Artifact Gallery - Spear and Knife

Stone spear and knife
Stone spear and knife
 

Knives, made by inserting a chiseled stone into a pitch-lined groove in a wooden handle, were used much as they are today, for construction, food preparation, and other purposes.

The longer tool here is likely a hunting spear. While such tools were made and used by Ancestral Pueblo people, they were not as common since much effort went into farming. Between 450 and 750 CE, the bow and arrow replaced the atlatl (or spear thrower) as weapon for hunting game. It was more accurate and had a longer range.

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Last updated: May 9, 2020

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