WHAT IS THE FOLSOM POINT?

A distinctive Paleoindian fluted projectile point with a single flute on each face and fine pressure flaking. Found in association in sites around Folsom, New Mexico from c. 9000–8000 bc (alternately 11,000–10,200 bp), they differ from Clovis points in the length of the flute, which extends over most of the point’s side. Folsom points are smaller, with their widest dimension near the middle rather than towards the base; they are more concave base than Clovis points, and the edges of Folsom points were retouched.

WHAT IS THE FLUTE POINT?

a projectile point with a distinctive longitudinal groove left after the removal of a channel flake; a long, medial channel notched to the base of a flake. The channeled flake is removed from one or both faces by striking the specially prepared base sharply with a piece of wood or bone. The sharp ridges of the flutes were ground smooth near the base of the point, to prevent them from cutting the bindings when the point was inserted into a notched foreshaft. These points have extreme symmetry, careful flaking, and the removal of a long, parallel and shallow flake from one or both sides. Fluted points are characteristic of the Paleoindian peoples of North America such as the Clovis and Folsom projectile points.