1897 PREHISTORIC TIMES ARROWHEADS INDIAN ARTIFACTS MOUND BUILDERS THOMAS WILSON

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

UNITED STATES

NATIONAL MUSEUM,

ARROW POINTS. SPEARHEADS, AND KNIVES OF

PREHISTORIC TIMES.

BY

THOMAS WILSON,

Curator, Division of Prehistoric Archæology, U. S. National Museum.

From the Report of the U. S. National Museum for 1897, pages 811-988,

WITH SIXTY FIVE PLATES PICTURING HUNDREDS OF ARTIFACTS


1897 FIRST EDITION

HARDCOVER

177 PAGES

THIS BOOK IS EX LIBRARY WITH MINIMAL MARKINGS OTHERWISE THIS BOOK IS COMPLETE, CLEAN AND IN VERY GOOD + CONDITION... PLEASE SEE PICTURES


WASHINGTON:

ARROW POINTS, SPEARHEADS, AND KNIVES

OF PREHISTORIC TIMES.

BY

THOMAS WILSON, LL. D., Curator, Division of Prehistoric Archaeology 



TABLE OF CONTENTS.

                          Page.

Introduction .... 823


I. Spears and harpoons in the Paleolithic period .... 824

II . The origin , invention , and evolution of the bow and arrow .... 830



III . Superstitions concerning arrow points and other prehistoric stone implements .... 841

IV . Flint mines and quarries in Western Europe and in the United States .... 850

Europe ..... 850

Spiennes , Belgium ..... 850

Grand Pressigny , France .... 858

Mur - de - Barrez ( Aveyron ) , France .... 859




Meudon ( Oise ) , France .... 860

Champignolles ( Oise ) , France .... 860

Grimes Graves , Brandon , Suffolk , England ... 861



Cissbury , Sussex , England ... 864

Scraper workshop at Goalenec , Quiberon ( Morbihan ) , France .... 867

United States ... 868

Flint Ridge , Licking County , Ohio .. 868





Caches .. 871

V. Material of arrowpoints and spearheads ... 872

Microscopic examination of flint ...... 876

VI . Manufacture of arrow points and spearheads ... 877





VII . Scrapers , grinders , and straighteners used in making arrow and spear shafts .... 884

VIII . Classification of arrow points and spearheads... 887

Division I - Leaf - shaped... 891

Ciass A. - Pointed at both ends .... 895

Class B. - Pointed at one end ; concave , straight , or convex base ... 899




Class C. - Long , narrow blades with straight , parallel edges , sharp

points , baso concave , straight , or convex... 906

Division II – Triangular... 909

Division III - Stemmed... 913

Class A. - Lozenge - shaped... 915




Class B. - Shouldered but not barbed ..... 917

Class C. - Shouldered and barbed... 925

Division IV - Peculiar forms... 931

Class A. - Beveled edges... 931




Class B. - Serrated edges ..... 934

Class C. - Bifurcated stems .... 935

Class D. - Extremely long barbs , square at ends , finely chipped ... 936

Class E. - Triangular in section... 937

Class F. - Broadest at cutting end - tranchant transversal.... 937




Class G. – Polished slate ....941

Class H. - Asymmetric... 941

Class 1. - Curious forms ..... 942

Class K. - Perforators ..... 944

IX . Knives ... 946

X. Wounds made by arrowpoints or spearheads ... 955
Appendix A - Fint mines and quarrios ... 961
Appendix B - Caches .... 970
Appendix C - Large implements of arrow point or spearhead form ... 982
Appendix D - Making of arrow points described by explorers and travelers ... 985


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATES .

