Buffalo Points

[Allen7]

I am no archaeologist.   I started flintkapping to make my own stone points for my primitive arrows.   I have been curious about what type of stone points the plains Indians used on their horseback buffalo hunts.   I have heard that they have found small bird points around the buffalo jump sites - presumably used to dispatch injured buffalo.  However, it doesn't make sense to me to try and bring down a buffalo using bird points, while galloping on horseback on the open plain.   I would want something with longer cutting edges like the Ishi points.  Does anyone have any data on type and size of arrowheads that have been found with buffalo bones? 

Allen Minton

[loefflerchuck]

 It is true that it seems that most big game on the plains and southwest were taken with small (bird points). Very few bows from that time exist today so it is hard to say how powerful they were but reguardles a small sharp point will easily penetrate a hide and if it hits a vital organ the animal will die. Most of these points date to before the horse arrived on the plains though.

[Hillbilly]

By the time the horse arrived on the Plains and was in general use, I'd say that iron was already available and was the main material for arrowheads.

[cowboy]

I don't know the answer Allen, but I'm really fond of those ishi styles for any kind of hunting.

[xin]

The Streicher Museum of Baylor University in Waco,Tx has a buffalo vertebrae with a Perdiz point embedded in it.

[JackCrafty]

As far as I know, Cahokia-style points were used to kill buffalo just before the introduction of iron.  They ranged in size from 1/2" to 1-1/2" long.  Other side-notched variations were used as well:  Huffaker, Harrell, Reed and Washita.  Scallorn types also.  All have been found with buffalo remains at "jump" sites.  Many different materials were utilized: obsidian, chert, agate, bone, etc.  In central Texas, Perdiz points were popular for hunting (as already mentioned).

[billy]

I believe that iron arrowheads became readily available to the Plains tribes in the early to mid 1800's, though there was some trading of iron arrowheads before that time.  Before then, they used stone points: small side-notched and corner notched points, as well as Perdiz points were used.  Texas has a lot of quality flint from what I have heard, so finding stone wouldn't be a problem. 

As far as small bird points not being deadly, you might want to order the June/July 2008 back issue of Primitive ARcher....in that issue is my article where I tested bird points by shooting them into a deer using a 100% primitive bow and arrows.  Those tiny stone points were surprisingly effective, although my bow only pulled 40 lbs.  For something as large as buffalo, I'd go with 55-60 lbs, and that might have been what the ancients used although that's pure speculation on my part.

Those bird points are surprisingly deadly.  This past fall I shot a fresh roadkilled deer with the exact same set-up I used for the bird point test.  That reed arrow zipped thru that deer so fast it was like it wasn't even there.  The arrow then slammed into the wall of the metal barn and split the stone point in half.     

[Sparrow]

One of my friends has a buffalo vert. with a point imbedded in it,the point is about an inch and a half long,3/4 inch wide at the base.Triangular.  Frank