Project Results

This paper is the first publication that is based on the research which was partially funded through Experiment.com. We plan at least one additional journal article that will consider additional implications of the data we collected in our experiment.  

About This Project

The experiment will test arrow points made from six materials of varying fracture-toughness. Different target media, including rawhide, will be tested. It has been argued that the Apache were the first to use rawhide shields in the Southwestern US, and Pima points were often made of high fracture-toughness basalt. This is surprising because previously arrow points were rarely made from basalt, and the Pima may have using basalt to penetrate Apache shields.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Archaeologists have long debated when the Apache and other Athabascan tribes first moved into the Southwestern United States, and finding evidence of their arrival has proven difficult. Researchers have suggested traits that can be used to recognize them such as the use of rawhide shields, but these items nearly invariably are not preserved at archaeological sites. The proposed experiment will test the possibility that the Pima Indians, who had long lived in the region, changed their arrow point technology in response to the arrival of the Apache. If this response can be verified, then by dating when this technological change occurred investigators will have another line of evidence for when the Apache arrived.

What is the significance of this project?

Stone projectile points were used worldwide during prehistory, yet comparatively few experiments have been completed. Archaeologists are increasingly using controlled scientific studies to examine projectile point research issues, and I have already completed experiments that tested aspects of point design (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X15300547). Many different types of stone with varying properties were used to make points, however, nearly all previous work including my own research has been limited to only one stone type. The proposed experiments will provide baseline data regarding the effects of stone type on projectile performance, and these data can also be used to consider many important archaeological research issues.

What are the goals of the project?

The fundamental goal is to provide quantitative data regarding the performance of projectile points made from different types of stone. Archaeologists who study points have made many assumptions regarding the “quality” of different materials, and these suppositions in turn affect the interpretation of acquisition patterns for raw materials. Understanding acquisition patterns of exotic materials is essential because they are one of the primary ways that archaeologists use to study socioeconomic interactions among different people. The proposed experiments will test assumptions about stone quality and will improve our understanding of why people did or did not choose to expend effort to obtain specific raw materials.