CULTURE OF PEOPLE OF SOUTHEASTERN PANAMA 61 



the type of construction of the arrow head, which may be a simple 

 one piece type or may be compound. A compound trident shaped 

 arrowhead has usually five prongs (pi. 10, No. 2), of which the 

 central prong is the prolonged foreshaft and to which the other four 

 prongs are attached at a point 7.7 cm. (3 in.) above the point of 

 insertion of the foreshaft into the reed shaft. Each of the four 

 diverging radial prongs and the projected central foreshaft prong 

 is barbed with one barb each just below its sharpened point. The 

 other or proximal prong end is flattened so that it lies close against 

 the side of the foreshaft with the prong diverging at an acute angle. 

 A three-ply cotton cord is wrapped tightly around the flattened 

 ends and the central foreshaft axis so as to form a sleeve of seizing 

 about 5.1 cm. (2 in.) in extent. A wedge of pith is next forced into 

 each of the divergent prong angles and the seizing continued with 

 an interval of intervening space. The wrapping cord now takes 

 on a complicated double crossed roll pattern, firmly knitting together 

 each radiate prong of the arrowhead to the foreshaft and to the 

 radiate prongs adjoining. A cement of gummy G eroxylon andicola 

 and black beeswax is then applied to the seizing. Variation is found 

 in the number of barbs from no barbs at all (pi. 10, No. 2) to three 

 or more single or double barbs (pi. 10, No. 3, Cat. No. 327599-C, 

 TJ.S.N.M.) placed opposite one another. The composite arrowheads 

 with seven instead of the usual five prongs (pi. 10, No. 1, Cat. No. 

 327599-E, TJ.S.N.M.) are more carefully seized with a cotton cord 

 wrapping in intricate crossed pattern to secure them more firmly. 



Like the compound or trident arrowheads of the Darien tribes, 

 the simple wooden head is carved from chonta palm wood and 

 is similarly inserted into the end of the shaft to a depth of from 

 5 to 8 centimeters (pi. 11, No. 5, Cat, No. 327600, TJ.S.N.M.) . This 

 simple arrowhead, "sign," (Tule) is 42 cm. (16.5 in.) long, 

 the usual length of the foreshaft in the compound arrowhead. 

 The barbs occur in series of two and are placed bilaterally, while 

 the barbs on the wooden arrowheads of the Guaymie of Costa 

 Rica and western Panama are placed alternately opposite and are 

 more numerous (pi. 11, No. 6.) A similar head from the Guiana 

 tribes is described by Roth : " The arrow of the Arawak has a 

 tapering wooden head, more or less oval in section, and jagged on 

 either side into more or les definite barbs. It is employed for shoot- 

 ing big birds, a similar arrow is used by the Carib." (p. 161). 

 But the cruder arrowhead of the Darien Indians with its less highly 

 polished surface, and with parallel barbs clearly defined, is not 

 mentioned by Roth as occurring in Guiana. 



While most of the wooden arrowheads are compound and barbed, 

 those made of iron are simple but varied as to fixation to shaft 



