The stone tools found at Anzick with the child represent one of the most technologically sophisticated lithic traditions in the prehistoric Americas, and understanding what Clovis points actually are — and how they are made — is essential for appreciating why the Anzick artifacts are so significant.

A Clovis point is, at its core, a projectile tip: a sharp stone implement designed to be attached to a shaft or foreshaft and used in hunting large animals.

But describing it that way understates both the technical sophistication of its construction and the specific innovations that distinguish it from other projectile point types.

The defining characteristic of Clovis points is the flute — a long, thin flake that has been removed from the base of each face of the point by a specific and technically demanding process.

The result is a point with a concave, channeled base that is thinned in a specific way that facilitates attachment to a shaft and may also contribute to the penetrating performance of the point when used as a hunting implement.