ARROWPOINTS, SPEARHEADS, AND KNIVES. 



911 



(13057) 



Fig. 133. 



TRIANGULAR ARROWPOINT OR 



SPEARnEAD,WITH STRAIGHT 



EDGES AND CONCAVE BASE. 



Rhode Island. 

 Division II. 

 2Jxli|Xi=5. 



Cat. No. 1S057, U.S.N.M. 



Fig. 132. 



TlilANOULAR, EQXTI- 

 I.ATEUAL ARROW- 

 POINT. 



Nantucket Island, 



Massachusetts. 



Division II. 



IJxlixJ. 



Cat. No. 18060, U.S.N.M. 



Dr. Rail, iu tlie paper already mentioned, gave expression to the pos- 

 sibility of the trianguhir implement not having been an arrowpoint, 

 but that the point may have been intended for insei- 

 tion in a handle, and the base, being sharp, intended 

 for a cutting implement and to be used for a chisel. 

 (See p. 887.) 



However, the author does not 

 subscribe to this opinion nor 

 adopt the theory. He believes 

 these were, of all others, plain," 

 simple arrowpoints and never 

 intended for anything else, ex- 

 cept, possibly, that the heavier 

 ones might have been attached 

 to longer shafts and used as 

 javelins. This would be practi- 

 cally the same use as an arrowpoint, and no one, 

 not linding the shaft or knowing its size or length, 

 could know from any inspection of the implement 

 this difference in its use. He does not think it 

 could have been used as a 

 chisel, for none of them that 

 he has ever seen show any marks of use at the 

 base. The greater pioportion of them, as has 

 been said, have concave bases, and especially is 

 this true of those with sharp edges. A chisel 

 with a concave base is unknown iu our study 

 of prehistoric man, and one can scarcely sug- 

 gest the necessity for an implement i)ossessing 

 this peculiarity, whether its use be by the Indian 

 or the white man, historic or pre- 

 historic. If thus used as a chisel, 

 that which is now regarded as 

 the point becomes the stem and 

 is to be inserted into its handle; 

 this would make a broad-ended 

 chisel with a concave edge. A 

 cutting edge of such width would 



give great purchase as against the handle, and if one 

 should attempt to use these outside edges or corners 

 after the manner of a chisel, the implement would be 

 in danger of breaking out of its handle, or, if this was 

 avoided, would require a stronger fastening than we 

 could imagine that it ever received at the hands of the 

 Indian. No handle fastened with a thong, sinew, cord, or even bitumen 

 would ever be able to hold this implement handled in this way when used 



Fig. 135. 



TRIANGULAR ARROW 

 POINT, WITH CON 

 CAVE BASE. 



Chilmark, Massachu 



setts. 



Division II. 



IJxlx^V 



Cat. No. 18045, U.S.N.M. 



Fig. 134. 

 TRIANGULAR ARROWPOINT OP 

 GRAY FLINT, WITH CONCAVE 

 EDGES AND BASE. 



Stillwater, Washington 



County, New York. 



Division II. 



2ixlJXi='B. 



Cat. No. 6177, U.S.N.M. 



