Can anyone offer any info on these bows and arrows? pic heavy

**hiites** · Nov 08, 2011, 09:18 PM

I'm new to this forum and was unsure if this was the appropriate place for this post. My appologies if it is not. I aquired a couple of old bows and arrows roughly 25 years ago and at the time, was told they were from the early 1800's. The points are iron, the arrow shafts are dogwood. Neither arrow had any fletching when I got them and I fletched one of them myself. The shorter bow is made of bois d'arc and is 55" long. The longer one is 72.5" and I'm unsure what kind of wood its made of. Any ideas as to what tribes they may belong to or any info or opinions would be appreciated.

**hiites** · Nov 08, 2011, 09:25 PM

Pictures of the longer bow.

**Rege-PA** · Nov 10, 2011, 08:41 AM

I don`t know much about your bows but what you have found out is correct as to the wood. The iron arrow points look to be of the plains type for hunting buffalo and could have been black smith made or fashioned by the Indian himself. There are books and others on this forum may be able to assign a tribe to these items as they are made in a certain way diagnostic to that tribe. You`re very fortunate to have acquired them as they are rarer than the earlier flint points because their use period was shorter.

**hiites** · Nov 10, 2011, 09:34 PM

Thanks Rege. Do you have any specific books that you would recommend?

**Rege-PA** · Nov 22, 2011, 08:10 PM

Hi Hiites...The books on Indian trade items only show general examples of iron points and bows. You need to do some online research that will suggest specific publications, sometimes they are just pamphlets but will be specific to a tribe or ethnic group. Your Osage bow shows signs of being smoothed and carved with improvised iron or stone tools as I can see no file or rasp marks, a sign of an early bow. Sometimes the area where you got them can be a clue but not always. Neat stuff and worthy of more study, your bigger museums may have someone who can tell you more. Keep us informed.