COMPLEXITY OF USE-WEAR TRACES FORMED ON FLINT PROJECTILE POINTS - A VOICE IN DISCUSSION

Abstract

In this paper we describe an experiment designed to provide guidelines for a detailed classification of use-wear traces formed on flint projectile points, resulting from striking a range of organic and non-organic materials. We verify the existing findings, and pay particular attention to microscopic damage (retouches, polish and striations). The list of traces characteristic for projectile points is formed mainly on the basis of morphology (current microscopic observations) and only indirectly on functional classifications. In the course of our experiment 122 arrowhead replicas were used: 33 points, 31 arrowheads with bifacial surface retouch, 26 trapezes and 16 composite arrowheads (made of a lateral inset/barb and point inset each). Our classification in- cludes 22 diagnostic features, divided into 4 main groups: fractures, retouch, polish and striations. Among the fractures, the most characteristic were the complex splintered ones as well as certain types of fractures with retouch (especially those with spin-off spalls). Among the retouched ones and crush-outs the most abundant ones exhibited burin-like fractures and spin-off spalls, though retouches such as: toothed, splintered, post-impact and splintered from the shaft were considered as important too. Attention was also paid to slanting edge retouch, which is not found on other types of functional tools. Among the different types of polish special attention was given to those formed as a result of a tool’s rapid friction against a hard material at the point of impact. Prime importance was given to patch-like and linear polish; large significance was also given to specific types of ridge and edge polish. Linear traces were found to be of little use for the interpretation of a projectile weapon’s insets function. Our observations sug- gest that the identification of prehistoric projectile points may require a much more precise analysis than those hitherto conducted. Relying solely on the basic types of post-impact traces is inadequate. Traces of this type are in fact only present on a small percentage of the total number of insets. In addition, some kinds of them formed only in specific circumstances, in which both the type of arrowhead and the kind of target were of importance.