I just wanted to see what you guys thought about snap bases. I find alot of them and yes, some are broken bases, but one can't help but think that some of them are made that way. Here's some that I have found. I had to show you how thin this one is! Even the ears are fractured on this Kirk!

Some heartbreakers! I think Kirk SB is a broken point. When ya haft a corner notch the least amount of material is above the base. That is the weakest spot and would break when cutting, twisting, general use as a knife. I have some that look like the basal area was thinned and reground after breaking so they could re-haft it. Your picture (second one down) could be one. Kinda looks like it was ground. Lengthy discussions about this subject on the AACA site. Very interesting read! The thing I dont get is why didnt they salvage more of them? The debate goes on! Mark.

Hey Sizemore, I am a fan or freak of all artifacts and snap bases are no different in my book. Here is a photo of one of my favorite finds here off the farm

Broken.

So do you guys think that they were broken during the hafting process? That would explain all the ones that you find in mint condition. Thanks for yall's input. It's good to be a part of a group of artifact nuts (like me) that know a little bit about everything!

Could be broken in many ways. After hafting the point could have hit someting hard and broken that way, a glancing blow could have broke it off. Trying to pull the point out of bone could have broken it. A mad wife could have wacked her husband upside his head. Many ways.

greywolf22 wrote:
Well, thank you for your input. My wife has threatened me with knocking me upside the head with one, but thats another story. Wait a minute, here's another theory for you: could the snap bases have been used for knives? Most knives do not have bases for hafting.

I think they usually snap after hafting as most show some resharpening or other damage.

Here's an odd one, not really a "snapped base"......Archaic stemmed (FL) was either a larger point, broken and reworked into a smaller point, after trying to thin the base either gave up or used it as-is, not needing to thin any more, but the stem is enough.

Awesome point. Hey I don't mean to be fanatic about a subject,(especially one as random as snap bases) but how do you explain Morrow Mountain points? They have just as much (or less) basal area as a snap base. How did they haft them? I mean, I don't mean to sound monotonous about these snap bases, I just think they're really cool! (And I think the one on the left is an effigy of the head of a ring tailed lemur! I can see it.)The one on the left is a snap base, the right one is a morrow mountain.

Jon Dickinson

Snapped Base Kirk is a term developed by greedy dealers who wanted to sell broken points at a premium. I know an old timer in Ohio who claims he invented the term, and laughs about the money he made on the idea. Don't know if it is true, but I know he claims it.

I have seen many examples of Archaic points with broken bases that were later salvaged. Most of the time this was done with grinding on the break to enable rehafting. The proper term for these should be "Salvaged", but "Snap Base" sells points.

Lou- Converse is referring to specific types(Decatur is best example, and a small number of Dovetails) where flakes were intentionally removed, and then ground down. Decatur's typically have two flakes removed from both sides of the base at a small angle that meet in the middle of the base. There is no doubt when studying these forms that the "fractures" are intentional and part of the design of the piece.

Regards,

Jon Dickinson.