Projectile (Dart, Spear, Arrow) Points

Projectile points are the stone (sometimes bone) tips hafted onto dart, spear, and arrow shafts.  The size and style of a projectile point can provide important archaeological information. 

Point Sizes fall into two general categories:  large (dart/spear points), and small (arrow points).  California Indians began using bows and arrows only about 1,500 years ago (slightly earlier in some areas, slightly later in others), and so arrow points are later in time than dart/spear points.  Sometimes it’s difficult, though, to tell a large arrow point from a small dart point.  Also be aware that dart points can be broken and re-sharpened into smaller forms.

Point Styles are based on morphology:  side-notched, corner-notched, stemmed, concave-based, leaf-shaped, and so on.  Different regions of California can have different names for very similar-looking point types.  For example, a small, corner-notched arrow point found near Lake Tahoe would be called a “Rose Spring” point, while a very similar artifact found in Mendocino County would be called a “Rattlesnake” point . 

Rattlesnake Points.
Rose Spring Points

In many cases it’s best to use general morphological descriptions, rather than type-names, to avoid misinterpretation.

Important characteristics for describing projectile points are these:

There also is much disagreement about the age ranges of many point styles, in part because they can be different ages in different regions.  There is a general consensus that large, heavy dart points are older than arrow points, and that (for instance) Desert Side-notched arrow points generally are younger than Rose Spring arrow points.  However, trying to fit a particular type of projectile point into a specific time range can be misleading, at best.  That said, here are a few examples of well-known point types in California:

Dart Points:  larger, heavier points for hafting to dart/spear shafts

Fluted

Many parts of California and the west, but rare

Earliest-known dart point in the west (10,000 years+)

Tell-tale characteristics:  large, “leaf-shaped” blade; deep flutes originating from the base

Large Stemmed (sometimes called Great Basin Stemmed)

Most areas of California and the western Great Basin (especially near ancient lake shores like Tulare Lake and Honey Lake )

Early Holocene (> 7,000 years)

Tell-tale characteristics:  Very large and thick; stems usually contract toward bottom; blade edges may be ground

Borax Lake Wide-stemmed (below)

Lake County and surrounding regions

Early/Middle Holocene (> 4,500 years)

Tell-tale characteristics:  large and thick; stems generally squared and nearly as wide as the blade

Mostin

Lake County (and beyond?)

Ca. 8500-6500 BP

Tell-tale characteristics:  large, with long, broad, triangular blades, sometimes serrated; bases are stemmed or pentagonal (though some variants are leaf-shaped)

Martis Series (Contracting-stemmed, Side-notched, Corner-notched)

North-central Sierran region, especially the Tahoe/Truckee area

Primarily Middle Archaic (ca. 4500-1500 BP), sometimes slightly older

Tell-tale characteristics:  usually notched; usually made of basalt; identified by geographic location

Elko Series (Corner-notched, Side-notched, Eared)

Very common throughout eastern California and the western Great Basin

Primarily Middle Archaic (ca. 4500-1500 BP)

Tell-tale characteristics:  notched; sometimes deep basal notching forming “ears”

Note that the “Elko” points shown here could also be interpreted as “Gatecliff” points!
Elko Corner-notched
Elko Eared

Large Corner-notched

Throughout much of California (specimen shown here found in Delta region)

Middle Archaic and earlier

Tell-tale characteristics:  large size; notches at corners; base narrower than blade

Arrow Points:  smaller, thinner, more gracile than dart points

Rose Spring

Most of eastern California and the western Great Basin

Late Archaic (ca. 1500-600 BP)

Tell-tale characteristics:  triangular body, expanding stem; corner-notching

Gunther Barbed

Most of northern California (type-site on Gunther Island in Humboldt County )

Late Archaic/Terminal Prehistoric (ca. 1500 BP to Historic Period)

Tell-tale characteristics:  long tangs or “barbs” that usually extend past the stem/base; stem very small and usually contracting

Desert Side-notched

Most of eastern California and the western Great Basin

Terminal Prehistoric (ca. 600 BP to Historic Period)

Tell-tale characteristics:  long and thin in relation to width; notches placed high on the sides; triangular in overall shape

Cottonwood

Northern and eastern California and the western Great Basin

Terminal Prehistoric (ca. 600 BP to Historic Period)

Tell-tale characteristics:  very small and thin; triangular in shape, with no notches or stems

Stockton Serrated

Central California Valley/Delta

Late Period (after AD 900)

Tell-tale characteristics:  small point with varying shapes (leaf, triangular, stemmed, notched) with multiple notches on each blade edge to form a serrated edge.  Mostly commonly 2-3 serrations on each edge, sometimes many more.

A final note:  dart and arrow point types can be confusing, and not all archaeologists agree on how to define, recognize, or even date a particular type.  When in doubt, make a sketch, take a photo, and write a description of the point’s size, shape, and raw material.

“Small, side-notched point (ca. 2.5 cm long) made of yellow CCS stone”
“Large basalt point with square stem, tip missing; ca. 5 cm long”

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