Clovis Paleo Point Personal Finds from Illinois and Indiana	by Edmund Butkus,
Central States Archaeological Societies 2021 January Journal	Crown Point, Indiana

Most of the writer’s Clovis point finds are from prehistoric Indian sites along the Kankakee River and upland sites situated north along Kankakee River tributary streams in Will and Kankakee counties located in northeastern Illinois. A small intact Clovis point was also collected from a site near the Iroquois River in Kankakee County, Illinois and another small Clovis was recovered in northwest Indiana. All these personally found Clovis points that include five intact and three damaged specimens are made from non- local cherts. An additional Clovis base was also found by the author in Pike County, Illinois.

The first photograph (Fig. 1) shows one side of the five intact Clovis points. Each specimen from left to right from these photos is inscribed with all pertinent information recorded. The last two small points are identified next from top to bottom. The first and largest of the intact Clovis points is made of an off white Burlington flint, fluted on both sides of the blade with a ground base and has been anciently re-sharpened. This specimen was found on the creek side downward slope of one of a series of knolls located along the northwest side of Rock Creek by the town of Peotone in Will County, Illinois and was found in March 1977. This series of knolls along Rock Creek has also yielded many Archaic period chipped stone artifacts, two sections of Hixton quartzite Late Paleo period blades and three hard stone grooved axes. The second Clovis is a narrow specimen, made of a mottled quartz-like material, possibly Shakopee chert and has long narrow flutes on each alternate side along the very blade edge. It exhibits a ground base and has been anciently re-sharpened. This unusual fluted point was found in March 2000 on the downslope of a sandy clay loam knoll along the uplands portion of Forked Creek in Green Garden Township in Will County, Illinois. Archaic culture chipped stone artifacts were also collected from this site including a small Hardin Barbed blade of white Burlington flint. The third Clovis point is made of hornstone, also known as Harrison County flint. It is fluted on both sides of the blade, has a heavily ground base and has been anciently re-sharpened many times. This Clovis was collected from the first high terrace off the south side of the Kankakee River just east of Warner Bridge, now a conservation area in Kankakee County, Illinois and was found in June, 1970. A number of Archaic projectile points were also found in this farm field. The fourth Clovis is a small example made of Starved Rock chert, has short flutes on both sides of the blade with a ground base and has been anciently re-sharpened. This point was found east away from the Iroquois River on one of a series of sand hills located downstream from Sugar Island Bridge in Kankakee County, Illinois in May 1959. There were also numerous projectile points from other cultures found on these sand hills. The fifth Clovis point is another small point made of glossy white Burlington chert that is fluted on both sides of the blade, has a ground base and has been anciently re-sharpened. This Clovis was collected in the Kankakee River flood plain on a ridge located just south of Hebron in Porter County, Indiana in March 2003. Sparse evidence of other prehistoric Indian cultures were also found here.

 

This excerpt from "Clovis Paleo Point Personal Finds from Illinois and Indiana" published in the 2021 Central States Archaeological Societies 2021 January Journal Read this and mores in the Central States Archaeological 2021 January Journal which can be purchased on-line after March 2022
Figure 1.

The second photograph (Fig 2.) shows four damaged Clovis points found by the writer. From left to right, the first specimen is the top portion of a Clovis point made of white Burlington chert with the very upper portions of flutes present on each side of the blade. No blade edge grinding is present on this part of the blade, since a large portion of the base is missing. If intact, this Clovis would have been approximately 3.5-4 inches long. This specimen was found on a sandy clay loam knoll overlooking a wide expanse of Exline Creek east of Manteno in Kankakee County, Illinois in April 1980. A number of Archaic points were collected on this same knoll and a small Hardin Barbed blade of white Burlington flint was found just east on the opposite side of a hardtop road on another knoll along the creek. The second specimen is a small thin Clovis reworked into a....

 

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