104 
THE bl^iENTLST. 
Proceedings Kansas City Aciideiny of Science, 
Feb. -M, 1891. 
Notes on Archaeology. 
By Edwin Walters, 
There is a wrong imprecision regarding 
so-called arrow heads. Many of these that 
are two or three inches long are called 
"arrow heads." One inch and a quarter in 
length is the limit for arrow heads. They 
are usually less than one inch. The longer 
implements of similar shape were spear heads 
or knives. The "war points," or airow 
heads used in war by modern Indians are very 
small. They are usually from one-half to 
three- fourths of an inch in length, and are 
flaked at right angles to the axis. This 
makes the resisting surf aces corregated. The 
parallel sinuses between the anticlinal folds 
make receptacals for poison which cannot all 
be brushed off by the arrow passing through 
clothing. If the arrow heads were smooth, 
the poison might fail to be introduced into 
the blood of the victim. 
I have known persons to live several years 
after being wounded by a poisoned arrow. 
So-ko-nut, son of Keokuk, a Sac chief, was 
wounded by a Comanche's poisoned arrow 
in 1839. The wound was a flesh one on the 
inside of the fibia. He showed it to me ei- 
ther in 1872 or 1873. It did not cover 
an area of more than three square inches. 
Later, the virus reached the inner walls of 
the femur artery and was rapidly disceminat- 
ed through the body causing death in a few 
days. If I remember correctly, he died in 
]g75 — six years after receiving the wound. 
It might not be out of place here to add a 
description of the poison used by our modern 
Indians. There are probably many kinds in 
use among the various tribes. I have lived 
much of my life among the Osages, Kaws, 
Sacs and Foxes and other south western 
tribes, I have never seen the poison pre- 
pared, but different Osages have given me 
the following: 
A piece of liver is fastened to a stick, and 
held to a rattle snake which is allowed to 
bite the liver a number of limes. The snr.ke 
virus causes rapid decomposition. The ma- 
terial is next tied up in the shells of mussels 
or clams — care being taken to fit the shells 
neatly together to prevent any of the mate- 
rial — poison — escaping from between the 
joints or hinge lines of the shells. These 
shells, with their deadly contents, are car- 
ried to the battle field and opened, when the 
points of the arrows are dipped into the 
material and are ready for use. A squaw 
usual y carries the poison to the battle-field. 
It is probable that the prehistoric races were 
not very different from the modern Indians 
in their uses of stone implements. 
Our ilUntralion shows th2 outline of an im- 
plement that seems to be but little understood. 
It is usually about twice as large as shown 
in the diagram. It has rece ved various 
names from different writers. I think it was 
used as the ensignia of a gen — possibly of a 
tribe. I have seen Indian chiefs carrying 
spears, one end of which contained the spear 
head and the other some rudely shaped ar- 
ticle that the casual observer would think 
was an attempt at ornamentation. But these 
articles were ensignias of gens, or bands, 
and could only be carri- d by chiefs of rank, 
I think the article represented by the figure 
was used as such an insignia. It seems to 
have been an attempt to represent a trident. 
Those who have read my published article 
on the "Prehistoric Battle" will remember 
that I called attention to the pictured rods 
in eastern Kansas, In scores of places can 
be seen figures on the rocks that undoubtedly 
represent the sea-god, Ppeidon or Neptune, 
with a trident in his hand. The Pueblos 
