THE ARCHAIC PERIOD
This period began when the megafauna of the Pleistocene period (that's the big furry critters of the ice age) died out about 8,000 years ago. It lasted until the Indians began cultivating crops and living in permanently settled villages, which happened here in Texas about 2,000 years ago.
The Indians of the Archaic period were hunters and gatherers, moving from place to place in small bands, gathering wild plants, nuts, and berries, and hunting bison and deer as well as small game. Their dart points were generally not as well made as those from the Paleo Era, but not always. Some Archaic points were truly spectacular, but most are fairly run-of-the-mill and many are just plain crude. Here are some of my better Archaic dart points.

ONE OTHER NOTE: Since this page has more room for photos than any other, I've also added several pics of other artifacts and fossils that I ran out of room for elsewhere.

A large Gary that I found in the river back in the 1990's. It was a cold February day, and the point was lying in some clear running water.

Two super points from Comanche County

You don't get a day like this very often! Thirteen points found on July 1, 2005. The Gahagan is 3 3/8", and the big Perdiz was found in two halves. Close-up of the Gahagan further down the page.

Three of my largest points. The one in the center was stolen in 1996. If you ever see it, please let me know! It is 5 1/16" long.

I hadn't made it to Limestone County all year, so on Dec. 18 I took off with my friend Jim Poepsel and we hunted with Kirby Hyden, one of the great collectors from that area. We found over 30 points totalled, and 18 of them, plus this nice quartz Waco sinker, were mine!

This is my best find of the year, and one of my best ever - a 3 3/4" Andice out of pink and white novaculite. The right barb was broken off when I found it, but I had Dennis Bushey restore it for me. As you can see, he did a fine job!

Some of the better dart points I picked up in 2006, including a KILLER tip that was probably from a Scottsbluff. I may never have another year this good.

These are, of course, bird points, but I ran out of room on my "Bird Points" page The one on the upper right is an unknown type, but one of my best!

I went digging on my friend's ranch near Temple, TX this summer and had a grand time. My wife and daughters got in on the action too, and each of them found a point!! We wound up with seven for the day plus a couple of big crude knives; Rachel's point is not pictured because she put it in her pocket and took off !

I found these on Sat., Aug 11, 2007 - my last hunt of the summer. They were dug on a private ranch in Bell County, TX.

Feb. 17, 2007 - several people had hunted this stretch of river ahead of me. Hard to believe they missed this one!

My second Paleo of the day from Feb 26, 2005 - a nice little Keithville San Patrice lying in the water, wide open! I got a total of seven points that day, but these two were the best.

My last hunt of 2006, hit a favorite spot of mine right after a three inch rain. Somebody had been there ahead of me, but they weren't very thorough - they left 19 points behind!

Here's my first Paleo of 2005, found on the first day of 2005. Nice way to start the year! See the "In Situ Shots" page for a pic of it before I picked it up.

Here's the rest of the points I found New Year's Day 2005 - the Dalton and a NICE petrified wood lanceolate, maybe a tiny Scottsbluff.

One of my coolest in situ pictures ever, this point was lying side by side next to a Cretaceous shark's tooth. I took this photo before I touched either of them. Found on June 25, 2008.

Here are most of my Calf Creek/Andice culture points. The barbs on these guys are almost always either broken off or worked off. I have never found a perfect one, but I have two restored - one professionally, one personally. Need I say which is which?

Here is a jumbo sized Archaic blade and two other nice points, all found on the same gravel bar on 2 different trips.

Oct 1 2005 - found this dandy little Edgewood lying near the water's edge.

Here it is in the sun - nice translucent material!

One of my favorite points of all time, a classic Hardin barbed, found in a small creek in 1993. It's a Paleo/Archaic transition point. Some Texas collectors call this type a "Wilson" point. It now resides in the Bill German collection

The rarest sight in all of artifact hunting . . . two points found lying side by side, inches apart! I picked these up the day before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, 2005. Not great points - just a couple of Garys - but how cool it was to find them like that!

One of my best finds from the summer of 2008, a nice Darl Stemmed point from near Temple, TX.

January 2009 - A gorgeous Steiner point lies fully exposed in shallow water. This is my best in situ shot of the year thus far - a shame the point has a tiny tip nick, but it is still a SCREAMER!

A very unusual find for East Texas - an eccentric obsidian arrowpoint. I found this on Sept. 14, 2008, as Hurricane Ike's remnants were blowing through Hunt County. Very bad weather, very good hunt!!!!!

November 23, 2005 - My best hunt in 10 years! After high winds, the points were lying along the shoreline like pecans under a tree. I got 23 complete points and a small hematite celt, plus over 40 broken tips and bases. What a great day!

This is definitely the biggest and best bird point I have ever found. It is 2 1/8" long, and has an incredible hypodermic tip. I hollered so loud I hurt my throat!

Risks of river-hunting - a deadly Western Cottonmouth, in the same creek where I found my big dinosaur (shown after losing an argument with my hiking stick)..

I saw this blade edge peeking out and thought, what a nice white Gary!

But when I flipped it out - SURPRISE! It was a dandy white Dalton. Picked up March 11, 2006