Spearhead
Date4000-1000 BCE (Archaic Period)
Place MadeNorth America
PeriodArchaic period
CultureNative American Peoples
MediumStone; bull quartz
Dimensions0.8 x 3 x 3.6 cm (5/16 x 1 3/16 x 1 7/16 in.)
Label TextIndigenous American spearheads like this one are made of chert and quartz. Although these stones were commonly used by Indigenous American cultures throughout North America, they are not found everywhere in the continent. Indigenous Americans exchanged natural materials such as chert and obsidian across great distances over well-established intertribal trade routes. Following European contact and the introduction of firearms in North America, Indigenous people started to favor metal spearheads. More durable and workable, metal points lasted longer and could be resharpened or repaired if damaged.
Object number76.1.1078
Credit LineGift of Drs. John and Bessie Sawhill
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