Artifact Nation

David Rybolt Sr. of Clarksdale, Mississippi

I posted this before really inspecting and getting full background and exited the post. It belongs to my sister-in - law , for fun she initially told me she found it , after seeing my excitement she told me it was from a estate sale and gave to me, now I question it being authentic but would like to give her whats it’s worth if it authentic. Opinions would be appreciated!! Thanks guys !!!

Shock marble Paleo Indian spear point. 

Mississippi Pre-Clovis Spear Points

In the Mississippi River Valley, pre-Clovis spear points are among the earliest known stone projectile points, predating the well-known Clovis fluted points by several thousand years. They represent the earliest Paleoindian technology in the region, associated with the first human migrations into North America at the end of the last ice age.

Chronology and Context

Pre-Clovis points in Mississippi date to roughly 13,400–12,700 years ago (11,500–10,800 C14 years BP), overlapping with the earliest Clovis points

. They are part of the Early Paleoindian period, when large Pleistocene megafauna such as mastodons, bison, and giant beavers were abundant

. These points were used as spear tips, often attached to wooden shafts for thrusting or with atlatls for throwing

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Typology and Identification

While the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s Projectile Point Guide focuses on later regional types, pre-Clovis points in the Southeast are generally bifacially flaked, lanceolate or triangular forms with minimal fluting compared to Clovis points

Mississippi Department of Archives & History

. They may be:

Lanceolate (lance-shaped) with parallel or slightly convex sides.

Triangular with a broad base and tapering tip.

Made from local chert or flint, often with heavy grinding on the base for hafting

Projectile Point Identification Guide

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Because they predate Clovis, they are not formally classified as Clovis points, but are sometimes referred to as “Clovis-like” in the Southeast

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. In Mississippi surveys, they appear in early Paleoindian sections before Clovis points become dominant

Mississippi Department of Archives & History

Mississippi Department of Archives & History

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Distribution in Mississippi

Pre-Clovis points are found in Mississippi River basin sites and surrounding areas, often in association with other early Paleoindian tools and animal remains

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. They are less common than Clovis points in the Southeast, but their presence marks the earliest human occupation in the region.

Significance

These spear points are critical for understanding:

The timing of human arrival in the Mississippi Valley.

The technological transition from early bifacial points to Clovis fluted points.

The subsistence strategies of the first inhabitants, centered on large game hunting.