A group of triangular projectile points recovered from northern Mississippi, displaying consistent morphology that may represent an unnamed Late Prehistoric point type.
This article presents a group of triangular projectile points recovered from northern Mississippi that appear to represent a consistent, but currently unnamed, type. These points share a number of defining characteristics that separate them from more commonly recognized Late Prehistoric forms in the Southeast.
The specimens are small to medium in size and display a triangular blade form with straight to slightly excurvate edges. Bases are generally straight to slightly concave, with careful thinning and occasional smoothing. The workmanship suggests intentional design rather than variation within an existing type.
Material selection varies, but most examples are made from locally available cherts common to the Yazoo Basin and surrounding regions. Flaking is typically fine and controlled, indicating skilled craftsmanship. While some variation exists in size and proportions, the overall morphology remains consistent across multiple finds.
These points have been recovered in contexts associated with Late Prehistoric occupations, suggesting a temporal placement within the Mississippian period. However, their exact cultural affiliation remains uncertain. They do not cleanly fit into established typologies such as Madison or other well-documented triangular forms.
The repeated occurrence of these points within a defined geographic region raises the possibility of a localized or specialized form. Whether this represents a cultural variation, a functional adaptation, or a distinct type yet to be formally recognized remains open for further study.
As with many aspects of artifact classification, continued documentation and comparison will be critical. Additional finds, especially those with clear context, may help clarify whether this form warrants formal designation as a new point type.
Central States Archaeological Journal January 2012 by John Ray Troy, Missouri
The Cahokia serrated triple-notched in situ on April 1, 2010.
I have been hunting Indian artifacts for over 25 years in Lincoln County Missouri. I had always heard that there was a Cahokia population here, but never had any proof of my own until last year.
I started off early in 2010 hunting a new site. One of my first finds was a small tri-notch point with the tip damaged. I just thought it to be a fluke, no big deal. As I continued to hunt the site that year, I was finding a lot of Woodland points that were in near perfect shape.
On April 1st 2010 I went out to the site, and found a broken serrated Cahokia base. Then I walked about 10 feet and surprisingly found another serrated Cahokia. As I looked down at it, I saw all the signs of it being broken too. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be in perfect shape and super fine. I had truly found a rare G10 point!
On my hunt of April 8, 2010, I discovered a Cahokia Triplenotched. It is shown here in-situ.
I hunted the site throughout the entire year and ended up finding six Cahokia points. There were two double-notched, two different types of five-notched, one triplenotched, and a serrated triple-notched. Along with these, I found many un-notched Madison points. I think that these points are right in line with some that were found in Mound 72, at Cahokia mounds.
Pictured together are the six Cahokia Points found on the same site in Lincoln County, Missouri. The serrated triple-notched point is 1 ½ inches long x 5/8 of an inch wide at the base. It was found in March of 2010. The five-notched is 1 ¼ inches long and 5/8 of an inch wide. All of these points were found at a single site in East Central Missouri, about 90 miles from Cahokia Mounds.
Twenty five years of hunting and I went from zero to six! It just goes to show what can be found some 90 miles away from the mounds and further.
by Bob Reeves Knoxville, Tennessee Central States Archaeological Societies, October 2010 Journal
Drilled greenstone Southern spatulate found along the French Broad River in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Shown in front, reverse, and profile views, the artifact features a tapered drilled hole and refined shaping typical of rare Mississippian ceremonial pieces associated with the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex.
Way back in November of 1966, I was surface hunting along the banks of the French Broad River in Jefferson County, Tennessee when I found what I then called a ceremonial celt. It was a tremendous find, the best artifact I had ever found at the time, and still is one of my best. It is made of greenstone and is 7” long, 3 1/2” at the widest point, 1 1/8” wide across the slightly rounded poll end, and 5/8” thick. It has an 11/16” diameter hole which tapers to 5/16” where it penetrates, and is 2 7/16” across the face at the center of the hole, and the top of the hole is 3” down from the top of the poll. It is complete and with only one very small modern ding on the poll, but the prehistoric craftsman did not quite finish polishing out all the peck marks, a few of which still remain. Regardless, this is truly a rare artifact and the slight imperfections are easily overlooked.
