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ISM System :Projectile Points Glossary
Introduction
What are projectile points?
What Types of Points Are There?
What are points made from?
How are points made?
How were points used?
Using this Reference Collection
Identification Key
Timeline
Glossary
Bibliography
Image Gallery
Activities
Credits

Glossary - Parts of a Projectile Point point parts graphic

Base - the bottom end of a projectile point.
There are several common projectile point base shapes:

    Straight base -the edge of the base is flat
    Concave base - the base is indented
    Convex base - the base protrudes proximally

Blade - that part of a projectile point above the hafting area. A flintknapper commonly makes the blade more distinctive by side notching or corner notching the projectile point.

Hafting area - the portion of a projectile point secured to a spear, dart, or arrow shaft.

Notch - an indentation on the sides of the blade or at the corners of the base. Flintknappers notch projectile points to create a different way to attach the point to the spear, dart, or arrow shaft.

    point notch graphica. Corner-notched point - a point with indentations placed where the side of the blade and the base of the point meet.
    b. Side-notched point - a point with indentations on the side of the blade
    c. Unnotched point - a point with an unnotched
    hafting area, also often called lanceolate-shaped points.

Stem - a type of hafting area of a projectile point created by side notching or corner notching the point.

    point stems graphica. Expanding stem - a stem that diverges towards the base.
    b. Contracting stem - a stem that converges towards the base.
    c. Straight stem - a stem with parallel sides.

 

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