Long Island Projectile Points
Archaeologists use the term "projectile point" to describe stones with a sharp point that can be attached to a spear or an arrow. These are more commonly called arrowheads, and they are often found on Long Island beaches. The process of working stone into tools is called flintknapping.
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Projectile points have been carved from stone for over 10,000 years in our area, so their shapes and uses have changed in many ways over time. Because the main stone type in glacial erratics on Long Island is quartz (about 75% of stone on Long Island), most projectiles were fashioned from quartz.
Quartz Projectile Point
However, quartz tends to chip easily when being flintknapped. Other stone types like chert or jasper are much easier to finely shape into points, and can even be heat treated to prevent breaks. Local Native Americans had to travel long distances to obtain these stone types, or trade with other Native populations moving through our area.
Chert Points
The Paleo era on Long Island (11,000 to 9000 years ago) was characterized by the Clovis culture moving into the area to hunt large animals (megafauna, such as mastodons and woolly mammoths). Clovis points are unique to North America in that portions of stone are removed from both sides of the point, perhaps to aid in hafting the point to the dart of an atlatl. Atlatls were two-part hunting tools, with a throwing handle and a dart tipped by a sharp point. When megafauna became extinct in North America (around 10,600 years ago) the Clovis culture adapted into a new culture called the Folsom culture, continuing point fluting but making smaller points.
A Clovis point and Folsom point from the museum collection, exhibiting fluting on sides.
Atlatl in use for hunting
The Archaic era followed the Paleo era, during which atlatl use continued and villages were established (9000 to 2500 BP). "BP" refers to before present, with 1950 representing "present time" as carbon-14 dating was established in 1950.
Projectile points (particularly the larger types with longer blades) were also likely used for spear fishing on Long Island. During the Archaic era, sturgeon up to 100 pounds were an available resource in local waters.
Archaic Spear Point
The Woodland era (2500 BP to Contact era, with Contact representing the arrival of Europeans) was marked locally by the arrival of ceramic technology and the bow and arrow. Projectile points gradually evolved in shape to become triangular, a form easiest to haft to arrows. Use of atlatls gradually ended, but spear fishing likely continued.
Levanna Points (Late Woodland era)
Contact with European traders and settlers beginning in the 1500's brought the availability of forged metal. Traded metal was often cut into points (often called "kettle points"). As trade developed, Europeans constructed triangular points specifically designed for Native American trade (called Trade Points). The hole in the trade point below may have been used to haft the point on the arrow, or may have been a convenient way to ship the points on a string.
Kettle Point
Trade Point
Metal points represent the last projectile points manufactured on Long Island. The tremendous variety of projectile points produced in our area is represented by the Reference Guide below.
