Just how The Indians Make Arrowheads - A Concise Summary

By Chris Holthe


How did the Indians make arrowheads? Very first step was to chip flakes away from a core rock, next the flakes were shaped into an arrowhead. Basic tools were a smooth egg-shaped stone known as a hammerstone utilised to break the core into flakes. A smooth flat stone was employed for abrading. Pointed antlers or a small pointed stone had been employed to chip flakes off the edges crafting a serrated edge.

The most effective points had been created of obsidian or volcanic glass. Other rocks favored were flint, quartzite, jasper, and chert. Any tough stone that was brittle and smooth in texture could be used. Exactly where stone was scarce, fire hardened-wood and bone were shaped into projectile points.

Right after locating and choosing a core rock, the flintknapper uses the hammerstone, striking a sharp blow that chips off several flakes. He chooses suitable flakes to shape into projectile points. Placing the pointed antlers against the flake, he hits the antlers using a stone utilizing just adequate pressure to chip off tiny flakes, creating the serrated edges. The edges were polished to 1/8" in thickness, smooth and sharp.

The projectile point had to be turned more than often as it was worked to create symmetry on each sides. Modest arrowheads were created for hunting birds, medium for rabbits, raccoons, or turkeys. Large points were utilized for hunting deer, bear, or buffalo.

It took encounter to recognize the top stones to work into points. An skilled flintknapper would select a rock without having cracks. He could tap a stone and listen to the pitch. Greater pitched stones had been much better to work with. The force and angle with the strike had to be precise to chip off triangular sections. The point had to be symmetrical to function correctly so precise and detailed work was essential every single step of the way.

Most tribes had only 1 or 2 seasoned flintknappers to make all their points. An skilled flintknapper could craft a symmetrical and sharp point in 20-30 minutes. The finished point was placed on a shaft of light wood making use of leather or twine.




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