Point Type: ENSOR - SPLIT BASE
Also See: Edgewood, Ellis, Fairland, Frio, Marcos, Marshall, Martindale

Location: Midwestern United States

Associated Dates: 2200 - 1400 B.P. - Late Archaic - Early Woodland
Morphology: Corner Notched / Side Notched & Bifurcated

General Description: The Split Base Ensor is a medium sized corner-notched to side-notched point with narrow notches which are low on the sides and a bifurcated basal edge. The stem is short and expanded and is often as wide as the shoulders. The blade has straight to slightly excurvate edges and can be slightly serrated. The shoulders are angular and barbed. The basal edge is centrally notched.

Davis further defines the Ensor type into three sub-types. The Ensor I has a concave base, the Ensor II has a slightly pronounced convex base and the Ensor III has a straight base. Davis does not acknowledge the Ensor Split Base as a subtype.

The Ensor sometimes resembles the Frio which is also a basal notched type. The Frio however has a recurvate basal edge.

The Split Base Ensor is most commonly found in central Texas and parts of northeastern Texas. It is also found in eastern Oklahoma and southwestern Arkansas. The type has been attributed to dates from 2200 to 1400 BP which places the point in the Late Archaic to Early Woodland periods.

The size of the Split Bas Ensor can range in size from 32 mm to 152 mm in length. The type was named by E. O. Miller and Edward B. Jelks in 1952 for examples which were recovered from the Belton Reservoir area of Coryell County, Texas.

About The Point Above: The point pictured at the top of this page, was found near the town of Gustine, Texas and was once in the former Ms. Willingham collection. It is made from a glossy tan chert. The barb on the right or upper edge is larger and the left or lower barb is either clipped or has been reworked off. The base is ever so lightly ground. The specimen measures 52 mm in length, 27 mm wide across the barbs, and is only 6.5 mm at its thickest point at mid blade. The base is 19 mm wide tapers down to 4.5 mm in thickness and the basal notch is 2 mm deep. The stem length is 10 mm. Catalog Number 38-45-U

References: Bell (2), Davis, Overstreet, Perino (1), Puckett (1), Turner & Hester, Waldorf

© Copyright 1997 - 2008 LITHICS-Net    WWW.LITHICSNET.COM

Use your Browser's BACK Button to return to the LITHICS-Net Index.