Facing page . 1. Prehistoric iron knives and spearheads . Cemetery of Chei'tan - thagh , Russian Armenia .... 838

2. Specimens of fine arrowpoints . Italy ... 810

3. Specimens of fine arrowpoints . Italy... 810
4. Flint flakes , arrowpoints , and spearheads . Gurob , Egypt , XIIth dynasty , 2600 B. C ......846

5. Pointed flint flakes , picks , hammer stones , and chisels . Spiennes , Belgium . 856

6. Deer - horn picks . Grimes Graves , and Brandon , Suffolk , England .... 856
7. Flint objects from prehistoric workshops Grand Pressigny ( Indre - et Loire ) , France , and other localities in Europe.. 858
8. Flint knapper engaged in quartering flint . Brandon , Suffolk , England ... 862
9. Flint knapper flaking the flints into long slips... 862
10. Knapping the flakes into gun flints . Brandon , Suffolk , England ... 862
11. Implements from flint mines . England .. 864
12. Cache of scrapers . Goalenec , Brittany.. 868
13. Map of Flint Ridge , Ohio , showing aboriginal flint quarries and work shops... 868
14. Worked flipts from workshops . Flint Ridge , Ohio .... 870
15. Flint chips from workshop . Flint Ridge , Ohio ... 871
16. Microscopic thin sections of flint . England ... 876
17. Microscopic thin sections of flint . Denmark , France , and Belgium ... 876
18. Microscopic thin sections of fint . France and United States ... 877
19. Microscopic thin sections of flint . United States ... 877
20. Microscopic thin sections of flint and other rocks . United States .... 878
21. Microscopic thin sections of flint and other rocks . United States ... 878
22. Microscopic thin sections of rocks , used for aboriginal implements . United States ... 879
23. Specimens of rock from which thin sections were made .... 879
24. Specimens of rock from which thin sections were made .. 879
25. Obsidian Cores , flakes , and finished arrowpoints . Principally from North America... 880
26. Concave arrow - shaft scrapers of flint . England and United States .... 884
27. Arrow - shaft grinders . Cherokee , Iowa .... 885
28. Leaf - shaped arrowpoints , spearheads , or knives . Division I , Class A .. 895
29. Leaf - shaped arrow points , spearheads , or knives . Division 1 , Class B. 899
30. Leaf - shaped arrow points , spearheads , or knives . Division I , Class B. 899
31. Leaf - shaped arrowpoints , spearheads , or knives . Division 1 , Class C. 906
32. Triangular arrow points , spearheads , or knives . Division II .... 909
33. Stemmed arrowpoints , spearheads , or knives . Division III , Class A ... 915
34. Stemmed arrowpoints , spearheads , or knives . Division III , Class B .. 917
35. Stemmed arrowpoints , spearheads , or knives . Division III , Class C ..... 925
36. Stemmed arrow points , spearheads , or knives . Division III , Class C ... 925

37. Peculiar forms of arrowpoints , spearheads , or knives . bivision IV , Class A. 931
38. Peculiar forms of arrowpoints , spearheads , or knives . Division IV , Class B , C , D . ... 934
39. Peculiar forms of arrowpoints , spearheads , or knives . Division IV , Class E , F , G , H , I .... 937
40. Peculiar forms of arrow points , spearheads , or knives . Division IV , Class 942
41. Flint and obsidian leaf - shaped blades , handled as knives . Hupa Valley , California .. 947
42. Leaf - shaped flint blades in wooden handles , fastened with bitumen . Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz islands , California ... 948
43. Leaf - shaped blades of flint and chalcedony , showing bitumen handle fas tening . California ... 949
44. Ulu , or woman's knife . Hotham Inlet and Cape Nome ... 950
45. Common arrow points , handled by the author to show their possible use as knives ... 951
46. Humpbacked knives . District of Columbia , United States , and Somali land , Africa .... 951
47. Humpbacked knives . United States .. 951
48. Manner of holding “ humpbacks " for use as knives .. 952
49. “ Humpbacks ” chipped smooth , showing intentional knives . United States .. 953
50. “ Humpbacks ” of quartzite with one cutting edge used as knives . United States ... 953
51. Rude knives of flint and hard stone , chipped to a cutting edge on one side of the oval . United States .... 953
52. Rude knives of fint , jasper , etc. United States .. 953
53. Knives with stems , shoulders , and barbs , resembling arrow points and spearheads , but with rounded points unsuitable for piercing ... 953
54 , 55 , - Unilateral knives ... 954
56. Flint flakes chipped on one edge only , intended for knives ... 955
57. Flint flakes chipped on one edge , intended for knives ... 955
58. Arrow points or spearheads inserted in ancient human bones . Cavern , Kentucky .. 959
59. Plan showing one of layer of cache of 95 argillite implements . Chester County , Pennsylvania .... 972
60. Plaster cast ( model ) of a spring near Hibriten Mountain , North Carolina, 
showing 15 leaf - shaped implements in cache . Lenoir , North Carolina .. 972
61. Large spearheads of chalcedony . Little Missouri River , Arkansas .. 974
62. Flint disks , maile from concretionary flint nodules . Illinois ; Ohio ... 974
63. Pilo of 7,382 chipped flint disks , cached in mound 2 , Hopewell farm , Anderson Station , Ross County , Ohio... 975
64. Large spearheads of chalcedony . College Corners , Ohio ... 975
65. Spearhead of white flint . Carpentersville , Illinois .... 982

