The oldest known point found in the Americas, this spear point is named after Clovis, New Mexico where it was found with extinct mammoth bones at the Blackwater Draw Site. Those from the Upper Mississippi Valley are primarily surface finds from agricultural fields. The broadest area is near the midsection or towards the base. Sides are parallel to convex and exhibit careful pressure flaking along the blade edge. Bases are distinctly concave with a characteristic flute or channel flake removed from one or, more commonly, both surfaces of the blade.
Flutes range from to the length of the blade.
Lower edges of blade and concave base are usually ground to dull edges for hafting. Shorter Clovis points have been re-sharpened until the blade was substantially reduced. MVAC Educational Programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities . This project was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation . Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.