Native American Arrows

[Jim McDougall]

Well even all these years later, I am still curious on just how one could identify the arrows as from a particular tribe. I had thought it was colored bands painted in the shaft, but that seems to have been peculiar to hunting arrows.

Was it the arrowheads themselves, or the shaft markings(?) or the style of the feathers?

[kronckew]

Stone points as someone mentioned, can be made quite quickly by an experienced knapper. They are much sharper than mere iron/steel points. Eye surgeons frequently use a small knapped stone scalpel blade for microsurgery. they are however very brittle, and once loosed into prey are rarely reusable w/o rework or replacement. Knappers make them out of glass from old bottles and other modern glass sources even today - you can find them on a well known online auction site.

I am surprised the US Army did not issue body armour, mail, or brigantines, to aid in their expensively trained and maintained troopers and Officers from becoming pincushions.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by kronckew

Stone points as someone mentioned, can be made quite quickly by an experienced knapper. They are much sharper than mere iron/steel points. Eye surgeons frequently use a small knapped stone scalpel blade for microsurgery. they are however very brittle, and once loosed into prey are rarely reusable w/o rework or replacement. Knappers make them out of glass from old bottles and other modern glass sources even today - you can find them on a well known online auction site.

I am surprised the US Army did not issue body armour, mail, or brigantines, to aid in their expensively trained and maintained troopers and Officers from becoming pincushions.

Thank you for responding Wayne! Interesting notes on the knapping situation, and it does seem there were variations in the style of fashioning these arrowheads, so I imagine there was a degree of identification from these.


Good observation on the lack of arrow protection provided for soldiers in the times in the 19th c. in so called 'Indian wars'. It seems odd as even during Spanish colonial times, the value of 'leather armor' (cuera) against the deadly arrows was well known. It would seem that this, as well as the 'regulation' on firearms gave American Indian warriors the upper hand, just as at the Little Big Horn. Military regulation does not seem to have recognized actual warfare circumstances as was profoundly revealed.


Still curious on the painted bands on the shafts, were they 'tribal'? or individual?....and were these relegated only to hunting and not warfare?

[fernando]

Here is my mini collection of arrow points.The one in the center could have been for a spear.
... and a diagram with dates attributed to finds in the State of Pennsylvania.

.

[Jim McDougall]

Fernando thank you for adding this very useful chart and showing these interesting examples of arrow heads. I had no idea your collecting scope was so eclectic!
I guess there is enough variation in the knapping style of the heads or possibly the fletching character might have indicated tribal identity.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Fernando thank you for adding this very useful chart and showing these interesting examples of arrow heads. I had no idea your collecting scope was so eclectic!
I guess there is enough variation in the knapping style of the heads or possibly the fletching character might have indicated tribal identity.

So ... eclectic i am, Jim; as long as you don't call me a hoarder ... just kidding .
Actually these points were a friend's gift; and the Archaeologist that identified is my friend's friend .
I am glad to have ended up having the real thing; all thematic places i visited in the States only had replicas selling for one buck, just made the other day ... and potentially by non Natives .