l8 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



It is impossible to draw an exact line between arrows, spears and 

 knives, although most of them may be easily distinguished; and it 

 is almost as difficult to classify satisfactorily the varieties of either 

 of these implements. Dr Rau arranged arrow-heads as leaf-shape; 

 convex sided, with truncate base; triangular; triangular, but with 

 indented base; notched at the sides, with convex, straight, or in- 

 dented base; stemmed, but with various bases; barbed and stemmed. 

 Others have suggested additional groups, but nothing exactly cover- 

 ing all has yet been proposed. 



The common form of cached articles in New York is a straight base, 

 straight or slightly concave edges gradually expanding to the full width 

 of the stone, whence longer curved edges contract to the point. These 

 coarsely flaked implements are commonly from four to five inches 

 in length, and sometimes scores occur in one cache. Although 

 usually of the drab, grey or dark hornstone, this is not invariable, 

 nor is the size always the same. They may be found near streams 

 navigable by canoes, but not always close to them. In some cases 

 they are comparatively distant from prominent routes or resorts, 

 but in places favorable for hunting or fishing. They are frequent in 

 New York, and fig. i is typical of a large class often used without 

 change. It is one out of a cache of 29 of the same form, and is four 

 inches long, but among the rest were some larger. 



Those which Dr Rau called leaf-shaped arrows, seem to be knives 

 as a rule; at least they might have been used as such, and it may be 

 best to refer them to that class. In most cases his convex sided arrows, 

 with truncate bases, seem knives also. The triangular forms, with 

 either the straight or indented base, are true arrow-heads, and these 

 were favorites with the Iroquois, who seldom used others. Their 

 use was not confined to them. Triangular arrows with straight bases 

 are somewhat rare, but the other form is common, and sometimes 

 very slender and beautiful; true arrow-heads, though suggestive of 

 drills. They vary from one to two and one-half inches in length, and 

 on some sites no others will be found. When the Iroquois had brass 

 to use, they retained their favorite form, and the metallic point was 

 simply sheet brass, cut in a long triangle, perforated or not. 



To Dr Rau's classification may be added two kinds of bunts, 

 which are divisions of the stemmed arrows, sometimes with expanded 