TEXT FIGURES .

1. Achenléon implement of flint . St. Acheul , France ... 824
2. Paleolithic implement of quartzite . Madras , India ..824
3 , 4. Mousterien spearhead of fint . Le Moustier , France ... 825
5,6 . Paleolithic points and harpoons of reindeer horn . La Madeleine , France . 826
7-10 . Paleolithic points and barpoons of reindeer horn . La Madeleine , Dor dogne , France ... 826
11. Solutréen point of chipped flint . Solutré , France ... 827
12-14 . Solutréen points of chipped flint . France ..... 828
15 , 16. Solutréen points of chipped tint .. Dordogne , France ... 829

17 , 18. Solutréen flint points . Dordogne , France ... 829
19. Primary arrow release ... 831
20. Secondary arrow release ... 831
21. Tertiary arrow release ... 831
22. Med terranean ariuw release ... 831
23. Mongolian arrow release ... 831
24. Scythian and Parthian bow ... 832
25. Greek bow ... 832
26. Greek bow case and quiver ... 832
27. Greek bronze " three - tongued " arrowpoint . Persepolis .. 832
28. Greek bronze “ three - tongued ” arrowpoints . Marathon ... 833
29 , 30. Prehistoric iron spearheads . Cemetery of Mouçi - yéri , Russian Armenia . 837
31–38 . Prehistoric iron spearheads . Cemetery of Cheïtan - thagh , Russian Armenia ... 838
39 , 40. Prehistoric Armenian bows , engraved on bronze cinctures . Cemetery of Akthala and Mouçi - yéri ... 839
41-45 . Prehistoric arrow points of bronze and iron from Armenia .... 840
46 , 47. Prehistoric arrow points of chipped obsidian , tranchant transversal . Cemetery of Mouçi - yéri , Armenia ..840
48. Section showing geology of prehistoric flint mine . Spiennes , Belgium ... 851
49. Section of prehistoric flint mines . Spiennes , Belgium ... 852
50. Section of shaft in the prehistoric flint mines , showing ancient workings and how they were filled . Spiennes , Belgium... 854
51. Section of shaft in the prehistoric flint mines , showing ancient workings and how they were filled . Spiennes , Belgium ... 855
52. Section of pit in the prehistoric flint mines . Spiennes , Belgium ... 856
53. Flint implement ; the peculiar product of a prehistoric workshop . Grand Pressigny ( Indre - et - Loire ) , France .. 858
54. Section of prehistoric flint mine or pit . Mur - de - Barrez ( Aveyron ) .... 859
55. Prehistoric deer - horn hammer and pick combined . From flint mine at Mur - de - Barrez ( Aveyron ) , France .....
859
56. Section of prehistoric flint mine . Meudon ( Oise ) , France ..860
57. Section of a pit of the prehistoric flint mine at Champignolles ( Oise ) , France .. 861
58. “ Sirike - a - light , ” steel and tinder , used by French peasants . Paris , France ... 862
59. Prehistoric pick marks in the hard clay in the excavation of an Etruscani tomb . ( Del Colle Cassuccina ) , Chiusi , Italy .. 863
60. Plan of prehistoric flint mines . Cissbury , England .. 865
61. Portion of plan of prehistoric flint wines . Cissbury , Sussex , England ... 866 62 , 63. Iron flaking hammer and a " strike - a - light ” made with it . Albania , Greeco ... 878
64. Flint core , with its flakes in place as struck ... 879
65. Section of flint nucleus showing how flakes are struck off.  879
66 , 67. Hammer stones . Ohio , New York ... 880
68 , 69. Eskimo arrow flakers , points of reindeer horn , handle of ivory ... 881
70 , 71. Eskimo arrow flakers , points of reindeer horn , handles of wood and ivory . 881 72–74 . Flakers of antler or bone in handles of wood ..... 882
75 , 76. Flint flakers ( ? ) with smooth , rounded ends , worn by use . Yorkshire , England .. 883
77. Arrowshaft grinder , chlorite slate . Cape Cod , Massachusetts ... 885
78. Serpentine arrow - shaft straightener , with three smooth grooves , ornamen tal irregular incised lines . Santa Barbara County , California ... 886

