Common Markings on Arrowheads

Materials

• Arrowheads can be made out of a variety of materials, and markings on the arrowheads can be different depending on what they are made out of. Arrowheads made from wood and bone tend to have smoother markings because they are less rigid than stone and metal when they are carved. The smoother markings look like rounded ridges on the surface of the arrowhead, and the sharper markings have more of a sharp crest on the arrowhead surface.

Shapes

• The markings on arrowheads are formed when the pieces are shaped. Arrowheads most commonly have one end that is thick, which then gradually narrows and comes together to make a sharp point at the opposing end. Common arrowhead markings are in the form of dents, where the material has been hit with a hard, sharp tool to form it into an arrowhead.

Sides

• The sides of arrowheads have common markings that make the arrowheads more effective weapons. They usually have small, teeth-like ridges that make the edges of the arrowhead serrated like knife so that the edges and the point of the arrowhead help to penetrate surfaces.

Sizes

• Larger arrowheads have longer, more gradual markings than smaller arrowheads because they were made with longer hitting strokes when they were being formed. The smaller arrowheads will have smaller markings since there was less surface area to work with when they were formed.