The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
History
The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2
Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
Indians of North America -- Antiquities; Stone age -- North America
1. The first are short, flattish points seldom exceeding two and a half
inches in length. (Fig. 605, to the left.) One edge of these implements
is either straight or presents a continuous curve from extremity to
extremity. The other edge is curved or straight from the point downward
to about opposite the middle of the implement, where it terminates in a
barb. From thence it narrows to the other extremity, thus forming a
stem. Occasionally this is notched on either side near its base. Small
numbers of these points have been recovered from the village-sites along
the Lake Michigan shore.
2. A second and less frequent form is cylindrical in section and tapers
to a sharp point at each extremity. (Fig. 604, second from right.)
Removed from one extremity by several inches, more or less, is a stout
and very pronounced barb. All are of large size. A particularly large
specimen measures ten and three fourths inches in length and about one
half inch in diameter at the middle. Others are to be seen in the State
Historical Museum and H. P. Hamilton collections. Mr. Clarence B. Moore
has figured and described a large example obtained by him in Florida.
[Illustration:
FIG. 611. (S. 2–3.) Copper crescents. Collection of Logan Museum,
Beloit, Wisconsin.
]
Iron harpoons of similar form, but frequently possessing from two to
three barbs, sometimes alternating on opposite sides of the implement
are still in use by Wisconsin Indians for spearing large fish.
[Illustration:
FIG. 612. (S. 1–1.) Ear ornaments from the Hopewell Group, Ohio.
]
3. Another form of harpoon is represented by a specimen in the Milwaukee
Public Museum. This implement is somewhat triangular in section, about
eight and a half inches in length and about three fourths of an inch in
breadth at the middle. The ends taper to a blunted point. The thinner
edge of the implement is furnished with four stout, broad barbs,
separated from each other by a distance of about one and a half inches.
Bone harpoon-points of this pattern occur in New York and Ontario. (Like
Fig. 606.)
4. A fourth type, the so-called “socketed harpoon-point” (Fig. 604), has
one edge of its blade prolonged into a barb at the base. This barb may
be on either the right or left side. Otherwise this type does not differ
in shape from some of the flat-backed, socketed spear-points. Only a
small number of these points have been found. All these are provided
with a rivet-hole in the socket. An example in the Logan Museum is about
four inches in length, and comes from Mequon, Ozaukee County.
_Pikes and Punches._ (_See Fig. 602._)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account