Antler and Bone Heads

[oneshot1]

Seeing the interest in first time and the old timer's of flint Knapping, I thought I would show some Bone and Antler heads and you could make/use these also... The top 2 are Deer rib, and the bottom is antler. These points are very interesting in their NOT having a sharp edge, the rib bone is ground to a point and a tapered edge, and the antler is pointed but more rounded, I'm guessing these features are for strengh, bases are flat across, antler base is broken, but was probably socketed and may be more of a lance point. These are from the Albany area of New York State from a dig during the 60's and are dated to 1200 years old.

[ishiwannabe]

Now thats just cool....maybe more of a war head than a hunting head?

[adeeden]

You wouldn't happen to have a picture showing the sides would you? Those are just awesome!

[Shakes.602]

Looks like they would put the Hurts To Whatever they Hit!!

[oneshot1]

Tough to get a side view...top two are made from a half of a deer rib bone, ground flat on the marrow side and a median ridge on the other with an edge like a dull axe. Even considering the age of these,I think that edge design(not super sharp)was for strength, I also have awls and punches from the same site that are very much more pointed and sharp... I have taken deer bone leg and made points, I'll have to dig them out, you can get a super sharp edge by polishing with fine sand-paper, but have never shot them, lightweight may be a problem?...Bone useage to make tools was very common and a single deer would provide just a pile of tool's from hoe's made from shoulder blades, awls and punches from small bone joints and shattered larger leg bones, to beads made from the toe bones and bangles from dew claws.

[adeeden]

oneshot, thank you that was the angle I was hoping for. Very interesting to say yhe least!

[Izzy]

Wow thats amazing.How did you get involved with that dig ?I live in the Albany area and am constantly trying to convince my 7 year old that this was a very busy area among the areas aboriginals.

[shawnee]

Great looking points.  I think we all have to be reminded sometimes that the methods of hunting and living weren't anything like we are used to today.

Anything they could use to get the job done would be used, and how quickly the animal died wasn't even a secondary concern in that time frame in history.

[oneshot1]

I got these at an on-line auction...The Albany area was used very early in time, I think 13,500 years before present is where they are now with dating Abo. occupation in the New York area, and also there have been found Inuit(Eskimo) type artifacts in the major river valley's off the great Lakes and into the Albany area...here are some examples of awls and a bone peg, the thin one on the right is turkey bone, the rest are deer leg bones. Note now some are nicely worked on edges and others are made from shattered bone and the focus of grinding was to the working end of tool.

[JEFF B]

wow!!!those are awesome i just love your guys history real interesting thats for sure.