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Dart and Arrow Points on the Columbia Plateau of Western North America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Kenneth M. Ames ,
Kristen A. Fuld  and
Sara Davis
Kenneth M. Ames
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207 (amesk@pdx.edu)
Kristen A. Fuld
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207
Sara Davis
Affiliation:
Archaeological Investigations Northwest, Inc., 2632 S.E. 162nd Ave., Portland, OR 97236
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Abstract

The timing of the bow and arrow's introduction, spread, and replacement of the atlatl is an important research question in North American prehistory. Although regional archaeologists have not focused on the issue, it is generally thought that the bow and arrow were introduced on the Columbia Plateau ca. 2,300 years ago and completely replaced the atlatl by 1000 B.P. We apply two sets of discriminate functions and four threshold values to three large projectile point samples from the Columbia Plateau and a control sample from the Western Great Basin. Our results indicate that the atlatl was used on the Plateau by ca. 10,800 B.P. While the bow and arrow may have been present by 8500 B.P., they were ubiquitous in the region by 4400 B.P. Atlatl use appears to have increased for a while after 3000 B.P. At the same time, metric differences between dart and arrow points strengthened. Darts became rare after 1500 B.P. but seem to have been in use in small numbers at least until contact.

Resumen

Resumen

El momento de introducción y dispersión del arco y flecha así como su reemplazo por el atlatl constituyen importantes temas de investigación de la prehistoria de Norte América. Aunque los arqueólogos regionales no se han concentrado en este tema, en general se piensa que el arco y flecha fueron introducidos en la meseta de Columbia hace unos 2,300 años y que reemplazaron completamente al atlatl hacia 1000 a.P. En este trabajo aplicamos dos conjuntos de funciones discriminantes, cuatro valores de umbral y patrones de variación por tamaño a lo largo de tres dimensiones métricas a tres grandes muestras de puntas de proyectil de la meseta de Columbia y a una muestra de control de la Gran Cuenca occidental. Nuestros resultados indican que el atlatl fue utilizado en la meseta desde ca. 10,800 a.P. Asimismo, el arco y flecha pudieron ya estar presentes para el 8500 a.P. y ya eran ubicuos en la región hacia el 4400 a.P., aunque sin reemplazar completamente al atlatl. El uso del atlatl parece haberse incrementado por un tiempo con posterioridad a 3000 a.P. Al mismo tiempo las diferencias métricas entre puntas de dardo y puntas de flecha se hicieron más notables. Los dardos se tornaron raros después del 1500 a.P., pero parecen haber continuado en uso hasta tiempos del contacto. En suma, no se trata de una historia de reemplazo directo de un arma por otra, sino que ambos sistemas de armas estuvieron en uso al mismo tiempo durante varios milenios en la meseta de Columbia.

Type
Forum
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 75 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 287 - 325
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 2010

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