steve
Vaughn and Olin Taylor. These larger than average Folsom bifacial knives served
as preforms for Folsom points.
The ancient altering of this point by a later culture adds a layer of confusion to
its interpretation. Not only was the hafting area modified, much of the blade was
reworked as well, changing the angle of the cutting edge. This was done in a
style reminiscent of some Daltons, and resulted in a Dalton like cross section
above the flutes. The base has been totally altered to fit a later knife handle. The
thinnest area was indented to provide a more sturdy attachment. The base was
narrowed, twice as much on one side as the other. Only small areas on the
middle of the blade and just above the top of the flutes still show the original
flaking style.
Although it is difficult to build a substantial body of evidence, enough clues are
present to type the piece as a Folsom biface. In the comparison with known
Clovis variants, it was most similar to the Dent Site Clovis. The Dent point was
originally typed as a Folsom. The Dent point is clearly on the Clovis side of the
dividing line between the two types, and I feel Mr. Pace's fluted point is just as
clearly on the Folsom side of that line.
On one thing all observers agree...it's now a very well fluted San Patrice!
by Bill Breckinridge
This interesting piece was found by King Steward near Tanglewood Community
on the Arkansas River below Keystone Dam, Tulsa Co. Oklahoma. It is Ex- Larry
Shope and Ex- Don Shope, two well known Tulsa County collectors, and was
examined and papered by Greg Perino for Larry Shope. Mr. Perino was very
familiar with Arkansas River points from N.E. Oklahoma. His opinion was that
the point was a Clovis re-worked by the San Patrice culture.
The material used for this piece is Boone chert. It has a very heavy stain and river
patina. There is moderate sand polish, typical of the Arkansas below Keystone
Dam. In local collections from the river, Clovis points are often made of Boone,
Folsoms are made of Boone approximately 30% of the time, and San Patrice
points are seldom made of Boone.
Mr. Pace acquired the point at the beginning of the dispersal of Don Shope's
collection late in 2006. Having viewed Folsom material at the Stone Age Fair in
Loveland, Colorado and from the Arkansas River in N.E. Oklahoma and noticing
similarities to the recycled fluted point, Mr. Pace asked me to examine the piece. I
was able to keep the point for several days.
Clovis points and tools are far more numerous and wide spread than Folsom. The
two overlap in time, with Clovis persisting until nearly the end of the far briefer
Folsom Period. Folsom is almost certainly a technological off shoot of Clovis, and
is confined to a limited geographical range. Clovis points reworked by early
archaic cultures are not uncommon, but the lighter, more fragile (and scarce!)
Folsom points were seldom recycled.
The Arkansas River below the dams in Oklahoma has revealed an astonishing
array of Paleo point types, including Folsom. Many Early Archaic types are also
found in the river, including several varieties of San Patrice and even Pelicans. I
have also observed that there is a commensurate diversity in each type, from
early stage bifaces and quarry blanks to absolutely spent points. This has allowed
myself and other collectors in these areas to develop a familiarity with blades
and "pre-forms" from many Paleo cultures that are not often seen in collections.
These early stages of the tool cycle are often unrecognized, and I believe the
original piece found by the San Patrice culture was such a biface made by the
Folsom culture.
I compared Mr. Pace's point to casts of Clovis points from six different excavated
and dated sites, including Blackwater Draw (the Clovis type site). I also
compared the point with Folsom material, including several from the river in
Tulsa County. It most resembles the early stage Folsom bifaces found by Steve
Vaughn and Olin Taylor. These larger than average Folsom bifacial knives served
as preforms for Folsom points.
The ancient altering of this point by a later culture adds a layer of confusion to
its interpretation. Not only was the hafting area modified, much of the blade was
reworked as well, changing the angle of the cutting edge. This was done in a
style reminiscent of some Daltons, and resulted in a Dalton like cross section
above the flutes. The base has been totally altered to fit a later knife handle. The
thinnest area was indented to provide a more sturdy attachment. The base was
narrowed, twice as much on one side as the other. Only small areas on the
middle of the blade and just above the top of the flutes still show the original
flaking style.
Although it is difficult to build a substantial body of evidence, enough clues are
present to type the piece as a Folsom biface. In the comparison with known
Clovis variants, it was most similar to the Dent Site Clovis. The Dent point was
originally typed as a Folsom. The Dent point is clearly on the Clovis side of the
dividing line between the two types, and I feel Mr. Pace's fluted point is just as
clearly on the Folsom side of that line.
On one thing all observers agree...it's now a very well fluted San Patrice!
Carlos Black Folsom
Texas
Texas
Folsoms from Oklahoma. All have Perino papers.