Jack's Reef pentagonal projectile point facts for kids
Jacks Reef Pentagonal points are special tools from a long time ago. They were small, sharp objects, usually about 1 to 1.5 inches long. These tools were used as projectiles, like arrowheads, and also as specialized knives.
They got their name from William A. Ritchie, an archaeologist. He found examples of these tools at the Jack's Reef archaeological site in Onondaga County, New York. This site was part of the ancient Point Peninsula complex.
Most Jacks Reef Pentagonal points are from around 900 AD. This was during the early time of the Owasco culture.
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What Are Jack's Reef Pentagonal Points?
Jacks Reef Pentagonal points are thin and have five sides. They have very sharp tips. These points are related to another type called Jack's Reef Corner Notched points. Both were used around the same time. However, the Pentagonal points are much more common.
How Were They Designed?
The part of the tool where it would be attached to a shaft, called the hafting area, is usually narrow. The bottom edge, or base, can be slightly curved inward or straight. The overall shape of the point looks like a five-sided figure, or a pentagon, with straight edges.
These blades were used during the Late Woodland period. You can also find Jacks Reef Pentagonal points in a much older time, the Middle Archaic period. In this older period, they were thicker, rougher, and larger.
Where Were They Found?
Some smaller, but still rough, examples of these points have been found in the Point Peninsula 2 complex. This was a later part of the Middle Woodland period.
Jacks Reef Pentagonal points were also found in ancient graves. These graves belonged to the Intrusive Mound Culture. Many were found at the Mound City Hopewell group in Ross County, Ohio.
Wide Distribution
These unique tools have been found across a very large area. Their distribution stretches from Missouri in the west, all the way south to Alabama. They also appear eastward to the coast, and then northward through New York. From there, they spread back west through Illinois. Examples have also been discovered in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
