A Beothuk or Little Passage Flintknapping Sequence

Knapping sequence, from
core to finished arrowhead

This stone and antler set illustrates the stages and tools that would have gone into making a Beothuk or Little Passage arrowhead from chert. Its composed entirely of raw materials from Newfoundland and is going to accompany the Beothuk bow and arrow in a local museum display. The set includes a chert core and assorted flakes with a small cobble hammerstone. The caribou antler tine would have been used to pressure flake the larger flakes into a triangular biface and then a corner-notched arrowhead. Evidence of soft hammer percussion or punch work also shows up in Recent Indian collections, but its not necessary for the small chert points, so I went with a simpler reduction sequence in this kit.  Over time, as iron became more available to the Beothuk, their knapped tools became simpler and simpler.

Chert core and flakes, with a hammer stone about the size of a chicken egg

The initial flakes removed from the core could be further worked using the pressure flaker.  Triangular Bifaces are common artifacts in Recent Indian sites in Newfoundland and could be unfinished arrowheads, un-notched knives, harpoon endblades or a combination of any of those tools.  

Photo Credits: Tim Rast