Point Type: BREWERTON EARED TRIANGLE
Also See: Autauga, Brewerton Eared Notched, Kittatinny, Rowan ,  Steubenville Stemmed (aka Fox Creek), Stubby Shallow Side Notched, Salt River Side Notched, Yadkin Eared

Location: Eastern to Midwestern United States

Associated Dates: 6000 - 4000 B.P. - Middle to Late Archaic
Morphology: Lanceolate

General Description: The Brewerton Eared Triangle is one of four types in the Brewerton family of points. The Brewerton Eared Triangle is a small to medium sized, relatively thin, isosceles triangular bladed point with excurvate blade edges. It has no true stem but very slight indentations which resemble side notches that are just above small extending ears or auricles. The ears are usually well knapped in a delicately chipped manner and extend beyond the base. The base is usually concave and may be ground. When the point is held with the distal end pointing down the overall outline resembles a cow's head.

The Brewerton Eared Triangle is a minority or rare member of the Brewerton family comprising only 5.3% of the total point series recovered from the Robinson site. Ritchie suggests that the type integrates well with the Brewerton Eared-Notched type and may have developed from it. Most examples from the original Brewerton sites are made of local flints, carefully knapped by pressure flaking techniques. In southern New England the point can be made from local materials such as quartz, slate and siltstone.

The Brewerton Eared Triangle is not commonly found and is rather a rare point in typical assemblages. However its primary distribution area is in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is possibly found in very rare occurrences in Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia and eastern Illinois.

The size of the Brewerton Eared Triangle point can range from 22 mm to 55 mm in length with the typical point being in the 27 mm to 38 mm range. The point is usually one-half to two times as long as it is wide. Average thickness is 6 mm.

The Brewerton Eared Triangle was named by William A. Ritchie for specimens found at the type sites in Brewerton, Oswego County, New York.

About The Point Above (Left - Shown Twice Size): The small classical shaped Brewerton Eared Triangle point pictured at the top left of this page, was a surface find along the banks of the Housatonic River, near the Baldwin Station Site, New Haven County, Milford, Connecticut. This point is made from a grainy dark brown and gray shale material.   The edges and point are quite sharp.  The basal area is ground as are the ears or auricles and the areas just above the auricles. Overall, the point measures 29 mm in length, is 19 mm wide (at the auricles) and is only 6 mm thick.  The base is essentially flat. Catalog Number 182-12-C

About The Point Above (Right - Shown Twice Size): The beautiful and large Brewerton Eared Triangle point pictured at the top right of this page, was a surface find in a creek bed near the town of Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It is made from a glossy dark grayish Onondaga flint material which has much lighter colored gray mottled inclusions. It has been finely flaked and is thin for its size. The edges are quite sharp and the point is highly patinated. The basal area is ground as are the ears or auricles and the areas just above the auricles. Overall, the point measures 49 mm in length, is 34 mm wide (at the auricles) and is only 6 mm thick. The blade measures 28 mm in width. The concavity of the base is 4.5 mm in depth. Catalog Number 58-35-A

References: Dragoo (b,e), Fogleman, Hranicky, Justice, Overstreet, Perino (1), Ritchie

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