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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Bob Moran on February 07, 2018, 11:34:00 AM

Title: Ancient broadheads in Alaska
Post by: Bob Moran on February 07, 2018, 11:34:00 AM
Found an interesting article about a study of projectile points used by ancient Alaskan hunters which compared effectiveness of three different points found in Alaska.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180131144448.htm
Title: Re: Ancient broadheads in Alaska
Post by: BAK on February 07, 2018, 01:31:00 PM
Interesting article, but it didn't seem there was a clear distinction between the stone tipped versus the micro-blades.

If that were the case the micro-blades would seem to require much more time to build, but would require much less obsidian like material.  That may have been a distinct advantage to an Eskimo.
Title: Re: Ancient broadheads in Alaska
Post by: Tim Finley on February 07, 2018, 08:52:00 PM
I had never seen the micro blades before who ever made those in the photo did a very excellent job. . It was a interesting article .
Title: Re: Ancient broadheads in Alaska
Post by: Roadkill on February 07, 2018, 11:09:00 PM
Thanks for sharing
Title: Re: Ancient broadheads in Alaska
Post by: chinook907 on February 08, 2018, 02:00:00 AM
That's pretty cool. Had no idea that composite heads were ever made like that.
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A few years ago I was hunting caribou in an area where Alaska natives used to hunt seasonally. They apparently would quarry chert from a nearby site, and then sit on little knobs and knap heads while they waited for caribou to come by.
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Many of the knobs that I catted around on were littered with flakes from the hunter/snappers.
.   (http://i.imgur.com/oNdi0Uq.jpg)
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Foggy.

 (http://i.imgur.com/oa9RPEK.jpg)
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 (http://i.imgur.com/2Qgy5yv.jpg)
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Title: Re: Ancient broadheads in Alaska
Post by: DXH on February 10, 2018, 04:35:00 PM
Interesting article
Title: Re: Ancient broadheads in Alaska
Post by: mgf on February 11, 2018, 07:37:00 AM
From the articale? "An animal that was easier to kill may have been targeted more often, which could, along with changing climates, explain why animals such as the horse disappeared from the Arctic. A shot to the lung was lethal for early equines, Wood said, but a caribou could keep going."

Really? To you guys who have hunted caribou, where do you try to hit them. I'd think a double lung hit would do the job well enough.

I guess it's possible that the article doesn't accurately convey what the "study" actually found but what I read in the article seems more like wild conjecture than science based on sound method and measurement.

Was the choice between points really dependent on which objectively worked best or might it have been based partly on material availability and/or the skill to fashion the point?

I guess I'm really worried to hear that a lung hit won't stop a caribou. LOL