Minnesota Prehistory

Clovis Point

The Clovis Point is a large to medium-sized Lanceolate point which is often associated with the Middle and Late Paleo-Indian Period (60,000 B.C. - 10,000 B.C.). This projectile point is characterized by its parallel or convex sides, which are widest from the mid-section to the base. The point is usually formed by careful percussion chipping, with very little pressure retouching . The bases are slightly concave, the result of a flute (one fifth to one half the point's length), and minor touching up. The Clovis Point is often made of chert and rarely exhibits signs of being heat treated.

This projectile point is sometimes discovered in association with the remains of mammoths and mastodons, and are usually found no later than 8500 B.C.