North American Projectile Points

This publication provides a single source for projectile points in the literature of American archaeology. Its purpose is to provide a quick lookup for point types; the user then utilizes the basic references that are provided for more research information, point comparisons, data, distributions, similar types, timemarkers, etc. There are nearly two thousand types in this publication. Within American archaeology, there are many forms of investigations, practices, methodologies, ethical standards, varying degrees of expertise, site-context artifacts, field-collected collections, and numerous other factors that apply to projectile point typology and American collections. And then there is the relic/collector world that probably holds more artifacts than any other group in the US. Somewhere in the midst of all this, there is reliable and truthful information about Americas antiquity. For some, archaeology is a compromise among people who study and curate (loosely used for private collection) prehistoric artifacts. Any attempt to produce a single publication on American projectile points will certainly place the writer between scientific archaeology and the proverbial other side of the arrowheadsthe collector world. Justifiably, there are readers who simply want to learn more about the Native Americans material culture and will contribute their artifact finds to the archaeological communitys public record.