Oct 12, 2023
Got a good knap in this morning
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Got a good knap in this morning
Ready to do some flint knapping? It's knap time! • Millions of unique designs by independent artists. Find your thing.
Fun t-shirt with “Knap time!”
Projectile Points – Largest, Smallest
Projectile points (includes arrow and spear tips) help us to date sites since both the sizes and shapes changed through time. Points come in a variety of sizes and the two illustrated here are extremes! The larger point is 15 cm (6 inches) long, and the smaller one is only about 1 cm (just under 1/2 inch). The larger point is an Early Woodland Adena point from a site along the Mississippi River in Houston County, Minnesota. It’s made of a whitish chert that looks like Burlington but has too much patina (a weathered exterior surface) to be sure. The tiny corner-notched point came from an Archaic and Middle/Late Woodland site in the Perrot State Park area near Trempealeau. It’s made of grey chert similar to Grand Meadow chert from southeastern Minnesota.
I've been drawing a lot (a LOT) of lithics lately. I've been hesitant to post these, because they are in no way technically accurate and as a former archaeology student I feel like any time I'm drawing artefacts I should be as precise and accurate as possible. It's hard to turn off the switch that demands constant scientific accuracy. But, drawing lithics for fun is incredibly relaxing and meditative, and rewarding in a different way than technical lithic illustration tends to be. So, have some entirely made-up, not remotely accurate, but fun-to-draw projectile points (plus a few scrapers and drills to round things out).
This Clovis era projectile point is one of the oldest human-made items in our collection. The Clovis period occurred roughly 13,300 to 12,800 calendar years ago. It was made by chipping at black, fluted flint-stone. Flint is a type of sedimentary rock.
iowaarchaeology's Shop
We’ve also launched some print-to-order archaeology swag! Whether you’re an Iowa or do archaeology across the world, there’s something for everyone! Support the Iowa Archeological Society with some IAS gear, show off some love for the Office of the State Archaeologist, display your love of projectile points, let people know you believe that Heritage Matters, and show your sense of humor with our "Archaeology Fun" collection. With a print-to-order shop, you can get exactly the color, style, and material you like, with an amazing return policy if you're not happy with your purchase. Much of the gear is Iowa-focused, but there is plenty for non-Iowans too! You get some cool gear and the sales support IAS and OSA outreach activities -- win win! We'll be making some of our classic posters available as wall art soon: Iowa's Archaeological Timeline, Ice Age Iowa, Projectile Points of Iowa, and more, perfect for displays at home or in schools, libraries, and museums. Stay tuned!
Small arrow head