|
IVORY POINT OR FORESHAFT This slightly bowed ivory point was found in the Aucilla River in northwest Florida and dates to sometime within the Paleo-Indian period. It's a style that has been used by widely separated cultures and time periods around the world. These types of points were used by some Eskimo cultures and by some early European people who were living during the Late Paleolithic period. This ivory point was made from either a mammoth or mastodon tusk. It was used on the end of a spear as either a foreshaft or as a projectile point. If it was used as a foreshaft, an additional projectile point would have been fitted onto one end. The tapered end is engraved or "roughened" with several crosshatch lines. The rough surface would help to secure any hafting materials, such as mastic (glue) or sinew. Scuba divers have retrieved large numbers of fragments of ivory points from Florida rivers and limestone sinkholes. This is one of the few complete or nearly complete examples that have been found. This ivory point measures 10 3/16 inches (25.9 cm) long.
|
