Archaeologists use the general term 'projectile point' to refer to any object affixed to a pole or stick of some kind, which has been fashioned for use as a weapon, out of stone, metal, bone, or other material. One of the oldest tools of our sad race, the projectile point was (and is) primarily used to hunt animals for food; but was also used to fend off enemies of one sort or another.
Stone projectile points are made by a complex process of chipping raw or heat-treated stone called flint-knapping, in which the manufacturer uses a combination of hard-hammer percussion, and soft-pressure flaking. Projectile points are also quite useful in dating archaeological occupations; point types are the Cadillac fins of the archaeological world, in that their general shapes and sizes may be used to generally date their manufacture.
The oldest recognized projectile points are from the South African site of Kathu Pan, from 500,000 years ago
See the Stone Tools in Archaeology page for more information about stone tools.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.
