Point Type: NOLAN
Also See: Bulverde, Lange, Pandale, Travis, Zorra

Location: Midwestern to Southeastern United States, primarily central Texas

Associated Dates: 6000 - 4500 B.P. - Middle Archaic
Morphology: Stemmed

General Description: The Nolan is a medium to large sized, leaf shaped, triangular bladed stemmed point with tapered to rounded shoulders, a needle-like point tip. The stem on the Nolan is its most diagnostic feature and is quite unique. It is steeply and alternately beveled only on one face of each side of the stem which gives the stem a rhomboid cross section. The blade edges are excurvate to recurvate and are rarely straight. The shoulders are tapered and are usually strong but can be weak on highly reworked specimens. The stem can vary from narrow to wide and the basal edge is straight to convex and rarely concave. The stem is found to be more often slightly expanding towards the basal edge but can be straight.

The Nolan type is primarily a central Texas point type, found from the Rio Grande River to the Red River and is found in less frequency in adjacent states and areas of Texas. Perino reports of a rare type found in west central Illinois that share the similar beveled stem edges but does not call this a Nolan.

The Nolan's size range is from 48 mm to 125 mm in length. The width can range from 25 mm to 42 mm. Thickness data is not available. Stem length runs from 11 mm to 20 mm and stem width ranges from 15 mm to 25 mm. The point was named by J. Charles Kelley in 1947 who originally called the point the "Nolan Beveled Stem" for examples he found in Nolan County, central Texas. The name was shortened in 1954 by Dee Ann Suhm, Alex D. Krieger and Edward B. Jelks and a further description of the type was supplied.

About the Point Above: The Nolan point pictured at the top of this page is from the former Bob Miller collection, Bell County, Texas. The point is made from light brown, satin khaki colored flint that has light tan inclusions and rust colored brown inclusions. The stem is straight and only mildly expanding with the characteristic steep bevels on each side of the stem (note upper stem side photographed shows bevel) The blade has a few Callche deposits near some of the knapping scars. The edges of the blade show fine retouch. Overall, the point measures 65 mm in length, is 38 mm wide across the shoulders, and is 6 mm thick at the shoulders. The stem is 16 mm long and 20 mm wide. The stem thickness is 4.5 mm. The stem sides show some minor grinding however the stem base does not. Catalog Number 34-20-U

References: Davis, Overstreet, Perino (1), Turner & Hester

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