Deciphering projectile points is somewhat like a future archeologist contemplating our society on the basis of an auto mechanic’s toolkit. At first glance the prospects seem limited. But with hard thought and work, the archeologist could learn a lot more than how we tuned car engines.

A similarity in point style and materials may be the signature of a particular group. If the style is found throughout a region, it may mean the group was widely traveled.

Similarly, the fact that more than one type of point is found at a site may mean the place was occupied by different groups over time. It may also mean there was something about the site that attracted people continuously over generations.