﻿l8 
  NLV/ 
  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 
  

  

  