It was not until many years later that I learned that it is one of a group of artifacts referred to as a Drilled Greenstone Southern Spatulate and is thought to be associated with the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (SECC, also known as the Southern Cult) dating from 1200 AD on into the early contact phase of the late Mississippian period in the southeastern United States. This particular artifact is impressive for two reasons. The first is that this type artifact is rare under any circumstances, and the second is that the area from which it was found has never produced many Mississippian artifacts.
I found this in a pile of dirt next to a hole that had been dug to make a duck blind. I did look around for more artifacts, but found none. Since this is not the normal Archaic or Woodland artifact found in this area, I should have dug around some to see if it had come from a later Mississippian burial or other feature, but did not realize what I had at the time. Near where this spatulate was found, about two hundred yards from the river’s edge, a mound once stood. The bottom land around the mound had been cultivated for about one hundred years and the mound had been slowly reduced to just a low rise above the surrounding level flood plain. Then in the mid 1940’s, the Tennessee Valley Authority built the Douglas Dam and flooded the site. During low levels of the lake back in the fifties and on until the late sixties, the mound could still be seen as the highest point in the silted flood plain, maybe eighteen inches higher than the surrounding area, but by the early seventies, all vestiges of it was gone and was soon forgotten. Few people today are even aware that it once existed.
During my research of this type artifact, I happened to come across an old archaeological site survey which sheds some light on my find. In February of 1972, Dr. Major C. R. McCollough, research assistant professor for the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, conducted an archaeological survey of the area for the Tennessee Valley Authority who had proposed building a steam plant on the higher elevations above the site where the mound stood. Dr. McCollough noted mainly Woodland sites in the adjacent area of the proposed steam plant site, but there was one brief mention of some Mississippian cultural material. In his report he wrote “A ‘substructure’ (presumably Mississippian) mound (site 17Je9) and a stray find of a raptorial bird pendant were reported in the downstream end of the site.” He also mentioned “Cherokee types [of pottery shards] from the lower end of the site from an earlier site survey found by local collectors.”
That may explain this artifact being where I found it, but even with this explanation, I am left with several questions. I have talked to several local collectors who have hunted this area for years and few of them have any Mississippian artifacts other than a few pottery shards and a handful of small triangular points that might even be late Woodland types. Could that mound have actually been a Woodland structure and was misidentified? Why so few Mississippian culture artifacts from this area if the mound was indeed of Mississippian origin? Is it possible that the few artifacts that have been found were all left behind by one group of Mississippian Indians passing through the area? Possibly all of the artifacts were from one grave or cache that had been plowed out and scattered during the many years of cultivation prior to the lake being formed.
I’ll never know the answer to these questions, but the mysteries surrounding such finds is so intriguing that it will keep me hunting and collecting Indian artifacts as long as I am able to walk the fields and riverbanks.
Volume 70, Number 2, April 2023 Central States Archaeological Journal
At top: Figures 1 and 2. Both faces of the cloud blower tube pipe. The pipe measures 6” in length and is shown full size.
I had made plans to go artifact hunting with my buddy, Stanley Thurman, on Thanksgiving Day in 1989. Stanley and I both worked at United Parcel Service. He was a package truck washer at the Athens, Tennessee UPS Center, and I came through Athens, Tennessee every night to pick up the Next Day Air packages and then transport them to the air facility in Knoxville, Tennessee. At the time, I was driving a semi-truck for UPS out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Stanley and I shared a love for Indian artifacts and had become friends.
I had to work on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving Day in 1989. When I got off from work on Thanksgiving morning, I hurried home. I was excited because Thanksgiving Day had always been my most productive day to look for artifacts.
When I arrived at my home, my wife met me at the door. She was pregnant with my son and suffering from morning sickness. So, I had to call my buddy Stanley and tell him that I couldn’t go artifact hunting that morning. I understood why my wife wanted me to stay at home that morning, but I was disappointed as would be expected.
Figure 3. Close-up of the engraving at the top of the tube pipe showing a stylized human figure, possibly wearing a ritual mask.
When I called Stanley and gave him the bad news, he asked if I’d object if he took another friend of his, Charlie Moore, with him. I told Stanley that it would be OK with me. He then asked where I thought he and Charlie should hunt that morning. I told him where I had planned to hunt, and he called Charlie. Charlie Moore had never been artifact hunting, and Thanksgiving Day in 1989 was his first time to go.
Figure 4. Close-up of the engraving at the bottom of the pipe depicting a figure with raised arms, possibly dancing.
