Faithful reader Chris R. Loendorf (Archaeologist at Gila River Indian Community) wrote recently about my article "Top Little Known Facts and Myths about Arrowheads" to suggest some additional myths that he felt ought to be mentioned:Myth Number 6: It takes a really long time to make an arrowpoint.
While it is true that making some stone tools (e.g., Clovis points) requires time and considerable skill, flintkapping in general is not a time intensive task nor does it necessarily require skill. Expedient flake tools can be made in a matter of seconds by anyone who is capable of swinging a rock. Even producing more complicated tools is not necessarily a time intensive task (though they do require more skill). Arrowheads, for example, can be made from start to finish in less than 15 minutes; John Bourke (1890) timed an Apache making four stone points and the average was only 6 1/2 minutes.
Myth Number 7: All arrows (darts or spears) had stone projectile points attached, to 'balance' the shaft.
Instead, the ends of the arrows were simply sharpened or points made from other materials (e.g., shell, teeth, or antler) were attached. A heavy point actually destabilizes an arrow during launch, and the shaft "will fly out sideways from the bow when fitted with a heavy head" (Blyth 1980). When an arrow is launched from a bow, the nock (i.e., notch for the bowstring) is accelerated before the tip. The greater velocity of the nock when combined with the inertia of a tip of higher density than the shaft and on its opposite end, tends to spin the distal end of the arrow forward. A heavy point also increases stresses that occur in the shaft when rapidly accelerated from the opposite end, which can result in "porpoising" of the projectile or even shatter it if severe (Blyth 1980).
The article "Top Little Known Facts and Myths about Arrowheads" has more myths and little known facts, if you're interested.
Photo credit: Amesbury Archer Arrowpoint, Wessex Archaeology
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