point aerodynamics.

captain redbeard · Jun 29, 2015

I've been noticing something with the points I've been finding. Looking at them from the front point of view they seem to have a "twist" in the way they were knapped. Maybe this is common knowledge to this topic, but were these points, as crude as they are to us, made aerodynamically? It seems that the twist is intentional in most of these points. If this is the case I have even more respect for this craftsmanship. I took some pics of various points I've found that seem to have this twist in them.

monsterrack · Jun 29, 2015

They get the twist shape from being reworked by taking flakes off after being used.

captain redbeard · Jun 29, 2015

Interesting. Being reworked adds even more to the history of these artifacts. Thanks monster.

PaDirtDigger · Jun 29, 2015

Monsterrack is right... When points were resharpened, sometimes they would get a bevel or a twist to them. This happened mostly in early to mid archaic times. Earlier points like harpeth river for example, were sharpened on all 4 sides and would give a diamond-ish bevel to them, with very short flakes. Other are sharpened, again on all 4 sides, but have longer flakes leaving a more lens-like bevel or profile... Ill attach a picture of a Dalton point I made with the twist bevel...