Bone, Stone and 4.1 Shell Technology

A Clovis point. The ProJeCTIle PoInTS ‘flute’ or channel up Projectile points changed through an atlatl or throwing stick, which greatly the middle of the time as prey and hunting technologies increased the power of the throw. (For point was for hafting onto a spear; deep more information on the atlatl, visit changed. Paleoindian Clovis points were flutes occur only on attached to long spears, and were used www.worldatlatl.org.) Because darts Paleolithic points. to hunt Pleistocene period megafauna were not easily retrieved, dart points like the mastodon. Spear points were were expendable—they were quickly Scallorn arrow point. This is often exquisitely crafted from non- and roughly made from readily available one of the earlier arrow points. native stone and were probably closely native stone. This technology lasted over It resembles a dart point in shape conserved. By 10,000 B.C., a more modern 6,000 years in Louisiana, and was still in but is smaller. climate developed and modern fauna use by some Mexican Indians at Contact. appeared. Long spears and spear points However, between A.D. 500 and 700, the bone, Stone and were replaced by smaller darts and dart bow, arrow, and arrowhead replaced the Shell technology points. The darts were propelled using atlatl, dart, and dart point in Louisiana. Bone fishing hooks. These hooks were 4.3 Kent point. Used from generally crafted from deer long bones. SubSiStence the middle of the Archaic Considering the dependence of most tecHnOLOGieS through the Marksville cultures on fishing, fish hooks are periods, these points are uncommon. Bulk capture of fish The best evidence of the prehistoric food quest often found in plowed with nets and weirs was probably Bone and Shell ToolS is the hundreds of thousands of projectile points fields near water sources. more common than line fishing. In many areas of Louisiana, particularly in the south where stone (spear, dart, and arrow points) that occur in is not readily available, bone and shell were important resources Louisiana. Other tools include so-called “bola for tools. Unlike projectile points, which can be assigned to stones” which could be attached to cords and a general time frame based on shape and size, bone and shell thrown; they may also be used as net weights. tools are difficult to date because their forms do not change dramatically through time. Bone was used to create points, fish- STone, Bone and These stone artifacts are what remains of a hooks, “fids” used in net and basket making, and fleshers and Shell ornamenTS • 6399 Windfern Road • Houston, Texas 77040 • 713.462.7754 • www.swmuseum.com diverse hunting, gathering, and fishing toolkit punches for leatherworking. On the coast, whelk shells were used Stone, bone, and shell were also important that also contained fine-meshed nets for fish and as hoes, adzes, gouges, punches, and drinking cups. Gulf coast materials used in jewelry and other items shells were traded inland as far north as St. Louis. of personal adornment. At least as early as birds, decoys, small and large snares, fish weirs, Bola stones or plummets, fish baskets, cane and bamboo arrows, wooden 5000 B.C., these materials were used to make used either as weights for gorgets, pendants, beads, and other items. Such bows and atlatls, and digging sticks for root a hunting bola or as net items were traded widely, probably with other crops and shellfish. weights. These are usually materials such as feathers and furs that have Man hurling a dart with an made of exotic, and very long since disappeared. atlatl. Image courtesy of Dr. heavy stones like hematite Jon Gibson, no affiliation. or magnetite. 4.2 Turkey metatarsal (leg) awl. Awls were used for punching holes in skins or leather, and for sewing garments or other Shell beads with pendant. articles of clothing. All are made from the central ‘columnella’ of a whelk shell.

Alligator jaw bone pick. This tool, used Bone fid. Fids are crafted from large 4.5 for digging was created by removing the mammal long-bones that have been teeth from an alligator jaw, grinding the splintered by cutting or smashing. ends to useful points. The resultant pieces are ground to shape and used in net and basket making.

A bone dart point. Considered to be a groove and snap type tool, it was created by scoring and snapping a large bone to size with further refinement—such as polishing and grinding towards the tapered end—thus creating a Heavy wear on the end of point. These were made throughout prehistory, this whelk indicates that it but are more common in areas with little stone. was used as a gouge or adze. 4.4

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