CAST #P-19

ICE AGE BONE SPEAR POINTS

   The majority of all Paleo-Indian bone and ivory spear points found in the United States have been found in the east. Almost all of these are made of ivory and were found in the rivers of Florida where preservation has been very good. But examples have also been recovered from a few sites in the west. The similarities of the bone and ivory artifacts and the fact that they are separated by thousands of miles help archaeologist understand the movements of these early nomadic people.
   Similar examples of bone and ivory points found in North America have also been found in Europe on Upper Paleolithic sites that date to approximately 30,000 years ago.

Ice Age bone spear point from Sheriden Cave (cast).
CAST #P-19
BONE SPEAR POINT
SHERIDEN CAVE SITE
WYANDOT COUNTY, OHIO
HENDRICKS COLLECTION

  Two rare bone spear points were found during the excavation of Sheriden Cave. This one was discovered during a paleontological excavation in the summer of 1995 by Kenneth Ford. He found it while excavating a skeleton of a flat-faced peccary. The tip of the point has some very slight damage which is believed to have happened when it pierced the scapula of a peccary lying near by. Another similar bone point was found during a second archaeological project in 2000.
    Two of the projectile points from Sheriden Cave are made of bone and are very rare. The bases of the points are tapered where they were attached either directly or indirectly with a foreshaft to a spear. They also have a crosshatching design cut into the bases. This "roughening" probably helped attach them more firmly in the haft with the use of tree resin (mastic) or other adhesive substances.
   There is a 2 1/8 inch long groove cut along one side of this bone point. Within this groove there are a few narrow areas left uncut like steps on a ladder. This same diagnostic trait has been seen on another double beveled bone tool found on the East Wenatchee site in Washington state.
   This bone point was made from the long bone of a large animal. It measures 5 1/4 inches long.

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