One of the displays in the Sacajawea Museum, located in Washington’s Sacajawea State Park, features American Indian stone points (arrowheads, spearpoints, knifeblades).
According to the display:
“This collection of artifacts offers an opportunity to explore the past. Here you can examine tools made by the people who lived along the Columbia River and its many tributaries. Today, we know careful preservation helps us understand the stories artifacts hold. Artifacts should always remain in place. If you do encounter artifacts or archaeological features on public lands, please contact the land manager.”
The artifacts show in this collection are from a private collection started in the 1920s. Since these were removed from the sites where they were found, much of the information which they could have provided, such as accurate dating, is not available.
In their introduction to the prehistory of the Plateau Culture Area in the Handbook of North American Indians, James Chatters and David Pokotylo have suggested a broad chronology for the region:
Early Period from the end of the Ice Ages to 6000 BCE. James Chatters and David Pokotylo write:
“Climates were initially more continental than they are today and were characterized by greater seasonal variation in temperature.”
Middle Period from 6000 BCE to 2000 BCE. James Chatters and David Pokotylo write:
“Climatic conditions continued warmer than in modern times. However, the climate became more maritime after 6000 B.C., allowing conifer forests to move downslope in the north and perhaps in the east, and shrub steppes to replace grasslands in the Columbia Basin.”
Late Period from 2000 BCE to 1720 CE. At the beginning of this time period, temperatures declined sharply.
The Museum display shows some of the archaeological phases in Plateau prehistory:
Clovis Phase
Clovis points are found throughout North America. In his book Exploring Ancient Native America: An Archaeological Guide, archaeologist David Hurst Thomas points out that
“Clovis craftsmen were masters of flaking stone into wonderfully practical instruments.”
The Clovis points have lateral indentations (or flutes) which allow them to be efficiently tied to a shaft. The shafts were thrown with the aid of a throwing stick or atlatl.
In his chapter in Ice Age People of North America: Environments, Origins, and Adaptations, George Frison describes the Clovis point this way:
“The Clovis projectile point has a sharp point for initial penetration; blade edges are sharp so as to cut a hole of proper size to allow entry of the halfting element and shaft; the point narrows slightly toward the base to allow a sinew binding that will not impede entry; the flutes provide a basal thinning, which is ideal to fit into the nock of the foreshaft; and the lenticular cross-section provides structural strength. The point is designed to be attached to a wooden foreshaft with sinew and pitch without fear of it loosening during use.”
Windust Phase
In the Plateau region, Windust replaced Clovis. During this phase, Indian people were making both stemmed and unstemmed lanceolate points. In his book Indian Rock Art of the Columbia Plateau, archaeologist James Keyser writes:
“Living in the numerous rock shelters throughout the central Columbia Plateau, and in open campsites elsewhere, the Windust people, also nomadic hunters, preyed on deer, elk, birds, and small mammals.”
In his chapter in North American Archaeology, Kenneth Ames reports:
“Windust people were foragers with some logistical movement; population densities were low.”
In his chapter in Kennewick Man: The Scientific Investigation of an Ancient American Skeleton, James Chatters describes the stone tool tradition this way:
“Stone tools include large, thin, stemmed, lanceolate projective points with distally expanding blades, as well as large end and side scrapers produced on flakes with little modification.”
Cascade Phase
According to the display:
“Many Cascade points have a very distinctive slender, oval shape, like a willow leaf. Others have side notches to help secure the point to an atlatl shaft.”
In his chapter in Kennewick Man: The Scientific Investigation of an Ancient American Skeleton, James Chatters writes:
“Stone tools include large, leaf-shaped knives and leaf-shaped projectile points, small end and side scrapers, drills, gravers, and cobble tools. The projectile points tend to be narrow and thick with serrated edges and show no sign of having been used secondarily as knives.”
Tucannon Phase
According to the display:
“Toomakers continued to refine points. Smaller points are corner-notched and stemmed, and many were used with an innovative new weapon—the bow and arrow.”
In his book Prehistory of the Americas, Stuart Fiedel reports:
“Tucannon assemblages include crudely chipped corner-notched and stemmed points, some chipped knives, and edge-flaked cobbles. Hopper mortars, pestles, and net sinkers were made of ground stone.”
The people at this time were hunting elk, deer, and antelope. They were also taking salmon from the river.
Harder Phase
This phase dates from 500 BCE to 1720 CE.
According to the display:
“Projectile points are small-stemmed and side- or corner-notched.”
The Artifact Collection
Shown below are some of the stone tools which are displayed in this collection. According to the display:
“Plateau toolmakers made points from basalt, chert, agate, obsidian, petrified wood and jasper. They firmly affixed these spear, atlatl and arrow points to straight wood shafts with thin hemp cord of sinew and glue made of pitch.”
Ancient America
North American was inhabited for many thousands of years prior to the European invasion. Here are some of the essays from this series:
Ancient America: A very short overview of the prehistory of the Grand Canyon
Ancient America: A very short overview of Clovis
Ancient America: Kennewick Man (The Ancient One)
Ancient America: Windust Phase Indian Artifacts (Photo Diary)
Ancient America: American Indians at Rancho La Brea
Ancient America: Changing Technologies and Trade in California
Ancient America: Carved Stone Figures in the Plateau (Photo Diary)
Ancient America: The Great Basin Archaic