My phone rang that morning at about 11 a.m. When I answered the phone, I heard Stanley’s excited voice on the other end and my heart sank. Stanley told me that Charlie had beginner’s luck and had found a beautiful cloud blower tube pipe with a stick man effigy engraved on it. Charlie found the pipe in the exact spot that I had suggested they hunt. Later on that afternoon, Stanley and Charlie brought the pipe to my home and let me see and hold it. I had hoped that Charlie would part with the pipe, but that was wishful thinking. For 23 years he kept the pipe locked up in a safe deposit box at his local bank. Then, in 2012, without my knowledge, he sold the pipe to another collector.
Figure 5. Close-up of the double engraved rings at the center of the tube pipe decorated with cross-hatching.
Then, in February of 2020, at the Gallatin Tennessee artifact show, I once again got the honor of holding the “Stick Man Cloud Blower Tube Pipe.” This time I was able to acquire it. After 31 years had passed, I now get to enjoy the pipe that I always felt I would have found on that Thanksgiving Day in 1989.
The pipe was found near the Tennessee River at Clear Creek in Rhea County, Tennessee. It measures 6” in length, 1½” in width, and is 1¼” tall (Figs. 1, 2). It has two engraved figures on it and is said to depict male and female effigies (Figs. 3, 4). The middle has two rings around it with fine engraving on each of them (Fig. 5). The pipe is highly polished and a wonderful work of prehistoric art. I’m truly blessed to get to enjoy this pipe.
Volume 63, Number 4, October 2016 Central States Archaeological Journal
Figure 1. The sandstone effigy pipe found in Mississippi County, Missouri. It measures 3 inches in length, 2 inches in width and stands 4 inches in height. This view shows the human holding the bowl with his hands in a kneeling position, legs tucked under his body. The head is portrayed looking to the right and red ochre is still visible on the face.
In the January 1980 issue of the Central States Archaeological Journal, a sandstone pipe was shown that was in the collection of Sam Jones of East Prairie, Missouri. Several other artifacts from his collection were also pictured on pages 60-61. I recently had the pleasure to view this pipe, which was recently added to the collection of Sandy Carter of Roswell, Georgia. The picture of this pipe in this past issue of this publication (Fig. 2.) from 36 years ago really did not do it justice.
The pipe was found by James Hanes many years ago on his farm in Mississippi County, Missouri. It is a very interesting pipe. It is made from a fine grained quartzite. It measures 3 inches in length, 2 inches in width and stands 4 inches in height (Fig. 1). It is in exceptional condition without any plow damage, and portrays a kneeling human holding a bowl. While pipes like this are rare, this motif is seen in a number of other examples of Mississippian period pipes. The pipe was most certainly part of ritual paraphernalia. We can only guess at the meaning, but two things come to mind. First, perhaps the bowl is being held up as part of the busk ceremony, thanking the gods for a plentiful harvest. Or second, when in use, the pipe is offering up the smoke to the ancestors, so that they can be consulted on important matters. Certainly we will never really know what was intended, but the fact that numerous examples of this style of pipe have been found opens up the case that it was a common and repeated ritual throughout the Mississippian world.
Figure 2. The pipe from above showing the tilt of the head and other features. Note the discoloration of the interior of the bowl from smoking residue.
Figure 4. A modern photo of the pipe in the same position as Figure 3 showing the detail and color of the pipe. Note the yellow ochre directly above the outstretched arm.
The grainy black and white image in the 1980 Journal (Figs. 3,4) did not show many of the important aspects of this pipe. First, it was originally painted! You can easily see the red ochre paint on the face, as well as yellow ochre on the body next to the bowl (Figs. 1,4,5). Undoubtedly in ancient times, the paint would have been brilliant, and the pipe would have been quite a sight to view. It has recently been discovered that many of the mounds were actually covered with a layer of clay that in some cases was painted red or yellow. Our image of mounds with green grass growing on them is a far cry from what the prehistoric Native Americans lived with on a daily basis. Their communities were a vivid contrast from the natural landscape around them, and would have certainly stood out. Most certainly, highly colorful pipes would have been the norm rather than the exception.
The pipe is well executed, with very realistic facial features. The hair treatment is especially nice, with a hair bun at the back of the head, and further hair enhancement on both sides of the top of the head (Fig. 2). The head is tilted to one side, and perhaps, when smoked, the pipe was oriented so that the face was looking in the direction of the sun or moon (Fig. 1).
Figure 5. The pipe from above showing the tilt of the head and other features.
