Numerous projectile experiments focusing on the replication and use of Stone Age spearheads and arrowheads made of bone or antler have been undertaken since the early 1980s. A survey of this literature is presented here, focusing on aspects of point resistance and breakage patterns, in order to provide a synthetic view of the experimentally-attested macroscopic use-wear traces on this type of implements. Emerging from this general overview, a consistent discrepancy in the extent of fracture damage between the experimental results and the archeological record is pointed out. A first explanation for this situation is suggested, based on recent experimental results. Finally, several directions for further research on this topic are proposed.
CITATION STYLE
Pétillon, J. M., Plisson, H., & Cattelain, P. (2016). Thirty years of experimental research on the breakage patterns of stone age osseous points. Overview, methodological problems and current perspectives. In Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology (pp. 47–63). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7602-8_4
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