16 AMERICAN MUSEUM GUIDE LEAFLETS 



Chipped Articles. 



Arrow Points (Fig. 9). Two general types may be recognized, and these 

 are the stemmed or notched, and the triangular forms. The former are In- 

 far the most abundant, and while these are usually made of the nearesl 

 local rock possessing the necessary conchoidal fracture, in some eases they 

 are of material brought from a long distance. Specimens made of pink 

 flint resembling stone from the Flint Ridge of Ohio, and of jasper found 

 to the south of this region have been recorded. Blunt arrow points are 

 rare, the Indians probably preferring wooden arrows for this type. Many 

 of the so-called "blunt-points" found in collections, appear to be scrapers 

 made over from broken arrow points of a large size. 



The triangular type has long been regarded by the local collectors of this 

 vicinity as being the type used in war, the argument being that as it has no 

 stem, it was necessarily but loosely fastened in its shaft and, if shot into 

 the body, would be very liable to become detached and remain in the flesh 

 if any attempt were made to withdraw it by tugging at the shaft. While 

 it was no doubt perfectly possible to fasten a point of triangular shape to the 

 shaft as firmly as a notched point, the discoveries of Mr. George H. Pepper at 

 Tottenville, Staten Island, where twenty-three arrow points were found in 

 and among the bones of three Indian skeletons, tend to strengthen this 

 theory. While the majority were of bone or antler, all those made of stone 

 were of this type, and indeed most of the bone points were also triangular 

 in shape. However, it is well to bear in mind that arrow points of triangular 

 type have been used for every purpose by all the early Iroquois tribes of 

 New York. 



Spear Points and Knives (Fig. 10). None of the early accounts of con- 

 temporary European writers seem to mention the use of spears (other than 

 bone or antler-headed harpoons) by the Indians hereabouts, and it is prob- 

 able that the larger arrow-point-like forms found were used as knives or 

 cutting tools. They arc usually notched or stemmed, rarely triangular, and 

 occasionally round or oval. They vary in size, but it must be remembered 

 that one tool may have had various uses, and that drills, knives and 

 scrapers may often have been combined in one implement. 



Scrapers (Figs. 10 and 11). Scrapers were probably used in dressing 

 skins, and in sharpening bone implements, woodworking and for various 

 other purposes. These arc usually mere (lint Hakes chipped to an edge on 

 one side. Nevertheless, notched and stemmed forms, requiring some care 

 in their making do occur. Broken arrow points were occasionally chipped 

 down to serve this purpose. A single serrated scraper lias been found. 