Now here is the interesting feature that cannot be discerned in the original photo (Figs. 6,7). Both of the hands have six fingers! This is known today as hexadactyly. Many times the extra finger can be fully functioning. In ancient times (and even today), this deformity would have been a wonder, and most certainly an individual born this way would be considered very special and held in awe by those around them.
I have viewed several other examples of this style of pipe, and on all of these the hands have the normal five digits. I also spoke with several other informed collectors and none of them have ever seen this feature on other pipes or pottery. So the question is, is this a portrayal of an actual individual who had this rare trait, or was the extra digit added to give the pipe more powerful meaning? The ancients were very exact in their portrayals of nature, as can be seen in the abundance of pottery vessels Mississippians produced. So the extra digit is likely not a mistake. Perhaps someone out there has another pipe or human effigy vessel that shows fingers in detail? If you discover an extra digit or two, let me know. It would be interesting to see if this is a one-of-a-kind portrayal, or if this occurs in other instances.
Figure 6. A close up of the fingers on the right hand of the individual holding the bowl on the pipe. Six are clearly visible.
Figure 7. A close up of the fingers on the left hand of the individual holding the bowl on the pipe. Six are clearly visible.
Volume 72, Number 4, October 2025, Central States Archaeological Journal
I was recently reading the April 2025 of CSAJ and saw a stunning puddingstone discoidal on the back of the cover page and it struck me how often collectors like to describe discoidals by stone type rather than typology and cultural affiliation. A lot has also been written about discoidals in the context of the game of Chunkee as played by the Native Americans; it’s much harder to find information about discoidals in the archaeology context and their typology.
The history of Chunkee begins in the area adjacent to Cahokia and spreads to the surrounding geographic areas and with time, into the historic era as documented by the early Spanish during the initial contact period. Many have been pictured and displayed in various journals and books since collectors love the aesthetic, overall beauty and rarity of the chunkee stone.
This article focuses primarily on the typology and timeline of the discoidal and is based on Gregory Perino’s classification in 1971 as described in the Illinois Archeology Survey Bulletin No. 8. (Ref.1)
In my close to 30 years of walking campsites, I have only found one. I know many local collectors that have found many rare and wonderful things but never had the thrill of finding a discoidal. To hold a well-made discoidal is to hold a piece of Native American art and history. At its essence is a chunk of stone pecked, shaped, ground and polished into a universally appreciated piece of art. The quality of work, selection of fine stone and its depiction on Mississippian art suggests that the Native American also appreciated it as much as a work of art as we do today.
This article will discuss the typology and timeline of the discoidal or chunkee stone in west central Illinois, specifically Pike and Calhoun counties. This area is sandwiched between the lower Illinois valley and the Mississipi Bottom flood plain, west of the Jersey Bluffs and Green County, with Missouri to the west and extending down south to the vicinity around Cahokia, Illinois. The area is considered to be the birthplace and epicenter for the discoidal. Although there are other types of discoidals, it is thought they all initially developed around Cahokia and then later were traded from the Cahokia area, subsequently developing their unique style locally—such as the Tennessee and Georgia style discoidals.
Gregory Perino classified the discoidal in four types as illustrated in Figure 1. The four types are listed ranging from the Late Woodland period to the Late Mississippian period extending into the historic period.
Figure 1. Cross section drawings of discoidal types. (a) Salt River variety (b) Jersey Bluff variety (c) Cahokia variety (d) Bradley variety (after Perino 1971 Figure 74).
The Jersey Bluff variant centers in the lower Mississippi Valley and spreads north and west into the Mississippi Valley and south around the St. Louis area. This variant is the earliest type and dates from the Late Woodland period Jersey Bluff culture. They are biconcave with a shallow cup and broadly rounded to narrow flat rim, and with slightly convex outer edges. The width to thickness ratio ranges from 2:1 to 8:1. Compared to other discoidals, this type shows a lot of variability and some can be quite large and heavy. Illustrated in Figure 1 are three locally found Jersey Bluff style discoidals from Pike County, Illinois. The larger (4 ½” x 2”) one is made of yellow/honey colored quartzite and was found just south of Pleasant Hill in Calhoun County on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi floodplain. The one in the middle (2 ½” 1 ¼”) is a personal find from Barry, Pike County, which is on high ground between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and the site is on a large elevated area overlooking Hadley Creek. The smallest one (2” x 1”) was found in Hull, Pike County in the Mississippi bottom. It is made of dark hard stone and has a cross etched in both cups. Perino states many found in the Lower Illinois Valley have this crossed design in their cups. Although Perino states the significance of the cross is not known, subsequent literature suggests that the cross represents the four cardinal points (horizontal view) but in the vertical view, the Native understanding of the Native American cosmos: the horizontal line depicting the Middle (living) World and the vertical line dividing the Upper (sky) and Lower (under) World, with the circle of the discoidal representing the universe (Ref. 2).
