Fig. 75 illustrates the circular discs, and the almost circular knives, and by way of comparison is added the oval knife.
Discs may be material in convenient form for exchange or transportation, or to be worked down into implements. Hopewell discs shown in Fig. 42 are of this character.
The smaller discs and circular knives may also have been scrapers, thus representing a double purpose. Figs. 59 and 60 show the more beautiful oval knives, one of which is mounted in its original handle. Fig. 60 was brought down from the Northwest coast to the Peabody Museum at Salem, Massachusetts, many years ago.
CHAPTER VI
CHIPPED IMPLEMENTS
PROJECTILE POINTS WITH STEMS EXPANDING FROM BASE OR WITH SIDES PARALLEL
This division embraces large numbers of projectile points which served as shaft-heads to spears and lances. The triangular war points mentioned and illustrated in a previous chapter were also made use of as projectile points. But, as a rule, arrow-heads were notched, in order that they might be more securely fastened to the shaft.
In order that there may be no misunderstanding as to the terms employed in these descriptions, I have illustrated herewith (Fig. 79) one of the best spear-points in the Phillips Academy collection at Andover. The terms accepted as descriptive of the various portions of the arrow-head are taken from Mr. Fowke’s arrow-head nomenclature in the Bureau of American Ethnology Report, 1891–2, page 143. Mr. Fowke’s terms have been generally accepted. I have presented a different specimen from the one he shows and have added the term “serration.”
We have passed from the class of implements supposed to be simple forms to the beginning of more complicated ones. The Committee gave first, stems with straight sides, the bases of which might be straight, concave, or convex. In the South the flint implements which exhibit a narrow base and expanding stem predominate. But specimens in which the sides of the stem are parallel or straight are not uncommon. Perhaps more of the “stem with sides parallel” type are found on the tributaries of the Columbia River and in Texas and California.
In my illustrations it is difficult to procure specimens all of one type, and on some plates the predominating shapes are of the type described. Yet here and there will be seen objects which belong in another class. As a matter of course, “The Stone Age” describes few objects that are not imperishable material; wooden shafts and weapons, fabrics, whether skin or basketry, have long since resolved themselves into dust. However, a few words of description concerning bows and arrows themselves will not be amiss.
