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Paleoindian Projectile Point Design: Experiments Testing Ballistics and Use-Life
Garnett, Justin
Garnett, Justin
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Abstract
This dissertation describes experiments which were designed to collect middle-range information related to prehistoric projectile function and lithic projectile point retooling, using Paleoindian technologies (Clovis and Folsom) as a test-case. Experiments were conducted to evaluate projectile point penetration efficiency, use-life, and to evaluate the effects of retooling on external and terminal ballistics. The experiments were specifically designed to allow direct comparisons to be drawn between two technological systems. This project asked five major research questions: 1) How does resharpening effect the ballistics of darts armed with Clovis and Folsom points? 2) If darts tipped with Clovis and Folsom points do respond differently to resharpening, what might this reveal about technological organization and mobility? 3) Are changes in edge angle due to retooling meaningful to dart terminal ballistics (penetration), and if so, how? 4) How do the use-lives of Clovis and Folsom points compare to each other? 5) Do differences in use-life support dominant models of Clovis vs. Folsom land-use strategies and technological organization? Results of these experiments were found to closely agree with dominant models of Clovis vs. Folsom land use and resource exploitation. A techno-functional role for the Folsom fluting process is suggested, based around the engineering principle of supportability. This concept was found to be useful in interpreting technological organization and discard decisions in systems employing stone projectile points.
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Date
2024-12-31
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University of Kansas
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Keywords
Archaeology, atlatl, ballistics, Clovis, Folsom, projectile points, spearthrower