Figure 2. Jersey Bluff discoidals.
The Salt River discoidal is easily recognized by its V-shaped outer edge and considered rare as it is more limited in its geographic distribution. This type is also Late Woodland and contiguous to the Jersey Bluff territory to the west and north. Most are found in the Lower Salt River in Missouri, northwest of the major Jersey Bluff sites.(1) The Salt River discoidal illustrated (3 ¼” x 1 ½”) was found in New Canton, Pike County. The town sits below the bluff and is directly in the Mississippi floodplain. It is made from a dense black hard stone with a nice polish and was found on a sand ridge overlooking the Mississippi floodplain.
Figure 3. Salt River discoidal.
A large percent of Late Woodland period discoidals are made of diorite and granite hardstone; but quartz, limestone, baked clay and flint discoidals are also found. All the ones in my collection are made of hard stone and quartz, although I have seen locally found Jersey Bluff discoidals made out of limestone and a beautiful one made of translucent glasslike ferruginous quartz similar to some bannerstones.
Figure 4. Cahokia discoidals.
The Cahokia type Mississippian discoidal is found around the Cahokia area and extending up the Mississippi Valley into other areas that Cahokia communities migrated to and cohabitated with other Late Woodland cultures. The Cahokia discoidal has a width to thickness ratio between 2:1 to 4:1. These are usually relatively thin through the cups and have sharp to slightly rounded rim edges. Sometimes the cup is so thin, there is a perforation in the middle of the cup. They have flat to convex outer edges and broad deep cups. Cahokia discoidals are usually made of quartzite, sugar quartz, diorite, granite, limestone, compact sandstone, and baked clay. I have seen a locally found one that is approximately 2½” in diameter and made of compact sandstone. It has a Mississippian weeping eye motif in both cups. The larger of the illustrated Cahokia (Fig. 4) discoidals (3¾” x 1½”) is made of a light colored hard stone with a very sharp rim and deep broad cup. It was found in the Mississippi Bottom, in Hull, Pike County. The smaller one (2¼” x ¾”) is made of granite and was found in the Mississippi Bottom on a sand ridge in New Canton, Pike County.
Figure 5. Bradley discoidal.
The Bradley type discoidal developed later in the Mississippian period and eventually replaced the Cahokia style chunkee. This is a bi-convex type and named after the Bradley site in Arkansas, and it is typically called the “biscuit discoidal” by collectors. Some of the Bradley types have edges beveled to one side so they would curve when thrown. This type of Bradley was used until the early Historic period. The Bradley style pictured was found in Pleasant Hill, Mississippi Bottoms, in Pike County. It is made of granite and measures 3½” x 2¼”. It is very well made, the thickness to width ratio is higher than the other types so it has a much thicker look especially compared to the earlier Cahokia style. It has slightly rounded edges and although it is bi-convex, one side is slightly more pronounced giving the impression it has a top and bottom.
I am happy to share these discoidals from West-Central Illinois region and hope the next time you view a discoidal, you appreciate not only the beauty but also the cultural affiliation, typology, history and cultural significance to Native Americans.
References:
1 – Mississippian Site Archeology in Illinois:1, Illinois Archeology Survey Inc. Bulletin No 8, University of Illinois Urbana. 1971. 2 – Hero, Hawk, and Open Hand. The Art institute of Chicago publication. Yale university press. 2004. 3 – For Figure 1: Discoidal typology by Gregory Perino. Additional suggested reading and references. 4 – The Styles and Distributions of Chunkey Stones in the Eastern Woodlands. Aidan Paul, honors thesis, Curriculum in Archeology, UNC at Chapel Hill 2021. 5 – Chunkey and the Historic experience in the Mississippian World. Thomas J. Zych. University of Toledo 2017. (Both articles are very informative and available online at ResearchGate.)
The author would like to thank Addie Rodhouse for the photography.