79 , 80. Arrow - shaft straighteners of wood or ivory .... 886
81. Leaf - shaped spearhead of flinty chert , pointed at both ends . Madison County , Kentucky . 892
82. Sword of dark - brown flint . Williamson County , Tennessee ... 893
83. Sword of obsidian . Oregon .. 893
84. Ferruginous conglomerate containing jasper pebbles . Blount County , Alabama .. 894
85. Pale - gray flint having the appearance of agatized wood . Austin , Texas . 891 86. Yellow chert . Tennessee River , opposite Savannah , Tennessee ... 895
87. Leaf - shaped implement , pointed at both ends . Folsom , Sacramento County , California ... 896
88. Leaf - shaped implement , pointed at both ends ... 896
89 , 90. Leaf - shaped implement , pointed at both ends .. 897
91. Leaf - shaped implement , pointeil at both ends . Santa Barbara County , California ... 897
97 92. Leaf - shaped implement , pointed at both ends . California ... 897
93. Leaf - shaped implement , pointed at both ends . National Museum , Mexico . 897
94. Leaf - shaped implement , pointed at both ends , two notches near base for fastening handle . Gilmer County , Georgia .... 898
95. Leaf - shaped implement of gray hornstone , pointed at both ends . Belle ville , St. Clair County , Illinois ... 898
96-101 . Leaf - shaped arrow points , pointed at both ends .. 899
102. Leaf - shaped implement of argillite , with straight base . Trenton , New Jersey... 900
103. Leaf - shaped implement of argillite , with straight base . Trenton , New Jersey... 900
104. Leaf - shaped implement of pale - gray jaspery flint , with convex base ... 901
105 , 106. Leaf - shaped implement of dark - gray flint , with convex base... 901
107. Leaf - shaped implement of dark - gray flint , with convex base . San Miguel Island , California .. 902
108. Leaf - shaped implement of jaspery grayish flint , with convex base ....... 902
109. Leaf - shaped implement of obsidian , with convex base . San Miguel Island , California ... 902
110. Leaf - shaped implement of lustrous chalcedonic flint or silicitied wood , with convex base . San Miguel Island , California ... 902
111. Leaf - shaped implement of pale gray chalcedonic flint , with convex base . San Miguel Island , California .... 903
112. Leaf - shaped implement of translucent chalcedony , with straight base . Tennessee .... 903
113. Leaf - shaped implement of porphyritic felsite , with convex base . Dart mouth , Bristol County , Massachusetts ... 903
114-118 . Leaf - shaped implements ... 904
119–123 . Leaf - shaped implements .... 905
124. New Caledonian javelin ( modern )... 906
125 Leaf - shaped implement of brownish - gray jasper , with concave base and parallel eilges . Santa Barbara County , California....906
126. Leaf - shaped implement of gray flint or jasper , with straight base and parallel edges . Santa Barbara County , California  907
127. Leaf - shaped implement , with concave base and parallel edges . California ... 907
128. Leaf - shaped implement of lustrous flint or chalcedony , with slightly concave base and parallel edges . California .... 907
129. Leaf - shaped implement of lustrous flipt or chalcedony , with concave base and parallel edges . California ... 908

