BARBED ANTLER ARROW POINTS
ETOWAH, CAHOKIA & A KENTUCKY SITE
GEORGIA, ILLINOIS AND KENTUCKY
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COPYRIGHT NOVEMBER 30, 2012 PETER A. BOSTROM

     These socketed barbed antler arrow points were found on Mississippian period sites in Georgia, Illinois and Kentucky. They were made from the tips of an antler tines. The point at upper left was found on the Kunnemann tract on the Cahokia Mounds site. The point at upper right (a cast) was found during the excavation of Mound C with burial #1 on the Etowah Mound site. The point at lower right was found during the excavation of Mound 72 on the Cahokia Mounds site. The other three examples were discovered on a site in Kentucky. The longest point measures 1 15/16 inches (5 cm) long.
    Antler projectile points were used for thousands of years in North America, beginning sometime during the Late Archaic period. The earliest antler points were used as spear or dart points and were much larger than the arrow points illustrated here. There were two main styles. Some were made with a projecting barb, like most of these points and others were made with squared off bases, without barbs. The more recent, Mississippian period, antler arrow points date from about 1,400 years ago to historic times, when they were replaced by conical metal points.

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