Arrowpoints, Spearheads, and Knives of Prehistoric Times by Thomas Wilson

Author:Thomas Wilson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781510720084
Publisher: Skyhorse
Published: 2007-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Fig. 131.

LEAF-SHAPED IMPLEMENT OF BLACK FLINT, WITH CONVEX BASE AND PARALLEL EDGES.

California.

Division I, Class C.

.

Cat. No. 62481, U.S.N.M.

Division II—TRIANGULAR. (Plate 32.)

This division includes all arrowpoints or spearheads in the form of a triangle, whether the bases or edges be straight, convex, or concave. It might be that the concavity or convexity of the lines of the edges would, in strict geometrical nomenclature, exclude this from being called a triangle, but the author ignores this criticism and has kept the name given by many others and understood by all.

This class includes all kinds of triangles, whether equilateral or isosceles, and whatever may be the relation of length between the lines of base and edge. The edges may be convex or concave and the base with an exaggerated concavity, the two corners forming barbs, the arrow shaft the stem (Plate 32, figs. 3, 8, 20, 23, 26). Some of these implements are extremely rude, especially those of quartz and of jasper, which are refractory material, but many of these have been delicately and finely chipped.

Triangular arrowpoints, while found in great profusion in some localities, are not nearly so numerous throughout the country as other divisions. They appear in greater numbers on the Atlantic coast than in the interior. Dr. Abbott says that in a series of 3,300 arrowpoints from Mercer County, New Jersey, 1,428 were triangular. Although this may be the simplest form of arrowpoint, yet the author doubts if that be evidence of its having had any precedence in manufacture, or that there was any evolution from it to other forms. That there may have been relationship is granted. The arrow maker may have made indifferently the triangular and leaf-shaped, and he may have changed from one to the other, dependent upon the peculiarities of the material and the success with which he was able to work it, and the question of fashion and custom can not be ignored. It is thought these reasons are sufficient to account for the infinite variety of shape in arrowpoints.

The author has laid down no hard and fast lines of division in this classification. Some of the leaf-shaped may have had their bases and edges straightened (Plate 30, fig. 8), and the triangular had their corners rounded until the two divisions came together (Plate 32, figs. 1, 6); so also with the leaf-shaped and the stemmed. Some of the former have been notched near the base and thus been changed to stemmed, and so on through the entire system. This classification is made for the student and for convenience of description; therefore there will be overlapping of the dividing lines between the classes, as will be readily seen by referring to Plate 32. This must be accepted unless we would make infinitesimal divisions and every slight difference in form make a separate class. So each division includes all forms which approach nearest to it, even if they have peculiarities which make it difficult to harmonize. Some of the peculiarities in the triangular division are to be noted.

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