130. Leaf - shaped implement of black flint , with concave base and parallel
edges . California .... 908
131. Leaf - shaped implement of black flint , with convex base and parallel
edges . California .... 909
132. Triangular , equilateral arrow point . Nantucket Island , Massachusetts ... 911
133. Triangular arrowpoint or spearhead , with straight edges and concave
base . Rhode Island ...  911
134. Triangular arrowpoint of gray flint , with concave edges and base . Still
water , Washington County , New York .. 911
135. Triangular arrowpoint , with concave base . Chilmark , Massachusetts ... 911
136. Triangular arrowpoint , deeply concave . Oregon ... 912
137. Triangular arrowpoint of white quartz ... 912
138. Triangular arrow point of pale gray flint , with convex base . St. George ,
Washington County , Utah ..... 912
139. Stemmed arrowpoint of porphyritic felsite , lozenge - shaped .
La Paz , Lower California ... 915
140. Stemmed arrowpoint of porphyritic felsite , lozenge - shaped . Edgartown ,
Dukes County , Massachusetts ... 915
141. Stemmed arrow point of white quartz , lozenge - shaped ... 915
142. Stemmed arrow point , lozenge - shaped . East Windsor , Hartford County , Connecticut ... 916
143. Stemmed arrow point , lozenge - shaped . Keeseville , Essex County , New York ... 916
144. Stemmed arrow point of pale gray flint , lozenge - shaped .. 916
145. Prehistoric stone arrowpoint inserted in shaft and tied with fiber . Switzerland ... 917
146. Stemmed arrowpoint of black flint , shouldered but not barbed . Plain
field , Windham County , Connecticut .... 917
147. Stemmed arrowpoint of gray flint , shouldered but not barbed . Kingston ,
Washington County , Rhode Island ... 918
148. Stemmed arrow point , shouldered but not barbed . Groveport , Franklin County , Ohio ... 918
149. Stemmed arrowpoint of greenish - gray hard slate , shouldered but not
barbed . Georgia .. 918
150. Stemmed arrowpoint , shouldered but not barbed . Southold , Suffolk
County ( Long Island ) , New York ... 918
151. Stemmed arrowpoint , shouldered but not barbed . Tennessee .... 919
152. Stemmed arrowpoint , shouldered but not barbed . New Braunfels , Comal County , Texas .. 919
153. Stemmed arrow point , shouldered but not barbed . Plantersville , Morehouse County , Louisiana ... 919
151. Stemmed arrow point of pale gray flint , shouldered but not barbed . St. Mary County , Maryland .... 919
155. Stemmed arrowpoint of yellowish - brown jasper , shouldered but not barbed . Susquehanna River , Pennsylvania .... 920
156. Stemmed arrowpoint of yellowish - gray flint , shouldered but not barbed, 
Brownsville , Licking County , Ohio ... 920
157. Stemmed arrowpoint , shouldered but not barbed . Lincoln County , Tennessee .. 920
158. Stemmed arrowpoint , shouldered but not barbed . South Dennis , Barn
stable County , Massachusetts .. 920
159. Stemmed arrowpoint of bluish chalcedonic flint , shouldered but not
barbed . Ohio .. 921
160. Stemmed arrowpoint , shouldered but not barbed .. 921
161. Stemmed arrowpoint , shouldered but not barbed . St. Clair County ,Illinois .. 921
162. Stemmed arrow point of gray flint , shouldered but not barbed . Edmond
son County , Kentucky ... 921
163. Stemmed arrow point , shouldered but not barbed .. 922
164. Stemmed arrowpoint of black flint , shouldered but not barbed . San
Miguel Island , California ... 922
