Translucent, 2", Fluted Florida Greenbrier Arrowhead!

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Translucent, 2", Fluted Florida Greenbrier Arrowhead!

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Sold Date: 03/10/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

Proceeds from the sale of this point will be donated to, "The Tri-States Archeological Society."

The Tri-States Archaeological Society
is an archaeological organization devoted to the education of Deep South Native American artifact and fossil collectors primarily from Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

The true "no reserve" auction of a:

"Very Finely Tipped, Translucent 2" Greenbrier Recovered From A Dry Land Site In North Central Florida!"

This ancient artifact is lifetime guaranteed to be authentic. It is absolutely solid and whole with no restoration or rechipping.

"Opinion"

The example offered was legally recovered from a dry land site in North Central Florida. It is an authentic, old Greenbrier Point whose length has been significantly reduced through resharpening. This particular point is desirable as a finely tipped, translucent example of an uncommon and interesting type. The base has been basally fluted and ground with a well formed flake being removed from the ventral surface of the artifact. This Transpaleo point is made of Coastal Plains Chalcedony that has patinated a pleasing light peach with gold overtones and shades of orange!

Greenbrier Typology

The Greenbrier Point was named by T. M. N. Lewis in 1958 for examples which were recovered from the Nuckolls' site in the Greenbrier area of Kentucky Lake, Tennessee.

Greenbrier as a type is especially significant as examples of this type are the first to regularly bear clearly chipped (as opposed to ground) hafting notches which represents a "significant" tool technology innovation -side notching! This (at the time) "new" technology is commonly noted by avocational and professional typologists alike to most likely represent the transition from Paleolithic to Protoarchaic lifeways. The most recent published scientific data suggests a placement of between 11,250-9,750 for Greenbriers and also observes that, Greenbrier as a type was produced no later than 9,500 years ago!

Greenbrier points can be described as medium to large sized, side notched, auriculate points with convex blades. The tip is broad and the stem is expanding. Like other early point types the hafting area (including shoulders and base) is ground. Greenbriers are often basally thinned. This treatment is as a rule well executed and subtle causing some examples to appear to be fluted. Notching can range from shallow to deep producing shoulders that can be tapered to quite prominent. True Greenbriers exhibit "bifacial" beveling (also known as paleo) resharpening and are not alternately beveled. Resharpened examples are thus Bi-convex in profile and blades generally remain convex throughout the life of the blade.

Their exists significant variation within this type (consisting of different basal treatments) and subtypes (as well as varieties) have been noted. Including (for sake of simplicity): Greenbrier (a classic auriculate), Greenbrier-Type II (a blade that retains its basal thinning nipple) and a subtype, "Osceola" Greenbrier (which might be assumed to be a late variant), named by Dr. Jarl Malwin that is observed to have more prominent "notching" and on occassion very well formed lobes that are rounded or squared.

Greenbrier points recovered from Florida are quite uncommon if not actually rare and constitute but a small percentage of the known archeological record. Although examples exist in collections and are available for comparative analysis their seems to be a lack of published scientific data on the exact age, distribution or number of varieties which exists within this type. It undoubtedly remains the responsibility of both avocationals and professionals to assist in the reconstruction of this culture in order to contribute to the fund of cultural knowledge for future generations.

Well executed examples of Florida Greenbriers are appreciated if not prized by some collectors of early stone age technology and represent an excellent value.

"Considering Greenbrier as a Culture" ...