Side-notched point/knife made of Stoney Creek Chert. Late Archaic, 2500–800 BC. Reiger I Site (20MR731), Monroe County, Michigan. Great Lakes Archaeology, Petteys Collection. UMMAA 1994-37-269.

Avocational archaeologists Ed Petteys and Chuck Sonaras excavated the Reiger I site (20MR731) in Monroe County in southeastern Michigan from 1989 to 1991. The site has a number of archaeological components: Native communities revisited it over millennia from the Archaic through the Late Woodland periods. This corner-notched point dates to the Late Archaic period. It was originally much longer than its current form and was trimmed and resharpened to serve a new use after it broke. The fine edge visible on the right of this image suggests it was reworked for use as a knife. Flint workers often reshaped stone tools to increase their usefulness and conserve raw materials.

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In honor of the University of Michigan’s 2017 bicentennial, we are celebrating the remarkable archaeological and ethnographic collections and rich legacy of research and teaching at the Museum of Anthropological Archaeology by posting one entry a day for 200 days. The entries will highlight objects from the collections, museum personalities, and UMMAA expeditions. The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology is also posting each day for 200 days on Twitter and Facebook (follow along at #KMA200). After the last post, an exhibition on two centuries of archaeology at U-M opens at the Kelsey. Visit the exhibit—a joint project of the UMMAA and the Kelsey—from October 18, 2017 to May 27, 2018.