165. Stemmed arrow point , shouldered but not barbed . Ohio .. 922
166. Stemmed arrow point of dark gray flint , shouldered but not barbed .
Tennessee ... 922
167. Stemmed arrowpoint , shouldered but not barbed .. 923
168. Stemmed arrowpoint of white jaspery flint , shouldered but not barbed .
West Bend , Washington County , Wisconsin ..923
169. Steamed arrow point of brown flint , shouldered but not barbed , Den
nysville , Washington County , Maine ... 924
170. Stemmod spearhead , shouldered and barbed.. 926
171. Stemmed spearhead of whitish chalcedony , shouldered and barbeil .
Shreveport , Caddo County , Louisiana .. 927
172. Stemmed spearhead , shouldered and barbed . Crawford County , Wisconsin ... 928
173. Stemmed spearheati of gray fint , shouldered and barbed . Saratoga
County , New York ... 929
174. Stemmed spearhead of gray flint , shouldered and barbed . McMinnville ,
Warren County , Tennessee ... 929
175. Stemmed spearhead , shouldered and barbed .. 929
176. Stemmed arrow point of gray flint , shouldered and barbed . Orange
County , Indiana ... 930
177. Stemmed arrowpoint of pale - brown flint , shouldered and barbed . Santa
Barbara County , California .... 930
178. Stemmed arrow point of dark - gray flint , shouldered and barbed . Sharps
burg , Washington County , Maryland ... 930
179. Stemmed arrow point , shouldered and barbed . Oregon .. 930
180. Peculiar form of arrowpoint , with beveled edges . Elkton , Giles County , Tennessee .. 932
181. Peculiar form of arrowpoint , with beveled edges . Tennessee .. 933
182. Peculiar form of arrow point , with beveled edges . Point Lick , Kentucky ... 933
183. Peculiar form of arrow point , with beveled edges . Louisville , Kentucky .. 933
184. Peculiar form of arrowpoint , with serrated edges . Oregon .. 934
185. Peculiar form of arrow point , with serratod edges . Stockton , San Joaquin
County , California .. 934
186. Peculiar form of arrow point , with bifurcated stem . Tennessee .. 935
187. Peculiar form of arrowpoint , with extremely long barbs , square at ends .
Rudston , England .... 936
188. Peculiar form of arrow point , triangular in section , reddish jasper . Chiri .. 
qui , Panama , United States of Colombia ... 937
189. Peculiar forms of arrow points , broadest at cutting end - tranchant transversal . Aisne , France .. 938
190. Peculiar forms of arrowpoints -- tranchant transversal .. 939
191. Arrow point of bone , with narrow grooves on each side and sharp flint flakes fastened with bitumen or gum . Sweden .... 943
192. Yew bow from prehistoric lake dwelling . Robenhausen , Switzerland .. 945
193. Eskimo knife with nephrite blade , ivory handle , and wooden shaft . Norton Bay , Alaska .. 950
194. Leaf - shaped blade of agatized wood . Wyoming .. 951
195. Unilateral knife of yellow flint . Georgia .. 954
196. Human vertebra ( prehistoric ) pierced with flint arrowpoint ( tranchant,transversal ) ..... 957
197. Human tibia ( prehistoric ) pierced with flint arrowpoint ( tranchant transversal ) . France ... 958
198. Ancient skull pierced with a flint arrowpoint , perforator . California ... 958
199. Ancient human vertebra pierced with quartz arrow point , healed .... 959
200. Ancient skull pierced with perforator arrow point . Ilinois .. 959
201 , Ancient skull , arrow wound over left eye , entirely healed . Missouri ... 959